"THE WEB."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8982, 16 November 1907, Page 2

"THE WEB."

CHAPTER XXV.—Continued. When about an hour later the two Jovers returned to the main deck, they found Esther still busily weaving fictions round her great-aunt. She looked up quickly as they approached, and one glance at her friend's face sa'tisfied hex" that all was well. She broke into a mischievous little smile. "Why, wherever have you been all this time?" she said, with a great assumption of innocence. The Duchess looked suspiciously at Strangways, and then at her daughter. She read instinctively what had happened, and she prepared for the inevitable. After all, Strangways, now that his innocence was beyond doubt, was quite as eligible a party as the molasses king. He was just as rich, and he had the advantage of being an Englishman of some position in the country. She was quite prepared when Strangways spoke. "Duchess," he said quietly. "Violet and 1 love one another, and she has promised to be my wife. We have come to ask your consent." The old lady affected the necessary amount of surprise. "My dear Mr Strangways," she said at last, "you are going to take away my only daughter, my only child, from me. But I feel I must not stand in the way of her happiness. My dear children, I hope you will both be very happy." Dinner that night was almost a boisterous affair. Everybody was in the highest spirits. Beeton assumed the pose •of an old stager, and with an air of seriousness gave Strangways much quaint advice as to how he should conduct himself now that he was an engaged man. For once in a way Miss Elders was the most subdued of the party, and when dinner was over she slipped out quietly on to the deck. In the new-found happiness it was some time before any one noticed her absence.

"Why, where's Esther gone?" said Lady Violet suddenly, after half an hour had passed, aware for the first time that her friend had left the saloon. "How selfish we all are," she went on. " Here we are thinking of nothing else but our own happiness, and there is poor Esther as much in love as any of us, with no chance of marrying Marsbam for many a year." Strangways sprung to his feet. "Let's go and fetch her back," he said. "We musn't forget that we owe a great deal of our happiness indirectly to Miss Elders, for if it hadn't been for Marsham's promptness in getting in connection with the White Rose you might all have been drowned on board the Alice." "1 guess, Strangways," said Beeton, also rising to his feet, "we must fix Marsham up in something respectable when we get home. We owe him a lot." When the two men followed Violet and Alice out on to the moonlit deck they found Esther leaning on the rail with her face in her hands sobbing as if her heart would break. Violet went quickly to her and slipped an arm round her neck. "Esther, darling, what's the matter?" she said.

For answer the girl broke into more convulsions of weeping. "1 was thinking of Henry," she said between her sobs. "You were all so happy, I couldn't help thinking of how long it will be before he and I can find our happiness. It was very wrong'aud selfish of me 1 know, but I couldn't help it." She tried to master her grief, but failed. Beeton went up to her and put a hand on her arm. He spoke in quick, abrupt tones, purposely, so it seemed, lapsing into a strong American accent.

"See here, Miss Elders," he said, "we can't have this. I guess your business in life is to be laughing and not crying. Lady Violet tells me that you can't marry Marsham until he's got £6OO a year. Well, he's got £2,000 a year now." The girl turned her tear-stained face upon him in surprise. Even the rest of the little group were rather taken aback. Fact con-1 tinued Beeton calmly, thrusting his [ hands deep into his tro'user pockets. "I've just sacked my agent in Lon;don. This was before I left. And j Marsham's going to have the job as .soon as he can learn his way around. I'm going to send him a wireless righ*. now, and you can put the name -of the church in the message. That's to say, of course, if you'll have him when he's connected with molasses, for I recollect, Miss Elders, you've ;said some very severe things about roolassss.'' All the old joyousness swept back into Esther's face. She turned ■ quickly to Alice. "Miss Strangways, she said, "kiss him for me. I can't do it myself. He's a dear." And Alice did kiss him. When Beeton had recovered from the operation he turned to Esther. | There was a catch in his voice as j he spoi» v - "Mar.-j..:'n saved our lives, ana i .should feui real mean if I didn't ,see him through. Come along and .send that wireless.' They all trooped into the operating room. For about ten minutes they got into communication with the Land's End station. When the preliminary communications had passed, Beeton naked "Are you Henry Marsham? £®Back cams the reply—"Yes. Who are you?" 10 "Beeton, late of the S.Y. Alice, whose life you saved. Will you accept appointment as my agent in England, £l7O a month." He had to repeat this message twice before the reply came back — "Are you joking?" "No ioke," replied the operator

PAUL URQUHA&T.

[Published By Special Arrangement.] [Axlsßights Reserved.]

at Beeton's dictation. "Dead serious. Miss Elders says won't marry you unless you accept." There was another pause and then again the machine ticked out the reply— "Very glad to accept, but had better see you first. When do you arrive England?" "Plymouth, to-morrow evening." * * * # * So it came about that as Strangways leaned across the railing of the White Rose as she lay in Plymouth Harbour waiting for the boat to get ready, and thinking of the great hap piness that had come into his life, he caught sight of a light boatman's wherry dashing towards the yacht. In the stern sat a young man in a grey flannel suit. The wherry came alongside. As it did so Strangways heard the patter of feet behind him, and turned to see Miss Elders, her face radiant with joy, run towards the head of the companion. In another moment the young man in the grey flannel suit was on deck and had her in his arms. Strangways turned discreetly, and walkied forward/to where Beeton was standing smoking a cigar. THE END.