THE LADY OF NORTH STAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12699, 22 July 1919, Page 8

THE LADY OF NORTH STAR.

By OTTWELD BINNS,

CHAPTER XIV. (continued.) “Yes.] A she replied slowly- “Ho is my cousin—-” “.Indeed!” said the officer politely/ and then added, “Air Rayneor was anxious to learn where Corporal Brackj nell was, but on learning that BrackI nell was missing, he did not seem i greatly perturbed. I gathered that | Mr R-aynor was a lawyer and that it was on legal business that ho wished I no see. Bracknell-’ 5 i To Joy it seemed as if the inspector I was openly fishing for information, and j for one brief moment she hesitated. i Should she take him into her conli- | dence. and tell him all? She was j strongly tempted to do so, hut in the end decided against it. “ Yes.” she said, rising from her | chair, “ he is a lawyer, and as Corporal I Bracknell’s brother has been killed in 1 England, it is possible that legal business had brought him here. I am greatly obliged to you. Inspector Graham.” She paused, and then added, “ I hare a. little request to make. It you receive any news of Corporal Bracknell will you send it to me at North Star?” “Yes,” answered the inspector. “But-I am afraid you will he some time in receiving it.” -He smiled. “As you know, it is something more than a crow’s flight from here to your homo.” • “I was thinking of a special courier,” said Joy quickly. “There will he men. to he found, and the expense' is nothing; to me.” “ Very well.” answered the inspector, “I will see that you get whatever news reaches us at the earliest moment! Wo of the force are too much indebted to your late father and yourself to refuse a trifling request ot that kind. There is nothing els© that I can do for you, Miss Gargraro?” Again Joy heritnted. Should she tell him what she thought was the real object of Adrian Rayner’s journey? Sitting there in that quiet room, she felt that her suspicions would sound.-ridiculo'us if put, into words. After all, she had so very little to go upon. “’I hank you! There is nothing,” A moment la,ter. Inspector Graham, siood at his window watching her cross the snow- He smiled a little to himself. “Urn!” he muttered, “if Bracknell is still alive he is in the way of being a lucky fellow.’ Ten minutes later Joy found Miss La. Farge in their room at the hotel. “ .Babette,” she said, “ We shall have to hurry. Adrian Rayner is already here. He is four days ahead of us. AVe must leave Regina within an hour.” “ Yes,” .answered her foster-sister, “as Mr Rayner is evidently in a, hurry, we must hurry also. Is there any news of Corporal Bracknell?” “ None, except that his «led has been found.” “ Ah! That is bad, very had!” “You must not • think that. Barbette,” cried Joy'a little wildly. “ We must search. I will not give up hope. I will find him.” Her voice quivered and broke, and suddenly she buried her. face in her hands.. Miss La Farge looked at her for a moment with eyes brimming with sympathy. Then she took a. stop forward and placed her hand on her fos-ter-sister’s. shoulder “Joy,' my dear, what is the' corporal to you?” “To me,” Joy looked up with confusion in her hearing. “How can he be anything to me? How can any man ” “ Yet if' wc do not find him, it will Ire very bitter?” “ As bitter as death!” answered Joy, hiding her face once more- ( _ “Then we must certainly find him,” answered Miss La Farge gravely- “ And by way of a- start. T will talk to the clerk about- trains-” Sir© tpvrnkfd- -and passed frnan the room, leaving her foster-sister in tears. After a littje time Joy looked up. _ An absent gaze came in her tear-stained eyes. , .“If I only knew!” she whispered to herself. “ If I only know!”. . CHAPTER XT. It was midday, and as they marched between the high hanks on a hard trail. Joy Hargrave’s heart, grew light. “ Another hour, Babette, . and we shall be home.” Yes,” was the reply,- “home! That is what North Star is to us, and I wonder you ever left it, Joy.” “I was afraid,” answered Joy. i “ Dick Bracknell’s letter startled me. He plainly meant to assert, himself, and 1 was glad of Sir Joseph’s summons to England, because it helped me to get away from th© complications here.” “It does not matter much where one goes,” answered Babette philosophically, “one carries one’s real complications with her. Here or there—what matters? The heart is ever the same.” “Yes, that is true,” answered, Joy, thinking of the complications of her own life. '“AVe are the victims of our emotions quite as much as of circumstances.” “ Of our inexperience more than our emotions, 1 should'say,” answered Babette—“ of our inexperience and the ruthlessness of those who are prepared to take advantage of them. But here, better than in most places, we can live our own life, untrammelled, and for the most part free from the worser cares. This lodge of ours is like a sanctuary in the wilderness, and the serenity, the woods, the snow and the silences have their own healing for the troubles of life.” “ Yes, but there is something to he said for companionship with one’s own kind. I notice we are always a little excited when we hare callers at the Lodge. We ” A rifle shot cracked in on her words, and before either of them could speak again, a moose broke suddenly from the woods, and plunged down the steep hank not live hundred yards ahead of them. The wild dogs in the sleds gave tongue, and notwithstanding the bur-

den behind them, .leaped forward. Joy laughed gaily. * “There’s an end of philosophic reflection. “ The moose is hit. I Wonder who ” A man emerged from the woods, dropped on one knee, and sighted the ■wide-homed beast. Then hfs shot rang and the moose toppled over in the snow. The hunter stood up and caught sight of the oncoming party,. Ho scrutinised it carefully for a moment and then waved his hand,. ‘lt is George,” cried Babette, -namm S an Indian servant. “See. he recognises us-” ' the l\ui.;er descended the bank, and instead of going to inspect his kill waited for them to come up. As they ci i. s i a smile crumpled; his grave copper-coloured face. “How!” he said. “Very glad to see yon. Miss Joy and Miss Babette. My words are not as ruy heart...tor my to ague is not easy of speech- Bub alaa am I to behold you, glad as if y»m Coming were the breath of the son-'-i spring wind upon the cheek.” J‘oy laugtied with pleasure. “ Not more glad than are we, George. And you not belittle that tongue of yours. If you only knew it you talk poetry. But tell me. bow aro things at the Lodge? all right, I hope, and Nanette and the papoose, thev are tveij They are well.” answered the Indian. “ But we dwell not alone. With us are Rayner and two men ’of the Tvvnvpi.lr tribe. They are bad men.” “ Rayner!” As she echoed the name Joy s_ eyes flashed fire- “ Yes with two had men of the lv.wikpi's tribe.” ‘Vl;en did they arrive?” asked Joy quickly. “At nightfall five, days ago. They were very weary, having followed the trail hard and long. Rayner brought word from you ■ that he stay to look for some man, but he brought no word of your coming.” “ I dare say not.” answered Joy sharply. “He would not expect us so soon. We also have pushed the trail hard. Whathas Air Rayner been doing since ho arrived, George?” “ The first day lie rest and smoke and ask many questions.” “Questions? About what?” “He.asked if Nanette or I have beheld two men, one of whom is Corporal Bracknell, who took the Northward trail when you went southward. Ho aak if wo have .seen him since that time, and I answer no, for, it is the truth, and Rayner he smile to himself as is the way of a man with a. hidden thought.” “ And the second man of whom he asked?” “I know him not!”• answered the Indian, “neither him nor the name of Dick which he bore.” “Dick!” Joy swung round to her companion. “ Yon hear. Babette. He •asks.after Dick, whose body, as he told me, ho had thrust into an ice-hole. I thought when he told me that he lied, and now I know.” She turned to the Indian again. “And the other days?” “ The other days,” answered the Indian gravely, “ he drink much brandy and a little coffee, and the two had men they go on a journey and return yesterday. They bring nows I think, for at down to-inorrow they depart ■with Rayner'.” “No! Not to-morrow,” cried Joy, “hut this very day." “ That will be as you desire, mistress. "When we return-—” “Where are they going? Do you knOw, George?” “They take the Northward trailRayner toll me that when he have drunk much brandy- ‘From Novtn Star to th© North Star we go,’ he say, ‘you. old graven, image, and when wo com© back the girl shall he ours I’ 1 do not. understand such words, for there is no girl there, hut such aro the words that Raynor spoak.’ Joy looked at Babette- “ He knows something,” she said. “ Yep.” answered her ■ .foster-sister, “but there is one thing he does not know, and that is a woman’s heart. Ho surelv cannot hope ” “ t do not know what me mar hope. 1 know what I shall do. My cousin Adrian is intolerable in his ' pretensions.” “What will von do, Joy? I begin to fancy that away from the restraints of civilisation Adrian Rayner is possibly a dangerous man. And we are ‘ North of fifty-three!’ ” (To be continued.)