"The Love That Conquered,”

Wairarapa Daily Times, 4 January 1928, Page 7

"The Love That Conquered,”

A CHARMING ROMANCE BY A POPULAR WRITER

CHAPTER I. —Continued. ‘‘"Welcome to Talula, Crosby Courlandcr,” she said, holding out her hand, which Crosby clasped tightly. “All my people arc anxious to have you as a guest and to place you on the high seat, but you shall be my own guest. Come.” Still with Crosby’s hand in her own, Julie led the way quickly through a palm grove to a clearing in which stood her father’s house, a long, low, grass-thatched bungalow with a shady verandah, with other smaller native buildings behind it. ‘■This is my home,” resumed Julie, with a sweeping gesture. “You are welcome to it. All that we possess is yours, my friend.” Julie said the words simply, sincerely and unaffectedly. She was merely translating into English the Polynesian native welcome, and meant literally what she said. For the Marqucsans are the most hospitable people in the world, and gladly place all their possessions at the disposal of a white stranger and delight in entertaining him.

Crosby C'ourlander understood. He had been cruising in the South Seas for many weeks and had been entertained magnificently by natives on several islands, but it was a new and unique experience to be welcomed in such a way by a young and charming white girl. “Thank you, Miss Brown,” he said, “I am indeed honoured.”

“The pleasure is mine,” responded Julie politely. “Do help yourself.to anything you want. You ’ll find whisky and cigarettes on the sideboard. Excuse me for a few minutes while I run off and dress.”

C'ourlander helped himself to a cigarette and sat down, looking thoughtful, on one of the long chairs on the verandah. Julie was unlike any girl he had ever met, and he was intrigued, attracted and puzzled. It was a delightful surprise to find such a girl on Talula, a small and remote island of the Marquesan group, far out of the track of steamers, and Crosby was curious to know - why she was there.

“A real child of nature,” he reflected, remembering that Julie, although clad only in a bathing costume, had shown no signs of self-conscious-ness and borne herself with a natural air of distinction. She had struck him as being as charmingly unaffected as the gentle, Tahitian natives —unspoilt by civilisation.

Julie reappeared ere he had finished his cigarette, looking more delightful than ever in a simple white, sleeveless frock, and white shoes and stockings.

“Do I look more human and civilised now?” she inquired naively. “You look perfectly charming, Miss Brown,” answered Crosby gallantly. “I did not anticipate having the pleasure of meeting anyone like you on Talula. I wasn’t even sure if it was inhabitated. Tell me, Miss Brown, have you lived here long?” “It seems odd being called ‘Miss Brown’ ” commented Julie, before answering the question. “I think I’d rather you called me ‘Julie.’ It seems more—more friendly.”

“I’d rather call you Julie,” said Crosby promptly. “And I’d rather you called me ‘Crosby’ than ‘Air Courlander. ’ ” “I never called you ‘Mister Courlander, ’ ” Julio retorted, seating herself. “Do you know, your name seems somehow familiar to me, although I can’t imagine where I could have heard it before, and I am sure I’ve never met anyone of the same name. Perhaps I saw it in a paper. Do you get your name into the papers, Crosby?” “Yes, my name was fin the papers occasionally when I was at Cambridge,” Crosby admitted. “I rowed in the Cambridge boat and got my Rugger blue. But it is more likely that you have seen my father’s name in the newspapers. He’s in Parliament, and makes something of a noise in the world. Sir Fortesquc Beresford C'ourlander is his name.” “Gracious!” exclaimed Julie, regarding him'wide-eyed. “So you must

be one of the blue-blooded aristocrats I’ve read about in books? Fancy your father benig a real live knight.” “Baronet, to be exact, Julie,” said Crosby smilingly, flushing slightly in embarrassment. “Yes, I suppose I’m a specimen of the blue-blooded aristocracy—family came over with the Conqueror, and all that sort of thing. Not that it cuts much ice nowadays.” “And I supxmsc you are tremendously rich ?’ ’ “Well, not tremendously, but the guv’nor is rich enough to run a yacht and that sort of thing, and wc have a place in Devon, a town house, and a shooting box in Scotland.” “Why are you here, Crosby?” persisted Julie. “Why did you come to Talula ? ’ ’

Time had ceased to be of any account as far as Crosby was concerned. Had Talula been a wilderness he would have thought it a paradise because Julie was there, and he found it impossible to tear himself away from the bewitching spot and the girl who had enchanted him. Time and again he had reminded himself that he was son and heir of Sir Fortesque Beresford Courlander and Julie Brown was the daughter of a-South Seas trader, probably an adventurer who had left his country for his country’s good and might even have come, to Talula to escape the clutches of the law. But it was no use. He knew himself to be hopelessly in love with Julie and told himself he was prepared to sacrifice everything for her sake if only she would give herself to him.

“I have been cruising in the South Seas for months for the beneiit of my health,” exclaimed Crosby. ‘‘Last winter in England I was laid out with influenza which developed into double pneumonia, and I nearly provided work for the undertakers. I was a physical wreck and when I began to pull round the doctors prescribed a long sea voyage, so the pater fitted out The Adventure, shipped me off to the Pacific —and hero I am, fit, strong and well again, and thankful to the fates that brought me to Talula to meet you. Xow tell me about yourself, Julie. You’re English, too, are you not?” “I suppose so,” said Julie. “Dad’s English, I know, but I have never been able to persuade him to talk much about "himself. I don’t think I was born in England, and I don’t know if I have any relations. I believe I was born in Adelaide, but I am not sure. I don’t even know who my mother Avas,

As for Julie, she Avas happier than CA'er she had been in her life. To her Crosby Courlander seemed a sort of fairy prince from another world, and her happiness Avas dimmed only by the thought that soon he Avould drop out of her life as suddenly as he had come into it. Crosby had not attempted to make loA'e to her, but at times their hands had clung together and his eyes had Avorshipped her. Yet Julie, remembering the difference in their positions, and in her unsophisticated way imagining that the son of a baronet Avas numbered amongst the great ones of the earth, did not dare to think that Crosby had fallen in love Avith her, and Avas afraid to look into her own heart or attempt to analyse her feelings. (To be Continued).

BY CHARLES PROCTER, Author of “The Rockell Combine,” “Pools of the Past,” “'The Man in the Case,” etc., etc.

and don’t remember her, for she died when I was a baby.” “Do you mean to say you were actually brought up here in Talula?” asked Crosby. Julie shook her head.

“No, I was at school at Adelaide as a small child,” she answered, “'then dad bought or chartered a ship, and in it we cruised about the South Seas for Years —at least, it seemed like years. Sometimes wc stopped at a place for months, at other times only for a few days. Nannie had charge of me —she was a dear, motherly woman who taught me and nursed me —but I know as little about her as I do about dad, but she told me often that she had ‘known better days.’ I’ve realised since that Nannette Taylor—that was her name —must have been a woman of education and good family, and I think she must have had some great sorrow. She came here with us, but she died four years ago.” Julie’s voice broke suddenly and tears sprang to her eyes. It was evident that she had loved her nursegoverness who had been almost a mother to her.

“We came here nearly seven years ago, when I was sixteen,” she resumed, after a pause, smiling rather tremulously and blinking away her tears. “Martin Eden was here, and daddy either bought or chartered the island from him or entered into some sort of partnership. Anyhow, ever since they have been trading round the islands. Dad has a schooner, and lie deals in all sorts of things from pearls and paradise plumes to copra. Sometimes I go with him, more often I remain here, acting as a sort of queen 'of Talula, dreaming dreams, wondering and wishing—. But you needn’t think I am unhappy, Crosby, although sometimes I am very, very lonely. Now tell me about London and—and everything. Nannie used to tell me about the Opera, and dinner parties and dances, and being presented to the Queen, and often she said that some day I should go to London and be a great lady, but that, I suppose, was only a fairy tale.” “I wonder!” said Crosby Courlandcr, heir to a baronetcy, a town house, a fine estate in Devonshire, a shootingbox in Scotland, and a rent-roll of many thousands a year. “I wonder, Julie!”

“I wonder!” repeated Julie, then laughed and jumped up impulsively from her chair. “But come,” she added, “my people arc preparing a feast for you, and you shall sit in the high seat of abundance, Crosby Courlander. ” A CHAPTER 11. A week passed, and The Advcnturp was still an anchor in the blue lagoon of Talula. To Crosby C'ourlander it had been a week of magic. He had sab in the “high seat of abundance,” and been feasted by the natives, as also had the .skipper, and European crew ofhis yacht. The yacht itself had been loaded with gifts of fruit, fish, vegetables, chickens, flowers and sucking pigs. By day Crosby, with Julie as guide, had explored the whole island, and by night, in the moonlight and under a blue-black velvet sky begemmed with brilliant stars, lie and Julio had sat together and watched native youths and maidens, flower-garlanded and flower-bedecked, with strange phosphorescent blossoms that pulsed and glowed in the moonlight in their hair, dancing and singing in the clearing around Julie’s home.