“CONSCIENCE,”

Wairarapa Daily Times, 28 March 1925, Page 7

“CONSCIENCE,”

Cl I AFTER XXXIII. —Continued

It must have been midnight when Crawley came in again.

“Mr Tenisou’s called, miss, and would like a word with you, he said. It seemed strange, his coming at this hour, but everything was so topsvturvov in .Janet’s mind that she merely nodded.

“'Very well. Ask him to come in.” He looked an odd figure, indeed, wrapped in an old travelling cape coat with a deer-stalker cap perched on his shaggy head. In one hand he carried a hold-all, and in the other a thick ash stick. Rain drops glistened all over him, and his hoots were muddy enough in all conscience to earn anybody’s wrath.

“I just looked in to see how things were,” he said, a little awkwardly.

“When yon see your sister will you give her a message from me? Tell her I’ve gone to Capri. She’ll understand. .lust say I’ve gone to Capri.” die nodded, with his grave, kindly air, as though to reassure Janet that he was not mad, and then grasping her hand, shook it vigorously.

“Good-bye, .Taney. Don’t let Dennis get into mischief while I’m away. 1 might be gone a fortnight, perhaps more. Just tell your sister I’ve gone to Capri. ’ ’

And with that he was off. At first Janet only half understood, but gradually it dawned upon her that this might have something to do with Alex. Then it was too late to call Mr Tenison back and question him. She wondered why he was setting off at such an hour. It seemed very queer, but it did not occur to her that he meant to walk the thirty odd miles to Folkestone all through the night in or-

der to catch the first cross-Channel boat in the morning. Janet finally fell asleep in the same chair where Loraine had sat that night so long ago and battled with her liopehss problem. Crawley came in at intervals and mended the fire, and each time she roused herself, 'but apparently he had no news to give her. Towards dawn she slept heavily, overcome with th“ fatigue of anxiety. Even Crawley did not waken her when he tip-toed in for the last time and stood irresolute, looking down upon her. •Should he cough? He tried it gently, but slie did not stir.

j The sun was up, the autumn gale having broken at last. He went to the windows and began to draw aside the curtains, letting in strong rays of golden light. Janet moved uneasily, and pur a hand to her forehead just as old Betsy came running in. “Oh. there, you are, my pet! Now, why even didn’t you go to bed like n Christian? Do 1 always have to be looking after you?” But, while she scolded, Betsy grinned and chuckled. Then Crawley and she exchanged knowing glances, and he broke into a guffaw which, remembering himself, he promptly checked by dapping a hand to his mouth. “Have you told Miss Janet?” Betsy asked belligerently. It was news that she wished to communicate herself, and in her own way. He shook his iiead and fled from the room. “It’s all right, Betsy. You wouldn’t be so cheerful if it wasn’t!” Janet exclaimed. “Is it a boy or a girl? And how is Lorie?” “You'll see,” Betsy replied enigmatically, and kept on chuckling in what seemed to Janet a silly fashion. “And the dear's as fit as a fiddle. She wants to see you at once, and the doctor says you may go up. Ah! You’ll sec—you’ll see.” Betsy ’s behaviour was certainly curious. She trotted after Janet as fast as her old legs would permit, and all the way kept on chuckling and muttering about something that Janet would see. Well, Janet couldn’t help laughing herself when she did see.

“Oh, Lorie. how perfectly ridiculous! she cried. “Oh! tlio darlings.” For there lay Lorie, as pale and lovely as a spring morning, a wee head nestling in the crook of each arm.

“I don’t see what, you’re laughing iu, ” she said, but her own lips twitched hi the corners. “It’s wonderful. I think—‘a hoy for pride and a girl for choice. ’ They’re rather little, but they or-, very beautiful, Janie.” CHAPTER XXXIV. The twins were three weeks old when T.oraine had a letter from Wilfred Truism, saving that her husband hud undoubtedly been at Capri, and that he had traced him from there to Naples and then to Rome. There the trad had been lost, but Tetiison was endeavouring to pick it up again with newspaper advertisements. He bade her ni.t to be discouraged, and he hoped ad was wel, witix her.

She si,i'd a few tears over this letter. How kind Mr Teuison was! He would hi d Alex—must find him!

Tor a fortnight after that there was no news of him, and then one evening Janet received a surreptitious word-of-luoidh message from Betsy, saving that Mr Terr-on had returned to Rose Cottage and wished to see her at once, but she was not to tell Lorainc that he was back.

By this tune Janet had guessed a good deal of what Lorainc had not had the courage to tell her. Fortunately it was an hour when .Lorainc was engaged in superintending the babies’ baths. Generally Janey looked on, too, but this evening she slipped awav with Betsy and tried to get some clue from the old woman as to what Mr Teuison wished to see her about.

“t don't know,” Betsy replied. “He’s very strange, dearie, and looks illish. He only got back an hour ago, and I never saw a man so dead-beat. Him and Mr Carr had a word together in private, and then he comes into the sitting room and sends for me, and asks me to give you the message. I heal'd Mr Carr say that you, Miss Janey, had ‘better be told first’.”

There was enough in this to cause Janet apprehension. A sickening sense of: dread came upon her, and although they walked fast it seemed as though they would never reach Rose Cottage.

Obviously .Mr Tenison had come back with bad news, or no news at all. She prayed it might be the latter. As they approached the cottage she broke into a run, leaving Betsy to "o

around to the back door. Tenison and Dennis were both in the cheerful living room, seated one on cither side of the fireplace. They sprang up when .Janet entered, whtie-faccd and breathless. “What’s happened? What is it?” she cried.

(To be Continued.!

ELIZABETH YOLK MILLER Author of ' The Brass Box,” “ Carry On, ” “The Sins of the Fathers,’ > , etc., etc.,

(COPY EIGHT.)

Dennis turned away without answering, to see that the door leading to the kitchen was closed. Tenison, with a forlorn, . hang-dog look, appeared to make an effort to pull himself together. ‘l’m afraid it’s bad news,” he said.

“I don't think I can bring myself to tell your sister. I m too much of a coward. ’ ’

“You mean that something has happened to Alex?” Tenison nodded.

“He’s dead—at least, I’m afraid there’s little doubt of it. I’ve managed to keep it out of the papers for a few days, because I wanted Mrs Flagg to know before she read it.” “Dead! Alex dead?” Janet repeated incredulously. “llow do you know? Where did it happen? You speak as though you weren’t quite sure, Mr Tenison/ There’s a doubt in your voice. Perhaps—unless you know definitely—it isn't true.”

She clasped her hands and spoke as though she were pleading with him for something that lie had the power to give her, if only he would. “There is a doubt in my mind,” he said, after a short silence. “It’s the sort of thing that in the circumstances Alexander Flagg might do. ” “What?”

“Disappear, absolutely. Leave the proofs of death behind him, although his body was not to be found. Indeed, his body couldn’t be found. With difficulty I. traced him to Switzerland, and discovered that lie had been attempting to climb mountains although the snows have set in, and no one but a fool or Flagg would try such a thing with or without a guide. He had none. Couldn’t get anyone to go with him, as as a matter of fact. . . It’s a long story, but I’ll cut it as short as 1 can. The very day after I readied the place, a small village called Estcrhcrtz, near the French frontier, he had gone off bv himself. Well, I got together a search party, and we found enough evidence to convince anybody that he had lost his way and finally fallen into a crevasse. There had been no fresh snow that night, and the progress of his body, or some heavy body, had taken taken was plainly marked. We found Ills ruck sack and cap, and a hundred feet down one of the guides discovered a length of frayed rope. If he escaped iho crevasse, which would be n miracle, he would have needed to walk about twenty miles across the most dangerous glacier in Switzerland before he reached any human habitation. We sent guides 1o enquire, but there wasn’t a trace of him. I kept hoping against hope to the last; even now I’d like to go oil hoping, but it’s difficult, .Jauey.”

(PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRAN GEMENT.) FASCINATING STORY OF LOVE AND MYSTERY.