“The Silver Tea Shop.”

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 49, Issue 15048, 28 November 1923, Page 7

“The Silver Tea Shop.”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT,

CHARMING LOVE STORY BY A POPULAR WRITER.

By Evelyn Everett-Green. Author of “Adventurous Anne,” “The Temptation of Mary Lister,” “Defiant Diana,” etc., etc.

(COPYRIGHT.)

CHAPTER XXlll.—Continued.

Queenie sat up suddenly, toot off her hat, and pushed the loosened curly hair out of her eyes. In Jack’s sight she was adorable in her sweet dishevelment, tears on her long lashes and the flush of tears on her cheeks. But she was more mistress of herself than at first.

“Jack, listen to what I have to say. I’m afraid it’s serious. You know mother sent back the things which had been lost here —or stolen —that had to be done. She said they had been found on the premises is a most unexpected way, and hoped that there the matter would end. But two of the people who had put the matter into the hands of the police seem to have notified them of their return, and a little before mother got home to-day —she gets back on Saturdays about three —a man from Scotland Yard was there to see her, and lie insisted upon knowing how these things had been found, and where.’' “The dickens he did!’’ spoke Jack, and whistled.

“And, Jack, it was very dreadful — it was simply horrid. But mother could only do one thing- ” “Tell the truth, of course,” said Jack. “1 hope she did.” “She had to, Jack. There was nothing else to be done. She had to say that you had brought them to her, having found them in Mr Urquhart’s room upon the night of his death. And, oh, Jack, I am so terribly frightened. 1 feel as though something awful was going to happen. And that is why I am here.”

Jack was thinking hard and made no response.

“I wanted to get here first,” Queenie concluded.

“You think they are coming on here afterwards?”

“I feel that they will. Jack, I just slipped out and took a taxi and went first to Tony to tell him, and then came on here. Tony is going to beat up a lawyer chum of his, who knows a good lot about all these things, and is very interested —and he’ll come on here when he’s found him. But, oh, Jack, 1 want you not to be here yourself! I’m frightened for you. I’ve been lying awake at nights thinking about it all ”

“Does that mean, Queenie, that you care what becomes of me? Sometimes I think that my coming here has been the cause of a lot of trouble —I’m not sure that any of it would have happened if it hadn’t been for me, and the down the old man had on me.”

Queenie had been feeling in the breast pocket of her jacket while Jack was speaking. Now she drew out a little case and got hold of one of his hands, opening it first and then closing the fingers over the ease and holding them so closed. She spoke with little catches in her breath, and the colour came and went in her face.

“Jack, I’ve had quite a good lot of money running up in my savings bank account for years. Daddy liked me to, and so did mother. And Mr Urquhart, who was my godfather, used to put something in on my birthdays. And I used to be always finding myself richer than I expected. But, Jack—l don’t want the money. I’ve no use for it. But there’s enough to take you right away—to America if you like —where you were getting on so well before, and where you could make a career for yourself again. You told me once ” “Did 1, though?” he stood up suddenly and looked down at her in a fashion which caught her fluttering breath again. “Queenie, do you want to banish me to the other side of the world ? ’ ’

“Oh, Jack! —but anything—anything would be better than —than the awful things I cannot help thinking about! Jack —df it were that —I could not bear it! But America —why, that is nothing. You could write to us.’-’ “And you could come and join me there —eh, Queenie?” An exquisite colour flooded her face. “Oh, Jack!” she breathed. “So you care enough about me, Queenie, to have got all this ready, and to have thought of plans for me, and to come off here and try to warn me and give me a start? Brave little pal!’-’ He had her hands again fast in his now. He looked straight into her eyes. That look of his seemed to be flooding all her soul. She had the sensation as though she were drowning in a sea of light and glory from whose warm embrace she never wished to escape. “Queenie,” he said very gently, “whatever happens in the future I shall never forget this act of yours — never! Just now I cannot say more, dear. You will understand why. But every day I shall go about with gladness in my heart. Every day I Shall say, ‘Queenie is thinking about me. She believes in me. She is not going to think ill of me, whatever the world may do.’ And that will be my talisman, keeping me from grousing, whatever I’m up against. So, thank you, dear, and bless you. I’ll never forget what you have done, nor what you wanted to do.

“But Jack —dear, dear Jack —won’t you go —now, whilst Lucre is time? Oh, Jack—oh, Jack!” “No, Queenie, I won’t do that. I’ve played the fool as it is, I begin to think, and brought a certain suspicion on myself. But I won’t make this worse by cutting away as though I had something to fear. The fellow who slings his hook instead of waiting to face the music puts a premium on suspicion. Here I am, and here I’ll stick. I’m not sorry that now I shall have to tell the whole truth, and' get it off my chest. And now, Quecnie, you just remember this, and that it was my charge to my little brave pal, when neither of us knows just exactly what is going to happen next.” “Oh, Jack —Jack! —don’t! ” But he went on without heeding her ejaculation: “Don’t let your mother ever feel that anything she has had to do has been bad for me. I see plainly now that it would have been the best and straightest plan to have spoken out everything from the .beginning, and let it all be thrashed out at the inquest. But I didn’t do it, and Jane didn’t do it—and now we’ve got ,to face the music between us. I daresay everything will come out all right. But that we’ve got to see. Anyhow, running away isn’t going to help me. I should be safe to be caught if I tried it on, and then they would have reason | to think I’d been up to something.” As he spoke he pressed the littlo case back into her hands, and, bending over these, he kissed them both, one after the other.

“But, dear Jack, do have this money —at least keep it by you. Remember your own capital is tied up here. .Please have this little sum by you in case of emergency. Do, Jack—it’s your little pal asks it of you! What is the use of calling mo your pal if you won’t let me play a pal’s part when cause arises ? ’ ’

shining in his eyes, slipped the little case of bank notes into his breast pocket. Her face lighted up as she saw the action, and after a moment’s hesitation she lifted her glowing face upwards and said very softly and simply: “Kiss me, Jack—just once! For though you will not tell me anything just “now, I know that you—you—care

Then Jack, with a laugh, and a great

“Care! Why, rather!” he said, and bending his head he laid his lips on hers, and for a moment they clung together in what each felt to be the kiss of betrothal. “Dear little pal!” he said. “Now I can face anything.” “Dear Jack,” she made answer, “I can be braver now, for nobody can take this hour away from us. I shall thiuk of it every day until all the clouds roll by and the sun comes out again.” ... At that moment they were both aware of sounds in the house above them. There were voices and footsteps. And in a few moments Jane came rapping at the workshop door, and when she entered it she gave a little start t 0 find that Jack was not alone. Queenie started forward and seized her by the hand. “Jane —have they come? And has mother come, too?” “Miss Queenie —how you startled me! Yes, there is one of the Scotland Yard gentlemen, and Mrs .Silver is with him, and Mr Loekyer and another gentleman with him. They want Mr Jack.” “All right, Jane, I’ll come along and see them. Miss Queenie has just come first to tell me what was likely to happen. You see, it had to come out about my searching the top rooms that night-

to find the missing swag. And that being the case they naturally have a few more questions to ask. I’ll go and see them and get it over.” “Jane, you just take care of Miss Queenio,” he added. “You’d better take her up to your rooms whilst this interview takes place. I suppose the

people who want me are in Mrs Silver’s private room.” I “Yes, sir,” answered Jane, speaking !in a curious muffled voice, and Jack swung away, mounting the stairs two at a time, with a sense of crisis—per- ; haps of battle — full upon him.

(To be Continued.}