"Miranda Repents,”

Wairarapa Daily Times, 10 August 1936, Page 7

"Miranda Repents,”

CHAPTER 111 (Continued). So astonished was he that he glanced at her with new interest. He could see little else than a retrousse nose, but he found it quite easy to visualise the rest of her features, and that surprised him too. He had not been an axe that he had watched her so closely.

“They wouldn’t sit up,” he said; “ and with luck we ’ll be home foi breakfast. ’ ’

“I hope so,” returned Miranda severely. “I’ve allowed you to run your madness out, and now I expect you to behave like a reasonable being and to find the way back as quickly as possible. ’ ’

“I’ll do more than that.; I’ll behave like a very grateful being, and thank you humbly, both on Bertha’s and my own behalf. If we weren’t quite as mad as you thought, I’m sure it was. very sweet of you to try to bring us to our senses,” he said, his hand closing round her wrist. Miranda warmed to the praise; but the next instant lie spoiled it all. “But if we really had been going to get married,” he added, with a laugh, 11 you risked something, didn’t you ? Won’t you really allow me to take a wife, Miranda?” “You can take fifty, for all I care,” she retorted; “but there’s no need for you to drag Bertha into such a mad affair. ’ ’

She felt the lameness, of the excuse, and the suspicions to which she had laid herself open. Her pleasant warmth changed to a scorching uncomfortable heat.

< < please drive on, ’ ’ she ordered hast

iiyCHAPTER IV. THE UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES It was almost daylight when at last James drove down the miles of Hollywood Boulevard and on to their hotel near the big shops of Los Angeles, after considerable difficulty in locating themselves.

Miranda was thoroughly tired, and had indeed dozed for part of the way, being carefully wrapped up and made as comfortable as possible by James. Neither his attention nor her weariness could blot out the anxiety which had taken possession of her. Everything else faded into insignificance beside the fear that it might be supposed she cared whom or when James married, and a doubt of her own ability to maintain that air of stern common sense with which she had explained her intervention to him. In her extreme discomfort of mind, she forgot to wonder whether her father and Mr Elsworthy would learn of her night out, and she was therefore the more surprised to find them awaiting her at the hotel. Bertha was with them, all three having spent what remained of the night in the lobby, after having made ineffectual attempts to trace the runaways.

“Well, James, this is a queer way to do it, but I’m sure I’m very glad,” .said his father, shaking hands ilyTired though they were, both the older men were smiling delightedly. Bertha, who liad changed into a day frock, stood smiling also, though it •was a somewhat strained smile. The hotel clerk looked on Avith interest.

“Why—why, glad you’re pleased, dad,” returned James. “Thought you’d be blessing us, if you’d missed

“That’s just AAliat you’ve been Avaiting to do—to bless you,” laughed Mr Elsxvorthy, and held out his hands to Miranda. “I didn’t think you’d let him play us a mean trick like this, my dear, but I’m glad all the same.” She looked up at him in bewilderment; then at her father, avlio patted her shoulder eloquently, smiling. “I don’t knoAV Avliat you mean,” she said.

They laughed, and glanced at Bertha. James and Miranda looked at her, too. She shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t blame me,” she said. “I only told them lioav you drove off; Miranda in such excitement that she even took my Avrap. James and I had been discussing Hollywood Aveddings, and I’d offered to elope Avith him myself—for the duration of a drive ” —she smiled —“but evidently you two did it in . earnest. At least, you eloped in earnest, Avhether you’re married or not. Do you knoAV Avhat time it is?” “You needn’t try to keep it from us,” .said Mr Lane, patting Miranda’s shoulder again. “We’re quite willing to get out of the Avay and leave you to your honeymoon.”

“Did you get married?” challenged Bertha.

“Did they!” laughed Mr ElsAvorthy, slapping his son on the back. “We don’t need to ask that, Avlien they turn up at this hour, do Ave?” Both fathers laughed heartily, Avhilst Janies and Miranda shot a desperate look at each other.

“Well, so long as the knot is safely tied, aa'O don’t mind Avliere or lioav,” resumed Mr Elsworthy. “You’ll have to give us all particulars' later, James. This poor little girl is dead beat. Take her upstairs, and let’s all get an hour or two’s rest before breakfast.”

The night clerk was at that moment relieved by the day clerk, and the pages and lift-boys came on duty. Miranda ■was not cjuite certain what little was said after that, except that James did not contradict the belief in their marriage, and neither-did she, and then she was in the lift, travelling up to her room, leaving James exchanging a final laughing word with Bertha, both pretending strenuously that their intended elopement had been the merest joke. Feeling altogether too tired to grapple with the situation at present, Miranda stumbled into her room and lay on the bed almost as .she was, falling promptly asleep. It was several hours later when she awoke. The sun was flooring her room, and for a few moments she failed to remember what had preceded her sleep. A glance at her frock, which she still

BY V. RUTTLAND

(To be Continued - )

Avore, made her sit up hastily, and as she did so, the telephone bell on the table beside her compelled her attention.

“Are you up yet?” asked James, Avlien she ansxvered the call.

“No. IWe just Avoke up,” she replied. “What time is it?” “It’s ten o’clock* In lioav long can you see me? We must have a talk Lot'on- avo meet dad and Mr Lane.” “We must!” she agreed A'eliementjV, Avide aAvake. “I’ll be doAvn in about half an hour.”

“Righto. I’ll hang around. I haven’t left my oxvn room yet. I’ll be in the garden,” he said. She assented briefly and hung up the receiver.

Refresh Avith sleep, she Avas ready and eager to disabuse his mind of any idea that .she Avas interested in his choice of a Avife, ready even to look Bertha in the eye and maintain that her action of the night before had been pure good-nature. A brisk shoAver after her bath further reinforced her courage and she made her Avay to the hotel garden Ax T ith bright eyes and chin uplifted James Avas already there, pacing up and doAvn the flagged pavement round the sunken pool in the centre, the surrounding palm trees throAving long shadoAvs across, it, and brilliant floAverbeds gloAving in the sun. “Why didn’t you tell them Ave Avere not married?” she asked, as soon as she came Avitliin speaking distance. “Why didn’t you?” he replied, SAviftly. “I Avas too surprised.” ‘‘ So Avas I. At least, that they should take it for granted,” he returned.

“There Avas time for you to recover from your surprise,” she accused. ‘ ‘ Why did you go on letting them think it?”

Her pretty face Avas more than usually piquant as she gazed up at him in displeasure. Ho smiled. “It is the lady’s privilege to confirm or deny an assumption of that kind,” he returned.

“Don’t be silly,” she said', losing her dignity and colouring furiously. “Hoav could it be confirmed? It Avas your fault that Ave Avere out all night. It Avas for you to explain.” “I couldn’t be sure you Avished to have it contradicted,” lie pleaded. “You couldn’t think I Avislied them to think we were married Avhen Ave Averen’t. ”

“Why not? We could soon get married, and thus avoid disappointing them,” he remarked. “If you’re simply going to be ridiculous, in return for Avliat I tried to do for you and Bertha last night,” she began.“I’m not being ridiculous, Miranda?” She flashed him a furious glance, and his face sobered. “Don’t you see lioav aAvkAvard, almost serious, it is?” he asked. “If they hadn’t Avaited for us to come in, it Avouldn’t have mattered so much. They needn’t have knoAvn lioav long the drum lasted. But as it is, even if they didn’t think avc Avere married already, they’d expect us to get married after that.” Miianda’s colour deepened until she thought it Avould burn her cheeks aAvay.

“lloav absurd! ” .she ejaculated. “We can tell them that avc thought Ave Avere chased, and then got lost, can’t Ave ? It isn’t as if either of us Avas out Avith a stranger. They can’t attach any importance to it, the trip remaining in the family, as it Avere. It’s foolish to suppose they’d think anything about it, at all.” “They probably think more than if avo Avere not the two concerned,” he said, “because they expect more from us. ”

Miranda made an impatient movement. “They’ll have to be disappointed, that’s all, then,” she returned. “They needn’t be,” he observed.

The blood spread from her face to her forehead, and she Avished heartily that she had alloAved Bertha to run off Avith him and marry him, rather than have exposed herself to the remotest suspicion, that she Avould consider marriage Avith him for a moment. “I don’t knoAV Avhat you mean by that,” she declared, “and I don’t think it matters either. All avo haA 7 e to do

“I mean that I Avant you to marry me, if it Avill save you from the least inconvenience,” he said. “Thank you. But if I had no intention of marrying you before, I ’in scarcely likely to change my mind after your perfectly mad behaviour of last night. I’m sorry I interfered. I neA r er thought of it causing me personal annoyance, or I shouldn’t liaA r e done. I’ll tell father myself, if you Avon’t.” Glad to turn her face aAvav from him, she began to Avalk down the path back to the hotel.

“At least, you don’t think I mean to annoy you by suggesting it?” ne asked, keeping pace Avith her. “I understand that you intend to be most kind and chivalrous,” she retorted, Avondering Avliy something inside her hurt.

“I want to do what’s best tor both of us, and .really, Miranda, 1 think we’d better marry. They’ll be frightfully cut up if we don’t, and both my dad* and yours will think I’ve treated you abominably, keeping you out like that.”

“Oh, think of yourself, do! Let’s both! Whatever happens, nobody must blame you,” she exclaimed, with such vehemence that he laughed.

“Well, it’s you, too, my dear,” he persuaded. “I don’t see why we could not marry and get on well enough.” Reflecting upon his own and Bertha’s recent conduct, he was inclined to regard Miranda as a pretty safe wife.