“The Double Problem.”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 221, 18 September 1936, Page 5

“The Double Problem.”

SERIAL STORY

( By

FRANCIS BROWN )

(Chapted IV Continued.) lie reached the end of the field In find himself met by another stile—a turn-stile this time, and a five-barred sate. Selecting the former as a means of egress, he passed into what, was apparently a private road, with a large house at. one side, every window nf which was ablaze with light. His heart leapt, al. the sight of it; it seemed lo smile a cheery welcome to him and he glanced inleresledly towards it as lijs footsteps crisped on the frost-bitten ground in passing. He was still speculating as to the Kind of people, who lived there, when >e emerged on an Immense open space across which a strong wind was blowlog. He paused uncertainly. Should he go on or turn back? It was a mere trifle, that decided him. just the wind lhat, rising again, lashed his cheeks with the sting of a salt-laden breeze and brought wilh it the acrid smell of gorse. It, reminded him of a day he bad spent With Natalie and her aunt on the lop of a wind-swept gorse-covered common bounded on the. south by high chalk cliffs ih.il shelved down lo a Sintering sapphire sea. He would go forward and irusl lo .lick lo prompt, his future movements, ror some little way he followed the mad and on passing a couple of ponds he concluded that, he must be on ampslead Healli, a vicinity unknown lo him since his boyhood's days, but about which he bad some faint recollection.

Presently he veered slightly lo the left and after that he walked on and on with » firm springy slep that kept Puce with the thoughts that engrossed him Then, leaving the teaten track, he. reached what, appeared to I>e tJ)e wildes |. and most oeserled part, of the Heath. Ten minutes' walk across lhe rough hillot*y ground and stubbly undergrowth tliat, stretched before him. convinced him lhat unless he wished lo rim the risk of a broken ankle, il were wiser i n f U rn back. Pausing once more, he struck a match, and sheltering the flame under his coat tooxed again at his walch. lie had been walking for an hour. loop old Bales'll begin tn think something has happened lo me!" he murmured, and smiling whimsically, began to p, r fc hi s „ ay |„ w , r(Js xvj|al he believed lo be the direction ot lhe oealen track. Rut after some twenty minutes hopeless wandering, comiclion came lo him lhal. he had completely lost, his bearings. He was in 1 Part lhal. was. if possible, wilder mil more desolale than what tie. had luilied. and liiere. w SS a su b|| e ■Lange m lhe atmosphere lhat was bi >o means rc assuring. * <lisconsolalp whistle, he trained his eyes searching the darkless for a guiding lighi, but, save for i few faint glimmers in the far (Usance. nothing but an f n ] 4y blackness net Ins view. The. starlit sky lhat iod lured him onwards so short > Ume since, was rapidly becoming ■liocured by a Ihin vapoury-veil—Hie, n eeze lhat haq so intoxicated him had lied wa; - a great stillness lay all ibunrl. 11. was one of tliose. sudden Imospheric, changes lhal. makes lhe. nwary Iravpller long for Hie shelter nd safely nf home ' ' fog, hy jove "■ muttered Geof'C;. as. lifting ins face, he surveved l.r rapidly falling haze lhal hiing >\ftr him Jik’c a menace. Laughing ruefully, he stumbled on. 'liilst fervently anathematizing his oolhardiness in straying g „ fsi- over inknown country. Tho prospect ot pending a night on Hampslead Healli n what promised to be a dense fog ■as by no means an alluring onespeclalli lo s man whose wedding ■as lo be. celebrated before man; 'ore hours had tied. The thought of a,alm rose before him and urged him i greater speed He would get cleat f tins confounded Heath nr die in m attempt—surely ho would come ■ > some kind of habitation soon! i| o. he would knock the people up he . oii Id— - Bui here his Ihoughls and inlenons were, ruthlessly cut short: for. tumbling over an unsuspected clumt 'I gorse, he pitched forward, and aftei > 'am allempt to recover his balance c sprawled down a hillock and rollng over and over, finally landed oi ume gravelly ground. The humour of lhe situation lioklec uin irresistibly, and for several sec•lids he lay where he was and shook angbler; then it. dashed ac.rost cm Inal lie must have reached somt •>md Of a pain, and his hopes, risint with a bound, sent him leaping to hi;

les he was cerlainly on a gravelled pathway and —here a sharp exclamation escaped him—yes. sureli chai, was a light ? Groping his way. with hands outstretched before him. he made for tht Haven of refuge and presently he gave, vent to another exclamation— of satis-1 faction this time, as his right hanc came In contact with a stone wall After that he worked along the wal slowly and cautiously and lhe light t mere haze lo begin wilh—grew large: and more luminous, until when h» was but. a couple nf yards away, he saw lhat. it streamed through » small iron gale. Inset in the wall which towered above it. Arrived at lhe gale, he peered through and noled with satisfaction I lhal, the light proceeded from a win- 1 dow on the ground floor. The blind! was draw n, and silhouetted against It I could be distinctly seen the profiles! of two men who appeared In be sealed' at a table. Then came the shadow' of a third man thrown swiftly across as ho walked past the window and disappeared. With a sigh of relief,' Geoffrey Stanton opened lhe gale and walked tip the short drive, but midway he came to an abrupt, standstill, to stare with I wide dilated, horror-sfricken eveg st the lighted window wilh lhe drawn blind. .... What he saw there made him draw in his breath wilh a sharp hissing noise, and a moment later, without, pausing to consider, what might be possible, consequences lo himself, he had gained lhe hall door, and pushing > open boldly, entered the house.

CHAPTER V. I Natalie, | When Natalie Page np<’n , '<l iie’’ eye* on her wedding morning, a bright HcI tober sun was streaming through the windows nf har Aunt’s house In Mayfair. There, was nn trace of the thick fog that bad descended so suddenly on the City and the suburbs the night before. It promised In be an Ideal day for a bride, and Natalie sighed happily as she slipped nut of bed and into a kimono preparatory to making her toilet. There was a suspicion of frost in the. aii’ so she, lit the gas fire whilst her bath was being prepared; then drawing forward a chair she sat. in lhe warmth of it and gave herself up In happy thoughts. From lime to time I she glanced Inwards a shimmering i gown that, together with tier bridal veil, a pair nf dainty shoes and stnek- | Ings, lay on a couch al the foot, of I the bed. in a few more hours slip wnuld be I arrayed in these standing before God s altar plighting her troth to the man who held her heart. Her eyes softened as she thought, of turn, of all he had meant to her since llhe first, day of their meeting, of all they would be In each other in the future if God so willed. And then a liny frown pucked her brow; for remembrance swift and sharp came to slab her; remembrance of Bruce Chesson and his bitter disappointment. It swept, like a shadow over her happiness. She shivered Involuntarily and drew closer to lhe fire. What, a pity she had taken their former friendship so seriously. If only she had known she might have saved him all those years of fruitless hope. And yet- —here, a tiny seed of doubt, leapt lo her mind—lf she had known she might, in her girlish inexperience have promised herself to him; for then I here had been no one quite like Bruce, just as now there was no one. there never could be anyone, to compare with Geoffrey. Ah well!—she sighed again and stretched herself luxurious!) Bruce bad taken it. very well, lie had even consented tn bp Geoffrey’s best man and the two had dined together last night. Tbe wound could not have cut so very deep after all; he would get over it and in lime marry some nice girl. Exhilarated with ihp thought Natalie rose and prepared for her bath. ten minutes later she emerged rosy and flushed, and resuming her negli gee attire sat. down to await, the breakfast, that to-day was to be brought, up to her own room. When there came a knock al the door she did not, even glance round. She, concluded it. was the maid with her tray, and starled when a wellknown voice requested permission for its owner to enter. hooking up she saw Nada Bradle' standing on lhe threshold, her dark eyes shining softly, showing like patches of velvet, her cheeks glowinc vitli health and exercise! her scarlet lips parled in a smile, revealing two pearly rows of teeth. Natalie gave an exclamation nt fir light. " Come in. Aarla. and shut lhe 'rfoor. How nice, 11, is Io see you again! I suppose -shyly-- youie rorne I wish me happiness’" Yes. Miss," william Bradley's wife name slowly forward, she was always graceful and somewhat slow- in her movements, and look the chair lo which Natalie motioned her. " And I wondered. Miss. If you’d honour me by accepting this?" This was something wrapped in delicate, folds of tissue, paper. Inside the paper was a morocco case, and enclosed in lhe rase was an exquisite little trinket, box of cut glass clamped with oxidised silver jnsel with jewels. The inner part, was padded with old rose pink salin. Natalie ullered a little cry of pleasure and admiration, but a second lalei she was looking al her companion with perplexed eyes. " It's lovely, Nada." she. said "only”—dubiously—"it must hair cost a small fortune—these jewels ■" Nada laughed happily. The effecl was all that, could be desired. " I'm so pleased you like it. Miss," she. said, " for as soon as I saw it'l said that was just the thing for Miss Natalie—so dainty and sweet with nothing ostentatious about j| ; anr j jr you're worrying aboul lhe price, Miss there’s no need, for William gol' it for less than pound." "Less than » pound!" echoed Natalie. " Impossible."

Nada laughed again. " Il’s true. Miss Aou see it was Inis wa; William gave me some money two days ago lo buv you a : wedding present and try as I'would I '.could not g»t anything that, seemed dainty enough for you. Anu see I've da liking for dainty surroundings mv[self, Miss: I suppose I got it when" 1 ,| was In your service, for I do like : everything nice. Well, nothing I saw i pleased me and this morning I was in . despair about it when William told me . he thought he could get lhe very thing for a mere song from an antique dealer he knows. He went lo I see. him. And please don't worry J about the jewels, miss, they're not .jewels at all. they’re only imitation, , and Im so pleased you like lhe oreI. sent, miss.” Nada finished breathlessly and J Natalie turning the box over,’in her ; slender fingers, examined ft minuted J To her it seemed Incredible that the , dainty trifle should cost less lhan n pound: and the jewels did not look -like imitation, by any means. The [Bradleys, must have, stumbled across a " find " and If so, and the thing proved of any value, she must maka it up to them in some way. "It's simply lovely, Nada!" sti« said again. "And—whether its imitation or not It is one of the prettiest Ind daintiest presents I h ve had." She laid it down on a side table and leaning forward, looked affectionately nto Nada's face. (To be continued