ADVENTUROUS ANNE

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16468, 21 June 1919, Page 12

ADVENTUROUS ANNE

d; rightful story of love AND ADVENTURE.

By E. EVERETT-GREEN,

Author of “Defiant Diana,” “Married in Haste,” “A Queen of Hearts,” etc., etc.

CHAPTER XI. With flushed cheeks and shining eyes, Anne walked rapidly back to her own quarters in one of the smaller hotels. The palazzo flat was closed to her now. She believed that Olga herself had left. But after the stormy scene between them on the evening after the accident Anno had neither seen nor heard from her comrade of circumstance. She recalled tho events of that afternoon with some difficulty. Her mind was contused still as to all happenings which followed tho excited arrival of a number of friends and sympathisers who had seen the accident and hastened to their aid. She herself was only shaken; but Ravenhill had a collar-bone broken and an ankle badly wrenched. And directly tho girl had seen him on the way to being carried safely hack to his rooms, she had mounted again, despite remonstrance, and had galloped back into the city to- find his attendant, warn him of tho accident, and scud wires to Valehester Towers.

It was from this valet-attendant that she learnt facts which enlightened her as to how Ravonhill happened to be in Rome unknown to his family. His regular personal attendant, an old iamily servant, was ill, and he had engaged a substitute. Tills man, who was a good courier, was to accompany him to Genoa, where he was to meet a yachting party. But they had missed the yacht. Anne suspected that this was a “put up job” arranged by Olga. Lord Ravenlull had then decided to go to Rome, and Inter join tho yacht at Naples. He professed to have communicated by wireless with his friends on board, but Anue was quite doubtful as to this. Ho bad in this way succeeded in getting these three weeks in Rome, none suspecting his whereabouts, and if nothingjhad come to hinder Olga’s plot, in three days they would have been man and wife! What a near tiling it had been! And when Anne hud got hack to the palazzo, knowing that his friends were starting forth to come to him, and that lie was safe in the care of doctors and nurses, it was to find Olga raging up and down tho long suite of rooms in a fury of frustrated and impotent anger, and to hear herself turned upon and vituperated ms a jealous minx and an abominable mischief maker, Olga demanding of her straight whether she had not done this outrageous thing just to spite and thwart her. “I did it to save Ravenhill from making a most ghastly blunder,” Anne had answered fearlessly, “and I am not in the least ashamed of it. You know that he is not quite like other men —and you have no right to try and entrap him into a clandestine marriage, when he is right away from his friends.” Then Olga had showed her teeth like a snarling wolf. “And so you thought you would see if you could ant manage a nice little accidental murder, and then marry handsome Jack —the heir!”

This had brought tho interview to a close. Anne turned and walked out of the room, packed up her belongings, placed them iu tho car, left a substantia) cheque for Olga as her contribution to the expenses of the flat, and betook herself to quarters of her own, to await the coming of Lady Valehester. Once she was certain that Ravenhill was safe with his own people, -and she would instantly quit Romo. Sho was now obsessed by the horrid thought that what Olga had put into words others might suspect of her. It was scarcely to bo home! It humiliated her in her own eyes. Sho almost began to wonder whether she was fitted for this life of adventure, upon which she had entered so fearlessly and with such zest. After her very' brief interview with Jack sho walked hastily to her quarters. Sho summoned her man, told him to prepare the ear for a long journey. She intended to travel quietly back to England, starting early the following morning. Ho must make his preparations and so must sho. She wanted to fill every moment of her time. Sho wanted to forgot the pained and startled look in Jack’s eyes. What was ho to her, or she to him? A little commotion in the hall of her hotel obliged her tef wait to give notice of her speedy departure. Sho ivas able to take in, absently at first, afterwards with more understanding, what this commotion was about. Suddenly she addressed a stylish-looking American woman who had been speaking with some excitement and heat.

“If you are in any difficulty, madam, about a touring car, winch seems to have failed you at an awkward moment, may 1 offer you to join me in mine? 1 wish to take this way of reaching England, and my own car is a very good one. I propose to start to-morrow, and could take you and your daughter with mo. Will you come and look at it? It is in the garage. It will hold a large amount of luggage, and the rest can go by rail.” “Say, doi you really mean that? Mamie, listen! I guess we are in luck’s way, after all. Why, Miss Desborough, 1 guess everybody in Homo knows you and your car. It’s just elegant. And the skunk who promised us one by tomorrow hasn’t a thing I’d trust a cat to.”

In two hours everything was “fixed up.” Anne, glad to escape the gene of her thoughts, and aware that Americans were excellent company as a rule, was glad enough of the ararngemcnt, which was also a great financial help, and she did not want to arrive in London with an exchecpier too much depleted. So she flung dull care behind her, prepared to enjoy herself and see that her fellowtravellers did the same. March had come with its sunshine and flowers. The road was running well, and the joy of spring-tide was in the air. “I’ve only got to forget Jack, who never can bo anything to me,” Anne told herself, “to he as jolly as a sandboy. I never was one who cried for the moon or grizzled over spilt milk, and I’m not going to begin at my time of life. No fear! I’ve the world before mo still, so to say. And I’ll have a good time in spite of everything.” The tour was really very amusing. The American mother and daughter were eager to see everything, and refreshingly ignorant over numbers of things, whilst extremely acute and observant about others. Anne was vastly amused. They put in a delightful fortnight on the Riviera, where Mrs. Bellermain was delighted to see Anne, and the Dagberts received her and the Americans most cordially and helped them to have an extremely lively time. Mrs. Bellermain told how her daughter and son-in-law were coming to her house for the season. She hoped Anne would be a great deal with her, but the girl saw that she would not be wanted as a member of the household. This suited her own plans, for she had still

plenty of money, and was in favour of taking independent quarters somewhere for herself, and being mistress of her own home. When they reached London at length and she parted company with her travelling companions, with many expressions of mutual goodwill, Anne flung herself into the entrancing-occupation of finding quarters for herself, where she could make a little home at least for a time. She desired nothing very permanent. She did not want to feel fettered or hound. But for May, June and July she really could afford a charming little homo, where she could “do herself well,” andi her choice fastened itself at length upon a small furnished flat of the ‘bijou” description, in a huge block of these modern-day conveniences adjacent to St, James’s Park. She had to pay four hundred pounds for fifteen weeks; but Anne, having still four thousand to her credit, did not haggle over price, once she was sure that she liked the rooms. She hired a horse and appeared in the Row, gay, dashing and debonair. Her former pupils and Mrs. Bollermain’s friends eagerly welcomed her reappearance, and the whisper went round that Miss Dpshorough had come into money, and was liivng in a most delightful little flat, and giving small tea-parties that were simply delightful. Her American friends were a success. She introduced them to her world, and they did everything to give her a “good time” amongst their compatriots. By the time that Mis. Rollormain with her daughter and son-in-law appeared in Park Lane, Anno was the centre of a little social success on her own account. Nevertheless she always found time to, help her first friend with her entertainments, and nothing went with so much eclat and, verve ns those parties where Anne appeared in the guise of dramatic reciter. As she went regularly to the theatres and watched all the new plays, and practised her gifts at home, she found it easy to he successful, though she made light of her successes with little gestures of mockery. “It is only because I am rather nice to look at, and charge no fees,” sho told her friends, “and because I make people laugh. That is all the world cares for now —just to ho made to laugh. And the world is right. What is the use of tears and growls? I want to dance and laugh ray way through life myself, and I think I am going to succeed.” Though sometimes Anne would fall into a reverie, and ask herself how long this giddy whirl would hold her.

From Mrs. Bellormain sho knew that Lord Ravenhill was now at Valchester Towers, safe under his mother's wing. Sho never asked about Jack. Onco siie saw his name figure, as playing in a inn tell at Lords, and she wont to that match, and with eager eyes and flushed cheeks* watched him carry out his bat for 68 amid tremendous applause. She thought that no one in the field was half so graceful, swift or fearless; and for days afterwards her heart kept throbbing to a note of joy, for which she. gave the glorious weather the credit. At this time tho river and the country was making its call. Anne accepted week-end invitations to river-side houses. She rowed well, and was “up to anything,” as the young contingent of the party always discovered. She got together a crew of girls and coached them for a ladies' regatta ; and Anne’s crew bore off the prize with flying colours, she rowing stroke in the boat, and showing judgment and lovel-headcdness of which the men spectators were more clearly aware than the bulk of the ladies. There was a great crowd that day upon the river, and Anno presently, tired of the glare and noise, and satiated by compliments and flatteries, betook herself into a. friendly backwater in a canoe. Hero all was green shade, peace and tranquility. She tied up her frail craft, made a nest, for herself amongst the cushions she had provided, and was soon drifting away into a land of dreams —the only land where sho and Jack could meet and wander as lovers. The distant throb and lilt of music came to her from afar along tho water. It soothed her into slumber, and she dreamed that she was waltzing again with Jack, and that ho' was gazing into her eyes with that look in his which Dreamily Anne’s eyes opened, and dreamily she smiled into Jack’s dear face. What a charming dream. She was no longer dancing now, but lying in a sweet green shade; and he was sitting watching her, his arms clasping his knees. Had he been playing cricket? Ho was in white flannels, * How well ho looked. Then it seemed to Anno, as though something had happened. She' sat up suddenly; for sho realised that this was no dream-lover wandering to her side in a land of rainbow shadows. 'She was looking full into Jack’s own face—and he was looking into hers. With a throb at heart she gripped herself hard. How was ho regarding her—as friend, or foe? “Hullo A.A..” he said. “Hullo she answered. Then Anne, realising that this was at least peace and not war, could not but take the happiness of the moment. She leaped lightly ashore and held outlier hand. Her eyes were beaming with tho brilliance of stars. “I’d no idea you were hero,” she said. “Did you see our race? I’m glad that we didn’t muff it. But oh, bow hot it was out there. It’s better here in the woods, under the greenwood tree.” “Much better,” assented Jack with eager emphasis. (Continued daily.)