"Judy Says No!”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 145, 22 June 1931, Page 10

"Judy Says No!”

SERIAL STORY

(BY

WINIFRED CARTER.)

CHAPTER X.—(Continued.) ‘ Look here, R'enway,” said Nick challeugingly, “let me get this right. 1 know qulle well that you and everyone else believed what grandfather said. I don’t blame you. After ail, if my grandfather could think J was such a cad. if he could accept the proof that he had got that I was a scoundrel and a blackguard, why shouldn't you?” "I know. That’s what I did think, but I have changed my tune,” said Lord Kenway. Then he smiled at Nick Ingratiatingly. “Forgive me.” Nicholas sat down on the little wooden seat and thought this out. It was rather marvellous that Lord Kcnway should actually come without proof and ask for forgiveness. Kenway dropped beside him. “It’s that little girl up there who has made me change my mind. I»o you know that Judy Warrendcr. ymir

cousin believes in you? She doesn’t know’ you, but she Is quite convinced that you’re much maligned, and she is fighting for you. She has actually taken it on her own shoulders to clear you. ’ He recoiled at that. Had he not I oniy a few days ago deliberately cut i iier in the market sqaure? | “She’s no friend of mine.” he said impetuously. “She has come lo take my place. How could she be my friend ? “Aou are as quick to jump to conclusions as I was,” said Lord Kenway ruefully. “Judy may have come here at her grandfather’s invitation, but, though it looks as though she has stepped into your shoes, she’ll step out quickly enough the moment she has got everything ship-shape. She is going to get proofs before she does anything. She won’t even confide in me, but 1 shouldn’t be at all surprised if she brings this thing through and clears you. She’s the staunchest little pal that ever a man could have. You’re lucky, Nick. ’ There was something about Lord Kenway’s face that opened Nicholas’s eyes.

”Do you mean that you c-are for my cousin Judy?” he said. “1 love her! The old bachelor is caught at last.”

Strange, but into Nicholas's heart came a very tumult of emotion. Judy, with her purple-blue eyes, and her soft, smiling face, going to belong to Herbert Kenway! Not that he’d a thing against him. He was a decent feliow; probably ten years older than Judy, but what was that nowadays?

And yet the oddest sensation lloodsd him. He didn’t want it. There was no grainsaying that. “She does not know I care for her yet,” went on Herbert Ken way softly. ‘I think your grandfather guesses. I .lever thought, there was a girl who would win my hard, lough old heart, out right from the start it was all up with me. I am giving a carnival next Friday. She wants you to come.” ‘ ‘'Wants me to come to your carlival? The ideal Certainly not,” said | Xict ”Yvny not? She told me to tell you that you would be masked and so no one would know.” Herbert Kenway laughed at this. “I said you had too much pride to come that way, but sho seemed to think I was particularly stupid. She said: “Don’t you see he’ll be able to dance with Enid,” She has gbt your welfare at heart, old man. She ’is sure Enid cares for you and that she will regret quite soon and | come back to you. She is giving you both your chance. ' I He sat quite still for a moment, looking into space. To go to the carnival, to dance with Enid, to hold that slim, supple figure in his arms, Lo look down at her fascinating, exquisite face, to see the blue eyes, perhaps to kiss once again the upturned, pouting lips! Strangely enough, ft did not stir him as it might have done. “Thanks'very much, Kenway/’ he said, curtly, “but 1 must refuse.” Before the Carnival.

It was the day of the carnival at Ken way Court. Nick was aware of the*preparations going on on the other side of the hedge. Men had been putting up strings of coloured lights in the grounds, and Lord Kenway had even had a temporary cable laid down so that each would be lit by electricity. Go to all that trouble for i girl 1 And yet she was worth it! He regretted that he had been so unkind to Judy. After all, what had she done to earn that disdain? He was beginning to think that he had misjudged her.

All the day of tlie carnival he hated his Jot. Nothing pleased him; not the fact that the Alderney's milk yield had increased, nor the fact that, though eggs were beginning to be scarce, his fowls were laying exceptionally well. Lt did not please him that two orders for fields to be tractor-ploughed had come his way. He could only think of the evening and Enid dancing In the arms of other men. Enid, who had been the star on which he had set his heart.

Half-way through the morning he was astonished to see Judy come cautiously through the wickct-galc, carrying a brown paper parcel. She put it on the bench and was about to depart when he called her. "Good morning, Miss Warrender,” he said, swiftly. Judy jumped so violently that, he burst out laughing. “I am sorry for startling you, but if you will come like a thief you must expect Lo be treated like one. What’s ,hat you have had brought?” “Well,” said Judy, “Hapson sent it.” Curiously he clipped the string and undid it. Then he drew out a Harlequin suit, and a little black velvet mask. ’ Well. I’m blest ' said Nicholas. ‘‘But. 1 s»id I wasn't, coming.” “I know.” said Judy artlessly. “But you see 1 thought perhaps when you heard the music you might change your mind, and then It would be too late if you hadn’t a costume. And I was telling Hapson ever so disappointedly and she is frightfully keen to help yon. She suggested that she should send the costume down. And then .1 thought I would like to bring it myself. Aren’t jou cross with me any longer, Nick?” “Lord Kenway made me ashamed of that,” he admitted. “He is a dear,” said Judy heartily “I like him ever so much. He Is one of the nicest men I have ever come across. I knew if be really understood he would not go on disbk.ni

. you. The odd thing about all this, Nick, is that I thought friends stuck to each other through thick and thin. What’s the good of being a frienl in the fair weather? H.’s when storms come that, friends are valuable. Do won know 1 thing money must spoil a great many things.” “ How do you mean?” said Nick thoughtfully. “Well, back at the Vicarage, it would not have mattered what anyone had said about Gilbert, I would not have believed It, because I know him Then Gilbert’s not rich, he's just nicely off, of course, but he s not gol piles like grandfather has. You know the poor ha\e compensations, that's what I’m beginning to see ” She sat. down on the bench and stared out into the illimitable blue "I suppose If we knew everything we should see that God gave the poor faith and understanding. The rich lose it in making a God of mammon. 1 have never seen it half so clearly s 8 I have done since I came here.” “You are a quaint little soul, Judy,” said Nick, beginning to smile. Judy tossed off her serious mood instandly. “I am thrilled about to-night. 1 have got a lovely frock. I won’t tell you what it is, and then you can try and find me. I promise you a dance. Shall I tell you what Enid is going to wear?” “No, don’t. ” said Nick in a stifled voice. “I’d rather not know.” “You won't be able to miss her.’’ said Judy. “She is miserable, Nick. She is so restless, irritable. Some day she will see.” “She will probably find out when it Is too late.” said Nick sullenly. “How do you mean?” said Judy, anxiously. “You can’t be too Ute whore love is concerned. Love lasts, It goes on for ever.” “Oh, does it?” said Nicholas. * I am not so sure.” “Do you know, Judy, but I am not so sure that It can live through everything.”

He got up and began lo pace up and down, his hands thrust into bis pockets. “I have always thought that nothing could change my love, and yet, if she marries Roger Bourne, I shall root her right out of my heart. If she can do such a thing I shall know that I am glad and thankful that all this happened.” “I should hate to think that love could die,” said Judy, clasping her hands in her agitation. “I think love of the body can be killed, Judy, but not love when it includes the mind. There’s a. bit of difference.” “Is there? Oh dear, it all makes me so miserable. I do pray every night that Enid will find out in time that she Is starling on the broad road.” “Why do you bother so much about it?” said Nick, with a shrug of his shoulders. “We are nothing to you, any of us.” “You are my cousin, almost like a brother to me, nick. Ana hnia is so beautiful. I can’t say I love her,” But I make allowances for that. If I were in her position I should be so miserable that perhaps I should make everyone else miserable too.’’ “I don’t believe that of you, Judy,” said Nicholas, firmly. The gameI keeper came in the other night and told me about you facing grandfather over the traps. It gave him the shock of his life.”

Judy dimpled, and her blue eyes laughed. “He got rid of the traps anyway.” “You have made a conquest of your grandfather's heart. Even in the days when I was in favour I should never have dared do anything like that. You are. a plucky little soul, Judy. I am rather glad you are my cousin.” He put out his hand in an engaging fashion and Judy took it. “I tell you 1 am glad of one thing, and that is that you are friends with me again,” said Judy. “I have been so miserable while you have been cross with me. That day in the market square, you have no idea, 1 nearly broke down and wept then and there. Y'ou’d be surprised how often I have cried since 1 have come to Harmer House,” she added confidentially. “I never used to cry like that at home.” “Things have been pretty hard for you, 1 suppose? I did not realise it.” "Well they are not so bad now,” said Judy, philosophically. “And the six months is nearly up.” “But don’t you sec, if grandfather likes you so much you’ll have to stay on?” Judy’s face clouded. “Oh dear,” she said, ruefully. “I was imagining 1 was going back at the end of six months.” And then somefiling else flashed into her mind and she smiled. “I am not at all sure that I shan’t go back,” she said mysteriously. “ 1 say Nick, don’t go up in the air again, but 1 want you to tell me something. You know that day In the market square, when you ran out of petrol, and the ducks were quacking?” She smiled, unable to resist It, indeed it had ben rather funny.

“Go on, laugh,” said Nick ruefully. “I know I looked an utter fool.” “Nothing of the kind, but it was rather fun; you looked so crestfallen. But I am not thinking about that. There was a girl walking past, and she turned and stared at you deliberately. Do you remember her?” “I can’t say that 1 do," said Nick. “You must have seen her. There was no one else just there at the time. She was very smartly dressed, and pretty, in a dark, Spanish way.” “.Now you mentioh it, 1 do remember her. What about it, though?” lie said curiously. “Do you know who she was? ’ “ No.” said Nick. “That gir] Marion Jackson, who said you had been making love to her. Her father went up lo Harmer House and made the trouble with grandfather. Don't you see that proves you are guiltless? That some other man was using your name? Oh, Nick, I believe the whole trouble has been that some man has been using your name and doing all these abominable tilings.’’ Nicholas stared at her in astonishment. The idea had never struck him before. “But who?” he said, after a moment's stunned silence. "I haven’t the slightest idea, but that’s what I ain going to find out. And 1 will find out, I promise you that” (To i»« •anUnuaOJ