LIGHTS & SHADOWS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18901, 28 October 1929, Page 16

LIGHTS & SHADOWS

" STAR'S ” NEW SERIAL.

BY

EFFIE ADELAIDE ROWLANDS.

(CHAPTER XV'lT.—(Continued). 1 his was said one afternoon when Michael Pannister had found his way to the cottage. It was just two davs before his grandmother died. It was a glorious spring day. In Jane’s garden primroses were springing up, and violets were scenting the air. It was almost warm enough to sit out of doors. As it was she had the windows flung widely open, and the dogs trotted in and out from the garden. And then her servant brought her a telegram. She apologised for opening this, but she was a long time before she seemed to get to master the contents. And Michael looked at her half curiously. She had turned very pale. “This is from my lawyers. They say they must see me at once. I have put off going to towui as long as I could, but this sounds urgent so . . . She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll have to go, though I hate leaving my cottage home even for a few hours.” “Can I come with you?”, said Michlie made the offer on the spur of the moment X icause he saw that there were tears in her eyes. She thanked him gently. “I don’t think you can come away. It might upset Lady Pannister.” To this Michael agreed. “Yes, I forgot. I can’t leave her just vet awhile. But look here, do let me know if there is the smallest thing I can do. Please ring me up on the telephone. I’ll manage to get to town somehow, if it is only for an hour or so.” Jane thanked him with her eyes: she was struggling to get full composure. It was evident, however, that she ‘was tremendously agitated, and even unhappy. As she gave orders for the car to be brought round at once, and told her maid to pack some clothes for her, she walked to and fro the length of the long room. “What am I going to do with Jerry ?” she said. And then on the impulse she said: “You know, there is one way in which you could help me, Mr Pannister.” . “What is it?” asked Michael quietly. “Well, I got a letter the other day from the daughter of one of our lawyers. She is a very go-ahead young woman, rather emancipated, always going about with a troup of people jazzing and all the rest of it, but I think she is fond of me. She has tried so hard to get me into her set, but I haven’t wanted to. I suppose there is something lacking in me? I think I ought to have been the boy, and Jerry ought to have been me. Well”—-she was still walking to and fro —“well, this girl, Esme Langton, wrote to me confidentially and told me she thought I ought to know she was afraid that Jerry was making an ass of himself! It was not enough that he was flinging money about right and left, and causing a great deal of anxiety to the trustees, but that he was evidently infatuated with ... 1 am going to hurt you, Mr Pannister,” Jane Briggs said, and she said it quickly. “I believe I know what you are going to say,” Michael Pannister answered ; “he is infatuated with Elizabeth Charlbury: isn’t that it?” Jane nodded her head. “According to Esme, she is giving him a rotten time, making him look a fool, and yet dragging him about at her heels, here, there and everywhere. She says, too, that he is lavishing money on her, and spending a fortune on jewels. Perhaps —perhaps, Michael —I feel I must call you Michael,” Jane added quickly—“perhaps vou could speak to Miss Charlbury? I’m perfectly convinced she doesn’t care for Jerry; she can’t care for him! Besides” — Jane turned away as she said this—“l have always imagined, and so has Judith Winscott. that you and Elizabeth are engaged.” “We are not engaged.” said Michael: he spoke in a dull tone. “I could not ask her to tie herself to me. What have I to offer? I am a pauper. Do you think I am building on what this poor old woman is going to leave me? Oh, vou are right, money is hateful! What you tell me makes me very unhappy. Since I have had to come down here so much, I seem to have lost Elizabeth. Whenever I go to her house she is not there: and Hester knows nothing about her movements. I simply can’t understand her, but T am not going to judge her too harshly. Perhaps your brother is at fault, and he has been dreaming a dream? If so, then Elizabeth cannot be blamed for that. When a woman is as beautiful as she is, it is only natural that men should fall in love with her.” Jane gave him a very quick glance. She realised how loyal he was, and her heart went out to him. “Well, I am sorry you cannot come with me,” she remarked, “but you must stay here, because I understand that

your grandmother gets weaker every day, and you must not be away in case you are needed.” Her maid came down and announced [ that the suitcase was packed, and that the car was at the gate. They walked down the path together, and as they shook hands, Michael held Jane's hands just a little while. , “Now promise, you will let me know ' exactly what is happening? and what ' I can d</? I do hope you are not go- ' ing to be worried unnecessarily.” [ “I’m going to be worried, that’s certain sure.” said Jane, in her usual brisk way, “and in a sense it will be unnecessary.” Then she gave him a nod, got into [ the car, and the next moment she had I driven down the road, having called out to the maid to tell her that the gardener-chauffeur must come and , take the car back from the station. All that evening Michael Pannister sat listening for the telephone to ring, ’. but no bell sounded. And he went ; to bed rather late, asking himself, as ' he had done so many times of late, what he was going to do in the future. By now he was very well convinced that whatever motive it was that had f prompted Elizabeth to get so far as » permitting him to look upon her as belonging to himself, it was certainly not affection. The spell she exercised over t him was as great as ever, and yet there was a difference. It hurt him to have to confess that r his mother’s views with regard ta t Elizabeth were justified, and also that 1 all the Countess had said to him, and 2 she had spoken very freely, was equally \ justified. Both these women, who were r so alike in one sense, and so unlike in another, had told him that he was : making a great mistake.. It was natural that his mother should t judge Elizabeth harshly, but it must 1 be confessed that the young man was r considerably impressed by the fact that , Elizabeth’s own mother had summed s her up so justly. 2 He looked for a letter from Jane the next morning, but there was nothing, only a few hurried scribbled 2 lines from his mother asking him to 1 ring up and give her the latest news. He got through that day somehow, and he was tempted more than once * to go to the house where he knew Jane 7 Briggs and her brother would be. After ’* all, she, had promised, and he knew l he could rely on that promise, she s would let him know when, or if there “ was something he could do. jj And so another day wore to an end, J and he sat reading very late until it was L time to go upstairs to bed. He had fal- ® len into a heavy sleep from which *■ he was roused early the next morning by Lady Bannister’s own maid calling 5 to him to get up. ■’ But though he hurried to put on “ some clothes, by the time he had reacb- * ed the old lady’s room, she had already , passed away. ' y Everything that had to be done, * Michael did. He got in touch with the r solicitors, he made all arrangements for the funeral, and he did not get up to l ' London until quite late that night. Then he went direct to his mother, and as he, took her in his arms and kissed her, he felt once again that revivifying ’ influence which Marcella always a brought to him. “It was a very easy thing, dearest! ” he said. “Thank God, she didifit suffer! She just sighed away.” a “I wish I could have seen here,” the t mother answered, and there were tears . in her eyes. “After all, she was Ted’s ” mother, and she did adore him. I ought g to have understood, but it was not ,1 until you came, Micky, that I knew g exactly what she must have felt.” \ “I would have let you come,” the young man answered, “only she really . was not conscious. She slept the greater 1 part of the time.” “And now you are going to rest 5 with me a little, aren’t you?” But Michael shook his head. “No, dearest. I want to go and see : Hester. I promised her I would see t her. And I want to see Elizabeth ... I t haven’t seen her for days.” o His mother seemed as if she were s about to say something, but she check--5 ed the words on her lips. Instead of ! which she kissed him and sent him - away. 1 “Go and see poor Hester. This is t sure to upset her. What a splendid crea--3 ture! What a fine nature! There’s s a woman with a sou 1. You know,” Mrs - O’Malley added, “I rung up the house t when I got the news through to-day, - but I was told I could not speak to 2 Miss Slayde because she had gone out.” , She gave a sigh and kissed him tender-; r ly. 3 “Now, if you must go, my dearest i one, don’t let me keep you. Only, Micky dear, don’t get worried or upset. ■ I am so anxious about you!” r He laughed as lightly as he could. “But \ r ou are always anxious about -me, dear one,” he said, “and really I t am as right as ra ; n.” t (To be continued.)