"STAR" TALES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10538, 13 August 1912, Page 4

"STAR" TALES.

GENERAL M ALLOCK'S SHADOW. (By W. B. MAXWELL.) iuthor of " The Guarded Flame," " The Ragged Messenger," etc. [All Rights Reserved.] CHAPTMT XII. ■ This evening the vigil of General Mallock at his gate was prolonged mlefinitely. Dr Bryant stayed with him for more than an hour, and still a GenS a Mailock would not even then eive it up as a bad jpb; a.ter Bryant had gone he still waited and watched; and nearly another hour had passed before he reluctantly consented xrt return to the house* . "No postman, Kathleen. Inexplicable I What's the time? Nearly six ° Heoould not rest. He walked about ihe hall unceasingly. P lool "f> gloom and trouble to the whole house. , , «• . "He won't oome now, .father. You jnay be sure +hat there is nothing foi ; be sure—l can,t icle b r^ SSt d Kathleen, why don't they write to mer go you think we may take it that m. W -Yi^l° d think S so. father." : ' When O'Kelly and the an to close the shutters and put up tj to across the hall door, it jemed Uk ■hutting out the last gleam of hope, am ffaf Mallock hesitated betore he could allow them to do it. "Go round tho rooms first, he tolo ° There' were solid iron shutterstoal ♦Tim windows and doors on the grounc. O'S, and Frederick ».£ & lugubrious clankir g sound a . ~ pasled from room to room, putting the 1 bars in position. , ~ " There, Mr Geoffrey, said O h.eliy. finishing his task»in the morning room, . and trying to speak facetiously. Now we're ready for burglars—or wolves. There's something for them to crack fcheir teeth on." Then he went back tc the hall. " Will I close these now. Yes—oh, yes," said General Mai ■ lock, disconsolately. That is, everybody is in/' " Yes, sir." . . . " " Very well. Then close as m. for the 1 night—now that we are all together. '.Yes, lock up—bolt and bar against intruders. Stop! What was that! I heard something. A voice out theie. Frederick had fixed the shutter V across the .two windows, 0 Kelly hat. • lust clanked the second bar into its • groove on the door lintel; and now at toe General's command they both stood .- footsteps," said O'Kelly. Next moment tl»e door-boll rang with noise and haste, 1 lifted - the bars', folded the shutters oraned the door, and peered out into the dark- - Why, it's Dr Bryant," he announced, loudly. " And the postman " WhatP" cried General Mallock. 5 "Scandalous! More than two hours la " Yes, but it's not his fault." Dr Bryant came in, talking excitedly. " What do you thinK ox this? tie was laid hold of by the quarry men—and his \ bag taken from him." " Nothing less, sir," said the postman, breathlessly. "Dragged me 'oondred yards off the road, and went ' through my bag. I can t tav what they've took, but they exaimued every letter." And the postman brought his ransacked bag to the ball taole and opened it. • " Can you give me more . light, sir?" . ~ "Yes; bring that lamp, 0 Kelly. At the sound of the excited voices, • Mollie and Geoffrey had come out ot the morning room; and . Kathleen, hurrving downstairs, was in time to . hear"the story of highway violence. /■" " Are you sure, she asked, that they were Lord Keiehley's men? '''Yes* miss/' said tbo postman, lookin? through the contents of the bag. "Twenty or thirty of the dismissed lot. , That M'Gaher was one of them." " There's a blackguard for ye I said O'Kelly. ' . . 3 " These- are yours, sir. And the nostm»JJ ? "handed General Mallock three jettfris and a bulky parcel. See if .jMnSv've been tampered with. Are the broken, sir? "No, this is intict. Kathleen, come here." . Geoffrey and Mollie begau to ask the postman questions; O'Kelly joined in the conversation; Bryant told hew he 'had met the running up the road. Evervliodv talked at once. Gmeral-Mallock and Kathleen were ' staring at the ugly brown paper parcel as it lay squarelv and heavily on the table in the bright lamplight. Both of them had read its printed label: "From Blackrav and Co., London. "Father," said Kathleen, piteously, /'it's from them! Oh! they cant ta " C Or>en it, my dear. Open it." And together they tore the thing out of its coarse wrappers. An envelope fell out. ' "Oh 1 This is their letter, father. Oh ! Oh, how could they t" , The postman was asking aeaiivif any »e«ils had been broken, and General * Mallock answered over his shoulder, " No—it's all right.'' , "Then I'll go sir * J. w T ant t( ? ' /nake my depositions on oath—l must ' report, at once." ' "O'Kelly, give him some refresh- . Bient before he goes." Kathleen, stooping over the parcel /lad ruefully lifted the loose sheets of . typewritten ©opy, and t»he was almost In tears. , j "How diseitsting! she murmured " Tbev've taken out all the clips and the ribbon bows that 1 put in so. carefully. They've crumpled it and dirtied It They've made such a mess of it that I 'shall have to do it all over

. igain." , .Geoffrey had come to the table, and spoke in an awestruck whisper: "Not th« book?" •«y es> " Dr Bryant stepped forward hastily, •nd glanced at General Mallock. , He "ptood reading the letter; his face had flushed, and his hand wa3 shaking. "General," said Dr Bryant, deprecatingly, "don't forget our talk just now. Remember what I ventured to tell you. Remember what you were good enough to promise." General Mallock did not answer, did not seem to hear. He gave the letter , to Kathleen. " Read it. Read it aloud—as loudly •s you can. Let all know their an»W«." . «■ X Kathleen m a suffocated _ voice recited the letter, mingling w.ith it her " doleful exclamations. " ' Regret—could not conscientious^ tdvise you to publish.' What brutes! 'Even at your own expense.' Ohl 'The fact is, the memory of the principal episode ha 3 faded, and we quesi tion if the public would now entertain any interest in the subject. At the time,- when the events were fresh, the book no doubt would have a

wide sale.' OliI" ' Bryant, watching General Mallock's faco, spoke in the same deprecating and appealing tone. " General, self-ro-itraint, you know I Very disappointing, but " "That's their answer, Eryant. You »11 heard it. But it's of no consequence —at all. Not the smallest consequence." As he sqid this, General Mallock tamed abruptly, laughed, and moved towards the fireplace. "No"— §nd he swung round on his heel." ."General, gently, gently." 'Then there came tlu j explosion that Bryant seemed to be dreading. It was a violent outburst—face contorted with fiassion, limbs shaking, voice growing ouder and louder till it reached almost to a scream. "No; great heavens! What does it matter to themP Petty, sneukinz

tradesmen, who'd sue for damages if you spat in their face—who don't know what honour is, or they'd sell it across a counter for gain. " Gently—gently." " But they are the world. High and low—show mo the difference. I tell you, Bryant, there's no justice left! They are all cowards—cowards—cowards! Brave men don't suspect one another—don't condemn one another without trial. I was never tried or judged"—and tho explosive force of emotion broke the loud voice to pitiful shrillness. " But when I claim my right to plead, I'm to be laughed out of court. Take him away I There's no appeal now I Statute of limitations! Too late—too late! The miserable wretch must suffer his punishment to the bitter end"—and he brandished his arms wildly above his head. "There! Well, yes," caid Bryant. '' Very dki' ' Tho General had dropped hi.? arms. He stood shaking and gasping, staring at Dr Bryant. " After all," said Bryant, kindly, but very firmly, " the publishers only tell tho truth. Truly, the thing is u« ■nost entirely forgotten. Then be wise, General, and try to forget it youijelf." ' " I'll try," said General MaPock, yter a pause; and he pressed a s-t 11 uaking hand against his breast. " I'll ■ry to lock up my trouble here.'' "That's wise." "You mean, for the o n r2fort of my friends?" " I mean for your own comfort loo," 'lid Dr Bryant, gravely and meaningly. "Ah! l't -jan't matter at this inte hour whether the world believes ixi ma or not!" And General Mallock lio'sed round at the scared white faced if ids children. father, said Kathleen, "'wo believe in you. You know that.'' \es, dad," said Mollie, "we be>ieve in you." Yes, said Geoffrey, "we believe."

CHAPTER XTTI. General Maliock was keeping his profuse. Ho was silent about his wrongs, either lie had accepted Dr Bryant's advice with an astonishing completeness, md summoned latent and unsuspected powers of will tc sustain his determina--ion; or he uad passixl into another .>hase_ of thought, and the trouble, widening, deepening, secretly expanding, had become a thing 100 big to opeak of. . Kathleen told Dr Bryant that the publishers' letters gave the death-blow lo all their fond hopes about the book. •Jhe had asked her father if he would not publish it through some other firm —at his own cost, without incurring the risk of another refusal; but he had said, " No._ That is over and done with. Don't remind me of oir.- wasted labour. Let us both try and forget." " And believe me," said Bryant, hearing of this answt.r, " it is the best thing you can do." So the book was to lie for ever where it lay now, hidden avay, locked up in a recesa of the -Jg bureau, and the ttory of the book was to-remain concealed in the mind of its writer. General Maliock, resuming the dull routine of life after Lis too exciting occupation, made no further complaint against the world or destiny. Silence—that was the watchword henceforth. No more vain repining. But how to amuse oneself, or any how fill tho empty 'lours? The range was to bo abandoned; the~o would be no playing at soldiers. He had submitted to the decree of the Territorial Association, just as le had accepted the finality of the publishers' verdict. Gardeners under the direction of ■O'Kelly had almost wiped away the earth-work and filled in the trench, when tho snow began to fall; and by next morning the little range, the fields and the endless moor had disappeared. Long Moor House stood black and stern—like a solitary rock in the midst of a white polar, sea. Down tho valley the snow drifted, and banked deep and high before the frost could pin and hold it. Bevistown was almost buried, and work had been found for some of the unemployed in digging it out again. Processions or demonstrations were rendered impossible; and, far or near, on the moor, in the town, and at the quarries, all was quiet. There was an excuse now for the General to remain indoors; exercise had become too difficult. But these bright cold days h?,d a certain invigorating character for quite healthy people. Lord Keighley, for whom a oarriagebad been quickly concerted into a sleieh, came spinning up th« slope one afternoon with horses galloping and bolls tinkling in true Siberian stylo. Ho left Geoffrey admiring this handsome and successful equipage while he went into the hall for a few words with tho young ladies, but he did not linger. He refused to dive.rt himself of his vast fur wraps, and would not allow Kathleen to fetch her father. " No, please c'on't trouble him. I only came to say good-bye—or rather ati revoir, for J shall be back in a few days." Then he told them that he was off to-morrow morning to York, for the trial of Mr Gilchrist. "I must be there, of course. "And I mean to be with him when he comes back here. _ If there is to be any nonsense on his return, they'll have to reckon with me, don't you know, as well as with him. But I don't think ire shall have any more fuss now. He said that, except for the unavoidable interference of the snow, work at the quarries was going on very well. The men appeared to be 'in a wore reasonable mood, and he believed that the bulk of them desired to show by their good behaviour that they dissociated themselves from the turbulent minority. As to that disgraceful affair of the ransacked mail-bag—the majesty of the law should be, must be, vindicated sooner or later. Lord. Keighloy was quite determined about it. significantly and smilingly, in the moment of leave-taking. "That other little mrftter I You know—your command to me! I'm attending to it." And he squeezed her hand instead of shaking it. ' Au revoir. You'll soon see me again.'' Lord Keighby was detained in York rather longer tr.an he had anticipated, and while there he found time to write three, or four letters to the elder Misß Maliock. . .. " My dear Miss Kathleen," said his lordship, "this is only to tell you again that T have put things in good train with regard to the Commission of Peace. You may rest assured that whatever influence I possess shall be used tVe la-t run'©. I arrived safely, and am fairly comfortable at the This, perhaps, was a very natural letter to wr'te—except for tho last sentence. He knew that she would be glad to learn that he'was exerting himself on her fatlrr's behalf; but surely ho had no ri -ht to s'ippoee that she would be anxious to hear of his,safe arrival and hotel comfort. And the other letters seemed to be altogether unnecessary. "My Dear Miss K"thleen"—this was the lact of t'-e scries—" the best no va. Gilchrist's trial did not last f n, -tv minutes. It was purely a formal affair. The jury did not leave the box. I com-* back im^-^diatelv." He Tit-t? nof told her that he intended to write to her; ho did not complain because she had not writ+en to him. He S3"t he~ bis almost, dailv news as a matter of course—as though fliers had b"rn some compact or bond between them, nnd it had become his dntv to keen her in'ormel of all that concerned him. But that w an assumption which eould not he There wim. nothing wha/evo- between t^ern—except the innocent lit'le se-r t that'he had hi 'tis "If to obtain a recognitor! of comnhnient that, would certainly gratify her poor, slighted fat'er. s- th'vght of the animated conversation in which she had won this rs-lrcfcantly-dven pledge from Lord K c ighley. and sh© pondered deeply over his words and his manner. To some

extent the catas 1 roohe of the rejected book bad obliterated all tbo colour and 1 fo of her re.ollcdion, jet she remern- ! bered tinas well enough, and the 1 memory brought her a rather fluttered ! sense of confusion and apprehensive doubt. He had said he would do it for her sake. But why not? T at Was ■ merely a matter of speaking: for lior, ; rather than for tho oth rs, because sho : was the one that realiy and truly he ! knew best.

Nevertheless, she remembered —well enough—how for a moment sho hesitated to accept the boon on those explicit terms; and how, yielding to 6trong instinctive impulse, 6he had echoed and ratified his words—with s ibs q'ieiit cla-ping of hands, interchange of firmly cordial glances, and a c rta_.ii thrilling reciprocity of stirred emotion that passed and broke with his press-ire ana release of her fingers. It proved a disturbing recollection now that Lord Keighlev was coming ho.ne again. If he was "foolish enougn to suppose, if his letters were intended el 'litsily to convoy to her the fa:t that he for his part considered their little secrot'confidence as tho opening of a preposterou ly bi-ger transaction, she ought at o"c9 to un;!ec:ive him. Whatever object, artful or ingenuous, Keighlev liacl proposed to hinisdf when letter-writing at the comfortable York hotel he had unquestionably succeeded in making Mis; Mallock think about him during Irs absence. Seen -n ihaug'it-picturrs. ho app-aved to her a staunch, good friend that anyone. however cvitir al an - hard to please, mi.-ht esteem and encourage—simply as a friend. Often tactless, occasionally qu\ta stupid, he was, novertholpss, alw ays ell-intention ed, ? trai gh tforward and sincere. A jovial ally, a kind comrade—but anything else? She thought of him as be had last pr~sen + ed hia>pelf to her eyes, standing at tho hall door, locking so very big in his shaggy furs, with cheery, open-air voice, and face reddened by the cold wind; and thai rir.ncdirtely there cams another, an rarlier picture of him, as he had appeared in his white waistcoat and ev. n ng clothes, seeming comparatively slight and slim, an elegant, wellpoli'hed visitor standing on the hearthrug and loo'rin? at her with a meditative smile. Reallv he was rather a handsome man—whenever he dressed himself nronerlv.

Trouble and doubt in all these thought of 1 im; ard y~t something al~o of comfort and kindling warmth, toother wi'h an 'in?.t :, ?rtire drord of the lar~e. dull blank 4 hat wo-'ld bo left in he:- tho'icrhts if he were thrust out of th->m altogether. And when ho returned from York, and came la ghin<T cheerily, with the pleasnnt, misic of slei-rh be T ls and a whirring sound of the metal runners over the frcien snow, she was quit? glad to see him —in fact as well as m thought. He was jollv and inßniriting—nice to MoWe, v«ry nice to Geoffrey, and deferentially attentive to his absentminded. silent host. She herself had no opportunity for anv private explanation with him, and she did not wish or seek for one. All recent pondering seemed now to be silly, self-conscious She felt quite easy nnd contented with the materially visible, palpable, audibly Keighley. (To be continued on Monday next.)