THE SILVER TEA SHOP.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16895, 18 November 1920, Page 8

THE SILVER TEA SHOP.

CHARMING LOVE STORY BY A POPULAR WRITER.

By EVELYN EVERETT-GREEN,

Author of “Adventurous Anno. “The Temptation of Mary Lister,” “Defiant Diana,” etc., etc.

CHAPTER XVl.—Continued. “Jack,” spoke Lady Lockyer when sh" had given him his coffee, rnd placid him opposite to herself in a very comfortable chair, with his little coffee cup beside him, “I want to talk to you very i straight. Do you mind? You have no ! mother or sister, and 1 don’t want you to make a big mistake at the cutset of your career, which yon may regret ever afterwards. ’ . Jack looked her straight m the eyes, I frankly and freely. But she noted the firm set of his lips, and knew that it was no man of putty she had to deal with. Well, so much the bettor. “Now I want to know what all this trouble is between yon and Mr. Bretherton. His wife you like and serve ''splendidly. 1 think I am not wrong i when 1 say that Iris daughter you— I JaoiT" made a startled movement, but ! Lady Lockyer quietly repeated the i words, adding in a tone of quiet conviction: “And I am not at all sure i that von have not awakened an answeiinv feeling in the child’s heart. Yet no"' you refuse to go rear her—why?" “Because, Lady Lockyer, to put it in its plainest teims, Mr. Brctherton nuir--1 dcred my father. How is it possible?” He camo to a pause because she silenced him with a gesture of her hand. Her voice took up the word again. “I want to kno.v a little more about that word yon use —murder. I understand from "Tony that your father lived for a number of years after breaking with Mr. Brctherton.” ! “Ha did; but he had received his death-blow first.” “Let me hear the story, Jack. Tell it mo from end to end.” | He told ;t—all lily boyish recollecj tions. the things his father told him I when stricken for death, the impression ! made upon his boy’s mind, the vow' of I vengeance ho had registered in his heart. She listened in absorbed silence to the tale, and then summed it up. “Mr. Brctherton, the speculator, led his friend into ventures fortunate and the reverse. In the end both lost their fortunes', but your father was first in this misfortune. Also ho had strong

reason to suspect that Mr. Bretherton robbed him in another way—despoiled him of the fruits of some of his early inventions, and in particular robbed him of certain papers not to bo reproduced in his changed circumstances rnd without nis lost apparatus and laboratory which concerned a high, explosive; hut which you do not .believo has ever seen the light for practical purposes. And your desire is to reclaim these papers and discover your father’s lost secret with a view to making his name known, and also to punish the man who played the part of false friend, although a mutual friend of these two men had told you that you have somewhat mistaken the matter, and that, if all the facts weie known to you, you would he less harsh iu your judgments upon Queenio’s father. Have I stated th ■ case correctly, Jack?” “Yes; hut, as a matter of fact, I have ceased to trust, old Urquhart. Mind. I know nothing against him. It’s only a Dr. Fell sort of feeling. But there it is—l thoroughly dislike and distrust him, and I won't' have him putting m his confounded oar between me ami Mrs. Silver. And so I have told him. And I don’t mean to go to him for informal ion which I should have no faiui iu, whatever it was ” “And yet you are going to stand aside and let him marry Mary Silver’s daughter Jack, how can youf" Jack sprang to his feet, fairly gritting his teeth. “Id like to strangle the old reprobate first!—but what can I do, Lady Lockver?”

“ Why, marry her yourself, hoy! x l)ees not your heart tell yon that you could? Why does a girl suddenly submit to be betrothed to a man older than her father, whom she has regarded as an uncle? Just because something lias happened to make her own little world go to pieces about ho.'; and anything proposed which offers a change, and which is thrust upon her in a- sense as a boon to those she loves appeals to her and gives her a motive for the sacrifice. But you could stop it, Jack—and I know of ho one else who can. Mary Silver knows not what to say—opposition to her husband is very difficult for her. But it is taking toll of her. Y T ou must have seen ”

“And if 1 were to strangle the bridegroom elect,” began Jack, with grimlyset jaw. “Yes, that would be one solution,” the lady interpolated, “though not exactly the one 1 was thinking of.” • “What was that?” !

“I was hoping that you might per. haps see your way. Jack, to listen patiently to what Mr. Urquhart wishes to tell you about' the-past; that you might be able then, to lay aside your ill-will towards Mary Silver’s husband and ijncenie’s father, and by marry.ng his daughter and becoming a successful man of genius, make a great many people happy—including yourself!" But though Jack listened with brilliantly shining eyes,, the grim tension of his jaw did r.ot relax. “1 think it would be easier to murder him,” ho remarked. Indy Lockyer’s little gesture was effective.

“Oh, you boys I—you .ore all alike! Just as obstinate .and pig-headed as you are made! Well, Jack, I shall always like you, and I hope you will stick to Mary Silver and the tea-shop.” “That’s what I’m going to do. And we’ll have it booming again you’ll see, in spite of old Urquhart and his crooked ways.” “Jack—what do you mean?-’ “Oh, perhaps I drivel! Perhaps I’ve a bee in my bonnet. Perhaps I’ve got Urquhart on the brain.” Body Lockyer secretly thought this very possible considering the probability of Quoenio’s speedy betrothal; but all she said was:

“Then perhaps the best way of getting him' off would bo to have that interview with him which I have suggested.” “I have thought myself of having an interview with him—privately—up in his own quarters.” Jack spoke with a significance which Lady Lockyer afterwards reluctantly remembered. .“I would,” she said, “it might clear the air.”

“It might,” he answered, and thereupon took his departure. Days went and days came. Custom was good at the , grill and tea shop. No more losses occurred ,and customers delighted by the automatically closing boxes, came and .brought their friends for the pleasure of displaying the ingenious contrivance. Jack could have hooked orders by the dozen; but was always busy upon some new contrivance. This place was to be the talk of society—that was what he was out for. Ho and Mary Silver were -to rise superior to any machinations or plots. The light of battle was in his eyes, arid he worked with ah energy greater than over before.

Early spring was coming. Jack had been almost a year in bis present quarters. He still slept by choice in the basement of Phe house, Jane bringing him his morning, coffee when she made it for Mr. TJrquhart upstairs. There came s February morning when she,came to him as usual, but with a •white face and wild eyes—and no coffee ,or tray in her hand. “Sir, will you please get up and come. Something dreadful has happened in the night—or I think late last evening. Mr. Urquhart has shot himself with his own revolver—the one he keeps in his room and takes out sometimes to clean. I always said ho’d do a mischief with it one of these days—handling it careless as he did. And now he’s blown his brains out! I’ve just sent for the police; but will you please come upstah's yourself, sir? I’d like for you to roe how things are before anything is touched.” , “I’ll come in a minute!” cried Jack, and his face, like Jane’s had gone suddenly very pale. (To be continued.)