THE TANGLED WEB

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19118, 10 July 1930, Page 16

THE TANGLED WEB

aasiaaasiaasaaa®@@@@amhim hi m a is a @ a ® a a aa @ a @ a a @ g [Published by Special Arrangement.]

By

ELIZABETH YORK MILLER.

Author of “ The Runaway Wife,” “ The Road That Led Home,” “ A Cinderella of Mayfair,” etc., etc.

[Copyright.]

CHAPTER XlX—Continued. “ Well, I shouldn’t call that bad luck if I had. Sit down, Lee, and take off that hat. It looks too tight for your head.” “How's the captain?” Leonora asked, as she obeyed. “ About the same. He went out yesterday in a bath-chair, but I can’t see as it’s done him much good.” “Any visitors?” “For the captain? You know he never has any, Lee. I’ll tell you what it is, if he’d leave the bottle alone he’d get better in no time. I declare I’m ashamed the way the wine-merchant’s van is always coming here. I’ve spoke to the doctor about it. But what can anybody do? Not that it makes him silly, you know—but it’s just booze, booze all day long till I get quite sick of the sight of him. Lately he’s started to talk to himself.” “ What's he say?” Leonora asked quickly. “ Oh, I couldn't tell you. Don’t make much sense.” “ I think I'll just run up and say how-d’ye-do to him,” Leonora observed casually. “If you’re quite rested. Yes, it might cheer him a bit. The captain’s always been fond of you, Lee.” sjc & Leonora went first to her own little room which was always kept ready for her, and spent quite ten minutes there in beautifying herself. She was most apprehensive of what this interview -would bring forth, and *hot only wanted to look her best, but to turn over again in her mind how she should approach the subject of Meriel. Poor Captain Saunders must be prepared in case that ferocious Tremlett man walked in on him. But when she thought of Meriel, Leonora was afflicted with a shivering fit. That unfortunate girl might be dead. And who would be to blame? Eric Saunders was lying on the couch in his sitting-room when Leonora came in. It was only ten days since she had seen him last, but there was a marked change for the worse in his appearance. Meriel, perhaps, would scarcely have recognised the man for the dashing lover who had captured her girlhood’s fancy. He had lost weight and the process had aged him incredibly. He might have been GO at least, and the signs of dissipation were not only marked in his face, but showed in 4iis trembling hand and in his indistinct speech. Not an object to love, yet Leonora Begby loved him and would gladly have taken the remnants of his wasted life into her own keeping and mended it as best she could. She was not revolted by the unpleasing spectacle of this piece of wreckage, but touched to the heart. ,

There he lay, wrapped in a soiled, old dpfessing-gown and surrounded by an untidy litter of newspapers, with a table conveniently to hand on which stood a half-emptied bottle of cognac and a pitcher of water, flanked by a cluttered ash-tray. Altogether a sordid sight, but Leonora’s eyes were for something beyond the unlovely husks. “ Who’s that? Eh? Oh, it’s Leonora. What's to-day, then? Have we reached Saturday again?” “ No. It’s my holiday,” Leonora replied. “ I'm just taking a shortish one. And how are you feeling?” Saunders huddled a bit deeper into his woollen gown by way of suggesting a shrug. “ I’m waiting for the Old Man with the Scythe,” he said, “ but the fellow takes a deuce of a while to come.” Leonora nodded towards the table. “ Nobody can't say you aren’t doing what you can to bring him here. Why don’t you buck up, captain dear? What’s the use of going on like this?” Saunders grinned. “ And what do you suppose I’ve got to buck up for? By the way, Leonora, I made my will the other day. I’ve more to leave than you imagine.” “ Yes, 1 suppose you have more than what you're used to or you couldn’t pay for all the drink you buy Was it your uncle left it to you?” “ That makes no matter. It's mine and when I'm gone it'll be all yours, Leonora, except for a little present I’ve put your mother down for.” The girl controlled a gasp, and then she pressed her hands to her face and burst into tears. “ I don’t want your money—l mean I don’t want you to die. I want you to live and be happy and—and let me look after you.” “AH right, perhaps I will. But it’s nothing to cry about. Pour me out a drink, that’s a good girl. Three fingers of the stuff and a drop of water. Not too much water.” Reluctantly Leonora did as he asked. All the time she was thinking, “ I wonder how much he’s got to leave. . . .1 wonder if he’ll change his will when he hears what I must tell him?” “ You’re kind of fond of me, aren’t you, captain dear?” she asked. “ Very. Now light a cigarette for me. Mv hands are so bad. One of these days I'll be setting the house a-fire. . .thanks.” “ Captain, I didn’t tell you that Mrs Tremlett came into nay shop some time ago to order some dresses.” “ What—what?” “Mrs Tremlett. You know who I mean.” The man made an effort to pull himself upon his cushions an eager light came into his face, strangely altering it. “How does she look? "is she as beautiful, as lovely as ever?” “ Yes, she’s very beautiful,” Leonora murmured unhappily. “ Captain dear, I must tell 3 r ou that she’s heard about you. She kndws you’re here, and it’s upset her rather. Somebody told her you were dead and that's why she married Mr Tremlett. She’s run away from him now and he doesn’t know where she is. That’s why I came down to-day, really. I didn’t know what Mr Tremlett might do.” Hastily, Leonora skated over the thin ice which might betray her share in Meriel’s possible fate. But the news € !I HI [*] US [§ HI in EE I*l HI Ml m m \E H! Hi HI ID Hi [

iinsiaa®aaaaa m a m m a a a a m m itself had so excited Eric Saunders that he did not question her closely as to how Meriel had discovered him to be here and alive, if not exactly in good health. Feverish spots burned on his mottled cheeks and he roused himself still ’ further until he had achieved a sitting position. “ This is dreadful—dreadful,” he muttered. “ Poor little Meriel. I shouldn’t have come back. Good heavens, what am I going to do about it!” “ You’re still . terribly fond of her, aren’t you?” said Leonora. Saunders stared at her haughtily. “Meriel’s the only woman I ever loved. Woman, did I say? Just a child. The loveliest girl in the whole world and she was mine.” He put his hands to his face and groaned. “If only I could see her once again. You say she’s run away, left Tremlett? Perhaps that means she still cares for me. If I thought it did, I’d move/heaven and earth to get her back.” j You be careful,” admonished Leonora, her voice shaking with jealous misery, “or you’ll excite yourself too much. You’ll be having another stroke.” And then there happened one of those opportune, interruptions which occur more frequently on the stage than in real life, yet in this case it could scarcely be called a coincidence. Mrs Begby’s maid-of-all-work came to the door holding a telegram gingerly by one confer because it had been delivered to her while she was scrubbing the hall, and her hands were wet. “ For Captain Saunders, miss.” Leonora, who had suffered an instant’s wild apprehension lest the shop had fallen to pieces, offered it to him in silence, but his hands shook too much to let him open it and his vision had suddenly become blurred. “ Read it to me,” he said huskily. She wasted no time. “ It's signed ‘ Meriel ’ ” she said, and it was given in at Ramsgate about half an hour ago.” ‘‘Meriel? Yes—yes—what does it Leonora drew a long breath. So Mrs Tremlett hadn’t done away with herself! That was a relief anyway. say? —* Am motoring o\*er to see you; starting immediately; Meriel.’ That’s all. _ Doesn’t ask if it’s convenient or if you want to see her or anything. A bit of cheek, I call it. I don’t think you're fit to see anyone, captain dear.” “Not even my own wife, eh?” Leonora’s lips trembled. “ She hasn’t behaved much like a wife to you. in my opinion.”

I m not asking for your opinion, my girl. Starting immediately. Let me think. ’ He gave a hasty glance around the room, winding up with a survey of what he could see of himself.

“I’m a pretty sight. Open the windows, Leonora, and let in a little fresh air. Now get my note-case. i ou’ll find it in the top drawer of the dressing-table in my bedroom. Take what money you think you’ll need—” “ For what?”

He made an imperative gesture. “ I can’t let Meriel find me like' this. First of all. telephone for the hairdresser. ' Lm not properly shaved and ray hair could do with a trim. But hurrv, . hurry, girl! She'll be here within an hour. Send your mother up to tidy this room and then just as fast as you i can —take a taxi—go into the town and get me a silk dressing-gown. Mind you choose a decent-looking one. Get some flowers, too—plenty of ’em. Yes, and you might buy me a new pair oi slippers. But hurry, because I must be ready when she comes. I mustn’t keep her waiting. Perhaps she won’t have had her lunch. Find out if your mother wants anything in the way of a spring chicken or a sole. But don’t , stand there, Leonora. Time’s flying.” “Pm only waiting to hear if that’s all,” said Leonora. “ lu the top drawer on the left,” he called after her as she disappeared into the bedroom. “ You’d better take ten pounds to make sure you’ll have enough.” No one who might have observed the trim figure of Leonora Begby as she sallied forth to do these unwelcome errands would have guessed what a grim mission was hers. She had explained to her mother as briefly as she could. “ That girl who was married to him from here has he s ill and is coming to see him. lie’s all of a dither about it. And she’s married to someone else, now, so it doesn’t seem quite nice to my way of thinking.” Mrs Begby, who supposed the separation to be on a proper legal basis, merely shook her head. “ You and me are a bit old-fashioned, Lee. I suppose it's only charitable of Mrs—er—whatever her name is, the poor captain being in such a bad state. I do hope he don’t work himself into a fit about it.” But Mrs Begby was only too glad of an excuse to tidy up that sittingroom. She helped the ill man to his bedroom into which the hairdresser who arrived shortly was sent to valet him, and enjoyed herself thoroughly in restoring the littered apartment to order. Poor Leonora, returning with all the parcels, arranged the lilies and roses she had brought. She had not dared to scamp the captain’s orders, and at least by carrying them out so lavishly she would win his praise. Yet it was hard to do all this for another woman's benefit. She could have wept when the hairdresser led him in all shaven and shorn and resplendent in the Persian-pat-terned robe of her own selection. “Ah!” he exclaimed. “This looks all right. You’re a brick, Leonora. 1 wonder if I’ll stay the course without another drink?” “ Better have one,” she advised maliciously. “Well, perhaps, I—no! Listen—didn’t I hear a car?” Leonora went to the window. “Yes, she’s come,” she replied. (To be Continued).