“UNDYING MUSIC.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17038, 11 May 1923, Page 12

“UNDYING MUSIC .”

OUR SERIAL.

(By L. G. ivIOBEKLY.) i CHAPTER XVl.—Continued. [ The two friends had Been talking in ) desultory lashion as they climbed to the hill top, but as they stood looking | out across the sea. Hester said dream- ' ily : “ I think my husband is right tv lieu } he says it takes a long time lor some j wounds to heal. It is extraordinary ! what a great deal of mischief one wo j man can do in the way of hurting peoj pie." Her tones were reflective; but , Gladys, with a vivid remembrance 01 ! all that Alaisie had once told her, was ! able to follow her line of thought, and I a wave of indignation swept over the j girl's heart as she reflected how much havoc that one small, pretty little woman, with her childish blue eyes and innocent smile, had been able to work. But it was not her intention to men tion Maisie Chalmers to Hester. •' Even ii wounds take long in heal ing, they do heal at last.’ 5 she said 1 with conviction. “ Often the mischief I one woman has done, another woman s j hand can undo.” ! ‘-Can it?” Hester’s eyes looked j wistfully into her companion's lace. 1 ; wonder—can one woman really disen « tangle the knots another woman tied? I She may be able partly to untie them. ) but can she entirely * get them ali j out ?’' •* Of course she can.” Gladys answerj e l stoutly. I “ I believe I make Brian happy, j Hester's voice grew dreamy again aI she made the apparently irrelevant reI mark. . j “You make him too happy.” Ihe ; words slipped out almost before Gladys realised that she was saying them, and she flushed scarlet under Hester's astonished gaze. -•Too happy!” the elder woman exclaimed. ” How can one make a person one loves too happy ?” “ l haven't put what L mean quite clearly. I didn’t mean to say what .1 did. It just popped out.” •• Then it must have been in youi mind Hester exclaimed. “ Tell me w hat is in your mind. Gladys, i .should like to know just what you were reallv thinking about when yon said 1 made Brian too happy.” ! • Well, I'll say straight out what j I do think.” Gladys faced round towards her friend with a sudden determination to burn her boats and toil Hester the truth. ” l think Mr Martindale loves you with his whole heart and soul.” It was Hester s turn to flush crimson, but she said no worn. • 1 You are more to him than anybody in the whole world, but—he is so accustomed now to your settled j friendship that lie never thinks ol showing you what he feels. He is so sure you will take everything for granted that he goes peacefully on without the lease conception that you miglit like a little more demonstrativeness. or that you might be capable of showing more 'yourself,” she added mischievously. •• J: J Oh, 1 am capable of— —” | Hester begad, then broke off quickly, : the colour surging again into her face, 1 her eyes grown all at once soft and “Oil course you are capable of letting yourself go.” Glady’s tones wortstill mischievous, her eyes danced'with

delight. “ And wouldn't it be a lovely surprise for your husband ii you did? f ‘ T don’t know about a lovely surprise !” Hester laughed, with a touch of embarrassment. “it would certainly be a surprise. Brian looks upon me as a very quiet, self-contained person You .see. my dear, wo are not young people, we are steady-.going old folks, past our first youth, and one doesn’t—we don't - " She stumbled over her words and stooped silenced, perhaps, by the incredulity in Gladys's eyes. “ You talk as if you were a kind of Methuselah.” tSio girl said, with loving mockery. “ T don't believe either you or Mr Martimlnle arc toji old to be just as demonstrative as if you were quite young. It is only that you deliberately won’t let yourself go because you arc afraid he might not like it; and be is so comfortably sure of you—friendship and care and everything else—that he has settled down into a groove. He wants to be dug out. There! I've got that off my chest,” she added, with more force than elegance. •• And you are probably thinking me an impertinent and forward Hester looked away from' Gladvs’s eicrer face* to the sunlit sea and back again. • 1 am wondering where in the world you learnt all your wisdom,” she said. “ and what'’other ideas you have been evolving about Brian and me.”

• You ai.c. not angry with me?” “Angry—no! T don't suppose 1 should ever Tinve begun to talk about >•11 this to you. Tint now that we jpnvc-bee-un. ! want to go on.” She spoke with the impulsiveness of a girl. “ You n? - e so absurdly wise for yoUr age. and I am so ridiculously ignorant for mine. I’m nearly forty, and yet I seem incapable of making my own husband love me !” In her voice there was the faintest trace of bitterness, but her tone changed almost at once. Bitterness and Hester Martindnle had no real connection with one another. "That is where you arc making a mistake." Gladys answered as they walked slowly along the ridge, whilst the gulls flashed to and fro in the sun- | light- •• Tie lores yon: 7 wouldn’t mind j betting half a crown that he has -never j loved any other woman a quarter as "Oh!” Hester whispered under her broath. j “ A quarter as much,” Gladys repeated firmly.. “But lie is too' much | accustomed to you as the sweet, quiet, | restful friend. Let him miss you I niiss y ou dreadfully— try what it is like I to do without yon for several weeks: I let him realign nil that you mean to | him Irom :i distance, Oo right away / so that he can’t get at yon or have | you alwav«? readv tn do everything he wants. That will * lam him,’ as mv j old char used to say.” Hester lawrhecl. hut her far*' (grew i grave np-nin instantly. “ 7 couldn’t <r o j away and leave Brian to fond for him- | self. He has grown to depend upon ; me. He would miss me—J really be- | dTf” 1 * would . rniss lnf ‘ quite a great “There you are. there von are!” | Gladys stopped dead. “Tt would do l him all the good in the world to miss quite a great d-al ; it would make I him want you <=o desperately Hint all ; at. once ho would wake up and nnder--1 f *md that yon ’weren’t oni v » calm i but a live "-man who rmgbt to b« 7 ove +ct ! Ob. \vi> v icn’i S'olo_ i non here® He «-<»-!«! fell von wlvt T -■■t i« ri' - bt. If be knew all pbo’lt , ’nofhers 1 jn he knew about men j «*ifl women too.” Hector bn-V-’l'dvp.” -be o bl 1.0 ciirinvl*”ft|ie. Vo„ r wisdom 1« - T to tbo cocesjnn. and T h*. said fo— vour Dnl V—’•o’— e~u T "o cwo-v-o XT r k a + excuse ...,n r Vnd what about mv • expect rue tn carry him off too 0 ” '-To be cor. Ji n uedl.