Our Serial Story

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19366, 24 July 1925, Page 9

Our Serial Story

“WAS SHE HER BROTHER’S KEErER?”

(By Ivan Adair.) (All Rights Reserved).

CHAPTER Hl—Continued. Lil could not do otherwise than to open the door, and invite the manager to enter. As she did so she wondered iat mixed emotions in his face, emotions that Lil was far too unsophisti- I rated to read. . As a matter of fact, Thornbur had | i almost lost his head at the turn things! had taken. He had mapped out a plan ; <>f action r or himself, foreseeing and preparing for m'any difficulties, but; | here was something that lifted all obstacles out of his way and showed him la clear road towards the goal of his i ambition. But when ho spoke his voice wlas '•alm. and when he saw the look of surprise enquiry in Lil’s face he was ! careful to hide his feelings. * * A'n» you alone, Miss Forbes?” he | j enquired. | She said yes, that .Tim was out. “I am glad of that,” Said Thornbur as ho took a chair. “I want to speak ! to you on a very serious, a very pain- | fill matter, I fear, Miss Forbes. Sit ! down, won’t you?” | She did so, her face whitening, her | thoughts flying to her brother. j “Jim?” “Yes, it is about Jim.” As he spoke j Thornbur took something out of his . pocket, a sheet of paper. Lil rocogI nised it as the letter she herself had written a few days before. 'Phis he ; laid on the. table, and then ho took some other papers and sorted them out. “You hsked mo,” he said slowly.! “not to lend money to Jim.” “Yes,” she said eagerly; “it was ai

groat shock to mo when I found it out, ' and so much fifteen pounds.” “Fifteen pounds!’’ repeated Thornibur, “I never lent the boy fifteen | pounds. T lent him fifteen shillings, and ho paid it back.” Lil was astounded, not knowing whht to think.... i ‘ ‘ But —’ ’ “Wait.’’ said Thornbur. and his voice was very gentle. “,You must prepare yourself for a shock, ?\!iss Forbes. Lot me show you these?” And ho unfolded several sheets of paper before • Lil’s eyes. The first was covered with

figures and writing rebating to business connected with the mills, and the handwriting was quite unfamiliar to Lil. The second contained the name ot : Leonard Thornbur written some six of seven times, and Lil recognised the | manager’s own signature. The third • was a sheet of handwriting which Lil | herself had handed to the manager in ; the house when he had first called to I speak “about giving Jim the clerical | post. But although she saw all this Lil saw nothing else. She looked up, and met the pity, the commiseration in the man’s eves. “Don’t you understand?” he asked. She shook her head. The letters were dancing (about before her sight. She knew that there was something wrong, but she could not say what. I “Oh! tell me,” she begged, “what is it that Jim has done.” Thornbur began to speak, siowiy, as if he selected his words with difficulty. ; “You thought I lent Jim fifteen i pounds. As I say, I lent him fifteen shillings. This (afternoon I had a visit : | from one of the bank officials. They had received a cheque from Dobbs, the tailors. It was drawn out in favour of Ji/n and signed by me. You know that banks are very careful about signatures. The manager down there felt doubtful. When ho compared my signature on this particular cheque I with others he had to come to the j conclusion—that, thbt. ’ ’ Light, terrible flashing and blinding | broke upon poor Lil. She put out her I hands to avert the terrible thing, and i I.on Thornbur took them in his own I strong warm grip. I “dim, Jim forged the cheque!’’ • The poor girl heard herself utter the words, heard them as though some , I stranger uttered them, away, away far I in the distance out of a groat mist.... I “Yes,” said Thornbur, “Jim forged 'the cheque.” | Lil forgot to withdraw her hands. j jShe hardly realised that Thornbur held | them. The agony of it smote her. She . 'sat bowed, broken, bruised beneath it. - I She hPd never thought of anything ■ i like that. Never, never. Her own i* father had been a Inzy, self-indulgent

typo of man, but he would have died before he had done a thing like this. Her mother, ah! how glad Lil felt in that dark moment, how thankful. It was indeed the one ray of light that her mother lay safe in the Churchyard, untouched by this. Suddenly she became aware of Thornbur’s grasp, and tried to withdraw her hands, but ho held her fast. “It is very terrible for you, and for him, too,” he said. She felt the knife turn in the wound. “Did you suspect anything?” “I never like to condemn a man until I have personal evidence, but before In l went, away, considerably before he went away, Wutson warned me that Jim was, well that he needed looking after. ’ ’ Quick anger camo to Lil. “He did not like Jim.” “ He considered him lazy. There were falsification in the Fino Book. I wish I could say it was not. true, but 1 am •afraid I can’t. ’ ’ “What are we to do?” she moaned. “It means jail if I prosecute,” he staid slowly, his eyes on her face. She looked up and saw the unveiled passion. It was not Jim now. Jim and his wrongdoing hud been forgotten for the moment. Len Thornbur knew that what lie coveted was within reach of his hand. But Lil only saw jail and disgrace. “You won’t, oh! you won’t prosecute. Let me try and pay the money back. I will do anything, anything on earth, but think what it means to a young man to get jail, for forgery. Oh! Mr. Thornbur, have mercy. Jim didn't realise how wicked it was. He is young in many ways, he —” She broke off, and laying her head upon the table she burst into a passion of tears. ! Thornbur sat on in silence. Hr made no attempt to console her, or to assuage the tempest. He let her erv herself out, ami when she was <a little calmer he spoke. “It all lies in my hands,” he sa d. “I can send Jim to jail, and in doing so mar his life, if I will. On the other hand I know a mlan in Canada who will be glad to take him and give him a chance. This man is a rancher in British Columbia. His only son was killed in rhe War, and he wants sor.ioone to fill the gap a bit. It would be a good life for Jim. There would be no temptations there, and the boy would have a chance to get on land do well. You know he could not remain here in any case, not in no case ctm this business be hidden, even if he escapes.’ ’ That was all. Thornbur ceased speaking, but Lil knew what he had done. He had offered her her brother > ■ freedom tit a price. He waited for her ito enquire that price, though well he I know that she was aware of it.

She could not speak. Did her promise to her mother carry her here? Was she fulfilling it, if she asked and agreed to pay the price? She tried to bring herself to look on , the whole matter from a material and unsentimental point of view. Arthui had deserted her, she did not love Len Thornbur; she did not even like him. Moro than that she felt a. vague distrust of him. He might profess his love, but Lil felt that his only love could only be a transient, passing thing. Yet not only would she be saving Jim but she would be saving herself disgrace. Suppose she refused, well, she must leave Greenvale, taking her shame and disgrace wherever she went. The disgrace she shaded with her brother.

How would she get work again? How would Jim get work? What were they to live upon. .. . ? She felt the man before her grow im|>atient. He, tried to speak, but the words would not come.

Suddenly there was an interruption, so absorbed had the two been that they had been deaf to steps outside. In an instant Jim himself stood in the room. Tn a glance the boy took in the situation •as it affected himself. He gave a great cry. “Lil, Lil. has he found 0ut....?” Lil could not answer, but Thornbur rose, ami caught Jim by the arm. He [knew that the young fellow might latI tempt flight in a moment. He spoke I in a voice that Lil had never hoard be ! fore —a voice of sternness and determination. • “Yes,” ho said, “T have found out I that you forged my nlime to a cheque i for fifteen pounds. What are you going j to do about it?” i Jim shivered all over, but for that : iron like grip on his arm he must have j fallen. He began to whine, and cry .for mercy—a pitiful spectacle in his ! cowardice and fear. “Oh! Mr. Thornbur, I meant to con fess, to pay it all back. I wanted the clothes so badly. I did really, and Lil would not give me the money.” “Don’t bring your sister’s ntame into it,” commanded Thornbur sternly. “Here,” ho thrust Jim roughly towards the door that led into the other part of the house; “you stay there and wait. If you attempt to move.” Hi* did not finish his threat, but Jim turned to Li 1.... “Lil, Lil, oh! save me, save me, don’t let him send me to prison,” he wailed. “You promised mother you would look bfter me. If she was here, if she knew, Lil Lil. Thornbur let the young man get aS far as that in his pleading. Then he thrust him roughly from the room and shut, the door. He turned to Lil. “I am prepared to do all I said for Jim,” he said very quietly, “if you will nfarry me.” It was only when he uttered the plain bald statement that it came home in its full force to the girl. “I don’t love you. I can’t, 1 can’t.” she said. “Well, I have given you the. choice.” “Let me have a few d'ays, even a few hours to think it over,” she beg-“To-morrow morning 1 must decide what is to be done about the forgery.” he said, and words fell like thuds on the girl’s heart, “no, I must have my answer here and now, and,” his voice softened, “it doesn’t matter labout your loving me, Lil. That will come in time. In the meantime I can love for two.” She kept her face hidden in her hands. She feared with a great fear lest this man should touch her, or try to caress her. r ßhiat sho could bear, especially with that, that vague and ugly thing in his eyes. “Wait, wait,” she implored; “give me to-night.” “Now,” he said, “now Lil.” r—Tre c.oLxo-qarp” (To be continued).