The True Love of Peter

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17223, 14 December 1923, Page 7 (Supplement)

The True Love of Peter

(Written for the Christmas “ Star, by H. TILLMAN).

Peter Pen by leaned eagerly forward, | his eyes steady on the grey road Hash- : ing towards him. The waving hand of tho speedometer pointed to fortylive. hesitated, then passed on slowly to fifty, and was creeping steadily on again when the car swerved, crashed into a stone culvert, and with one big i leap came to rest with a grinding crash by tho wire of tho boundary fence. There was a moment of pain, a flash r.. v lights, and Peter came to himself, feeling strangely light and free, and emerged from beneath the crumpled “ A tyre hurst —it must have been a burst,” he muttered, and then noticed beneath the ear an arm stretched out. and looking closer his horror grew, for there among the grass his cwn body lay. and from his mouth a thin stream of blood slowly trickled. Then it came to him that he was dead, that he had crossed the border lineHe brought his hand up to his eyes, and found that hand, legs and body I were invisible, more than that, he doubted if they even existed in spirit form. A flood of bitterness surged through him. Three months before he had gone away, and Nina, his dainty little sweetheart, had promised to write to him every day- She did at first, and then suddenly her letters ceased. A foolish Tiride- stopped him from demanding a reason. Only a few days before had lie heard that Hastes, his onetime chum, now made love to her, and sensing some treachery, Peter had eoine home to make sure. Now he gazed towards where the haze of a city showed, with stern and hungry eyes. “ Welcome to spirit land,” came a voice, and turning he saw a faint form by his side. At first he was more aware that some one was there than aetmallv seeing, but gradually he made out a woman’s smiling eyes and a faint film-like form. “Welcome to spirit land,” the voice repeated. Peter looked at the crumpled car, and thought of Hastes and Nina. “ Madam.” he said sternly, “go to the devil.” As he glided toward tho city his bitterness increased, and just as he arrived at the outskirts lie beheld coming towards him Hastes in a car and Nina at his side. With a. bound he was aboard the car, and gripping his false friend by the throat, but almost cried in his bitterness when ho found that neither paid any heed to him. Hastes went on talking and Nina blushed at the hold love-making. Blow after blow Peter aimed at tho man’s face, but nothing happened, and then he sat on the windshield, and listened in agony to Hastes’s silly compliments and saw tho girl’s answering smiles- . Every day Hastes took Nina out Peter sat on the windshield facing them, hut as the days went by lie got calmer. It came to him that his rival was not making much headway in his lovemaking. At times he saw a wistfulness in the girl’s eyes. and wondered if she was thinking of him. Hastes saw the look too. “I hope you don’t care for Peter I>enby still.” he asked roughly. Nina blushed, but answered quickly. “No T never cared after what you told me.” “He’s not worth caring about.” the man assured her. “A man who goes away and gr.es out with other girls is not worth caring for.” And Peter listened impotently. Each day he followed Nina about. Women j of the spirit world spoke to him. but I he ignored them. Peter’s was a big love, alive or deacT. lie loved her .just

the same. At first he was too modest to follow Nina into her room, but one night he overcame his shyness and then ho saw his sweetheart take a photo from a drawer and kiss it passionately. After that lie was happy, for the photo was his own. All night he watched over her, and quite calm now he sat on the windshield when Hastes took Nina. out. and felt no anger when the man who had betraved him looked casually through him’ at the road. Tor now* Peter was sure j that Nina loved him and would never i care lor another. Even Hastes began to see that for all his scheming his lovemaking was not progressing He fancied ho saw at times a look of disgust in the girl's face at his compliments, and as his anger grew, mean schemes came into his mind. One day he called for her. and she refused to go with him, and the reasons she gave lie could see were just excuses; ‘ ‘Vi ill you come out with me just once more-—not to-day, but some other day then?” lie begged. M eakly Nina promised. A day came when Hastes, with Nina by his side, drove along the country roads Peter, perched on the shield looked at the country and knew that they were making for the lonely scrub land of the river bed. Not a house had they passed for miles, when Hastes pulled up the car. i afraid I’ve run out of petrol,” he said by way of explanation, “but you don’t want to worry your pretty bead. I’ve got a case strapped to the running board.'' He got out of the car. knocked o2 the lid and pierced one of the tins. “I’ll get you to hold the funnel ” he called to the girl. Peter watched her get down, and eyed his rival uneasily. Hastes lit a cigarette with unsteady fingers. Ho threw down tho match and soon a patcli of dead leaves smouk dered, flickered into flame and dulled to red as the breeze rose and lulled Hastes looked carefully along the road, and then he caught the girl’s “I don’t want to hurt you.” he said passionately, <• but 1 ward you to love me you are going to—why not make the best of it?” Tlie girl struggled to get free, but gradually she grew quieter, and the man drew her closer to him and kissed her. Peter, powerless to assist her, looked around for help, but as far as the eye could see was manuka and gorse, with never a sign of life. Hastes kissed her again, and Nina freed a hand, struck him on the mouth, and as they struggled again the petrol tin crashed over and the stream spread arounfc their feet. The stream of petrol, in little darting runs, opened over the ground, and. one stream crept to where the grass that the match had lighted still smouldered. Nina fought fiercely, but soon her screams grew quieter, anil then the struggling pair fell to the ground in the pool of reeking motor spirit. A breeze came stirring the dry grass, and again the tussock burst into flame, and then there came a mightier blaze, a fierce devouring flame. The man struggled to his feet, tore off his burning clothes, and. sobbing with the pain, struggled, half blinded’ towards where help would be. but the girl lay still, and soon from the black cncd body a spirit rose free, and Nina found her lover waiting.