LADY FOR SHANGHAI

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1939, Page 12

LADY FOR SHANGHAI

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

By

KAYE FOX

CHAPTER V. “Grant gave me your message," Mrs Parr said, coming into.the hospital ten minutes later. “Miss Crane and I were in bed, but 1 dressed and came straight up—to give you my answer myself.” “Thank you so much,'' Christine said. “You sec—-Dr Stanhope had Miss Robins brought up here as soon as he saw her, and I haven t been able to get away since.' Dr Stanhope himself will be coming at midnight, but—but that’ll be too late for Mrs Carlyle’s milk.”

' “Mrs Carlyle's milk!” Mrs Parr snorted. "Do you really think that I was deceived by a silly message like that? —do you think I don’t know you. Miss Jordan? 1 wouldn’t have imagined that even you would have the impudence to ask a decent woman to take charge here, while you —well, it's easy to guess why you want to get away, and it’s nothing to do with milk, either.”

“What do you mean." Christine faltered. It was quite impossible that Mrs Parr should have guessed the real reason why she wanted to leave her patient, but the older woman looked so angry that it was obvious she knew that. Christine had been trying to think up some excuse for going away.

“You want to meet some man, of course,” Mrs Parr said scornfully. “Do you think we don’t guess that you’re carrying on an intrigue with someone, probably with that young Grant? From the very beginning of the voyage, you’ve been cut of the cabin at night— I know you said you were taking Mrs Carlyle’s milk and that’s true, for I asked the pantryman, but twice you were away for more than half an hour, and once Miss Crane saw you sneaking out of the cabin at midnight —you thought she was asleep, no doubt. Miss Crane and I haven’t been at sea for years without learning to put two and two together.” “You’re completely mistaken. Mrs Parr,” Christine said quietly. "Then what were you doing at midnight? —Tell me that.’ “1 certainly wasn’t meeting any man, Mrs Parr. You and Mrs Crane have got an entirely wrong idea about that.”

“That remains to be seen, for sooner or later you’ll get caught," Mrs Parr said vindictively. “Once Mr Perrin catches you—and if you've got the cheek to send for me—and to send Grant for me when the chances are that he’s the one—you must think you can get away with anything.” “If you’ll take the trouble to enquire you’ll probably find that Grant -is already in bed in his cabin in the stewards alleyway—he must have gone off watch, by now,” Christine said wearily.

"I’m not saying that it is Grant —or it may be Grant and half a dozen others. Miss Crane and I knew the sort you were the minute we set eyes on you, and we wouldn't be surprised at anything. Anyhow, whoever it was that you had arranged to meet tonight, you’re not getting any help from me.”

She stalked majestically out of the hospital, leaving Christine bewildered and badly worried. At any other time, Christine would have been horrified by this attack upon her, and by the knowledge that her fellow-stewardesses really believed that she was carrying on an intrigue. As it was, her one thought was that she was tied to the hospital, and that Fay was in the cabin de luxe with Royde, and that no one would come near the hospital until Dr Stanhope relieved her at midnight, perhaps later. Christine crossed to the bed and looked down at the sick girl. Just at first. Miss Robins had moaned and tossed about, but now she seemed to be sleeping, and for the last half hour she had not uttered a sound. The doctor had said that she must not be left alone, for fear that in her delerium she might try to get out of bed. but evidently his remedies had taken effect even more quickly than he had expected. If she had not been so desperately anxious, it would never have occurred to Christine to disobey the doctor's orders: she was as bound by them as if she had been a professional nurse. He had told her to stay until he relieved her, and it was not for her to question whether it was really necessary for her to stay or not. But almost before she had realised what she was going to do. she was running along the deserted boat deck towards the companion. She had no plan in her mind. Her only idea was to go straight to the cabin de luxe, and to trust to the inspiration of the moment to save Fay. As she hurried along the alley-way. she could hear the soft strains of the gramophone in the cabin de luxe. There was no one in the alley-way, but the lights were still on in the smoke-room and people were talking and laughing in there, Doria Smythe's strident laugh rising above the rest. Evidently they had not yet finished playing bridge. Christine knocked at the door of the cabin de luxe, and after a moment’s pause, Martin Royde’s voice called to her impatiently to come in. She opened the door, and saw Fay sitting in the deep armchair, her eyes half closed, but at the sight of Christine, Fay suddenly Incited alert arid a little frightened. Martin Royde. who hud been changing a record on the gramophone, turned his head and stared al. Christine. "I'm sorry Io interrupt you. Mi' Royde,” Christine said, ''but —your gramophone is disturbing one of the

passengers on the deck below. She asked me to remind you that it is getting late.” "The old fool, whoever she is. is just imagining that she hears it. Martin Roydc said angrily. "Could you hear it yourself, stewardess, until you came into tire room?”

"Not very loudly—but 1 could hear it.” she answered, deeply relieved to notice that Roydc was not surprised that such a message should be brought by a stewardess, at that hour of the night.

Her eyes met Fay’s, and she saw that Fay understood perfectly well why she had come, and that her coming had aroused the girl from her dangerous apathy. Fay was scared not quite sure that Christine was not going to make a scene, and to reveal their relationship —if Fay did nut leave the cabin de luxe at once.

“It is getting late, Martin.” Fay said, "and if the gramophone is disturbing another passenger, we can’t very well go on playing it. can we? And — I don’t think I’ll wait any longer for the others, Martin. I’m most terribly sleepy, and 1 think l.’ll go straight to bed.”

You'll wake up when Doria and Iris come,” he said. "Don’t spoil the party. Fay, by going off now, like a good little Cinderella when the clock strikes midnight—and it isn’t even midnight. The night is yet young." "I’m much too sleepy to enjoy a party tonight. Martin,” Fay told him, pulling herself up out of the depths of the big chair. Martin Royde looked at Christine with an expression of suppressed annoyance, and she knew that he longed to order her out of the room, so that he might persuade Fay not to leave him. He must have thought that she was extremely stupid not to go of her own accord, now that her message was delivered, but she didn’t care what Martin Royde thought—she meant Fay to come with her.

“Wair for a few minutes, Fay,” he said. “I’ll go along to the smoke-room and see whether they’ve nearly finished. playing bridge. Stay here until I come back.”

He brushed past Christine and went quickly along the alley-way to the smoke-room. Gf course, if he returned at once with Doria and Iris, it would be difficult for Fay to insist on leaving the party so soon, for Doria would simply laugh at the idea that she was too sleepy to enjoy the party. “Come along at once. Fay,” Christine said firmly, as soon as he was out of hearing.

“Why should I?" Fay asked, suddenly growing rebellious. “The others are ju*i coming. You can't have any objections to a parly."

“Hurry up. Fay, before they come—unless you want me to tell them that my sister isn’t going to stay for their sort of party. You're not staying: you’ve had too many cocktails already, apart from anything else.” “You wouldn’t tell them —that I'm your sister?" "I certainly would.”

Fay, with a furious look at Christine, came out of the room, and Christine hurried down the main, companion to her own room on the deck below. She noticed that the girl was a little unsteady on nor feet, though she looked wide awake enough now. fur the shock of seeing Christine so unexpectedly had sobered her.

It wasn’t at all likely that Martin Royde or Doria Smythe would be able to persuade her to go back to the party, once she was in her own room. Fay would not dare to defy Christine that night, and the others would believe either that she was genuinely sleepy or that some instinct had warned her that they meant mischief.

"I’ll come back later if I can—l must talk to you. Fay." Christine said, as Fay wont into her room, but Fay made no answer and slammed the door.

Christine lied up the main companion again, because it was the shortest way to (he boat deck. She glanced at the clock as she passed it and saw that it was nearly a quarter to twelve —she had been away from the hospital for rather more than twenty minutes. It wasn’t really likely that anything had gone wrong with her patient during that short lime, but as she ran along the boat deck, silently in her rubber-soled shoes, she had a strong feeling that something had gone wrung.

When she opened the door of the hospital, she knew what that something was, for John Stanhope was standing in the outer room of the hospital. waiting for her. "1 told you not to leave the patient, Miss Jordan,” lie said frigidly. "I —I was only away for a short lime," Christine faltered, “and she was sleeping quietly when 1 left her.’’ "How long ago?”

"Just over twenty minutes. She —she didn't wake and get on I of bed. Doctor?”

"She is still sleeping quietly, but that has nothing to do with it. You had my orders, Miss Jordan, and as you know perfectly well, when you are working under the orders of the ship's ductor you are in exactly the same position .'i:'. a nurSe in a hospital. Have you any explanation to give me?" She looked up at him, and she saw that the blue eyes which had always had a friendly smile for her were cold and hard. He was furiously angry with her. and rightly so. "I have —no explanation to give you. Doctor." she said. (To be continued.)