(OUR SERIAL] THE SPECIALITY DANCERS.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXI, 10 July 1925, Page 6

(OUR SERIAL] THE SPECIALITY DANCERS.

(By

DELIA DENTON.)

CHAPTER V. “Take your place behind the trap, and be ready for me,” he said; “Fur goodness sake dont get larking. Eventhing depends on your catching me- as 1 come -through/’ Ingleton nodded ,and calling his mates went away. As is usual, the chief part of the har lequin’s performance consisted of leaping through doors and windows, and coming up through the traps on the stage. Star traps are dangerous to work. They mean an enormous amount, of skill and physical endurance on the part of the performer, and when, as in this case, the harlequin makes a dive head first through a trap in the buck scene, there is a mattress lying uu the other side of the fit’, and two or three man arc ready to cai-b him. If they should fail to catch him a vi ry ugly fall is certain to reuit.

The scene began. There -was the clown and pantalooi with their time, honoured jokes. Th;-, came Harleq’nu and Columbine d.m-.’.g together, sc gacefully, so charmingly, that in the midst- of their laughter the audiencestopped to give a roar, of applause. Co long was the applaus-i th.il they repeated their dancing and always Floss remembered that momeit wh°n her hands were held in Dick’s when again and again'lie lifted her right off the stage whirling her through the air to the rhythm of the music. The sweetness of the strain came as an inspiration. She danced as she had never danced tic., fore and he danced wonderfully too, swaying with her in perfect harmonny. Suddenly the dance was ended With a swift, graceful movement he swung her round into the far corner of thestage and turning sprang head first at the scene. The star trap opened, it closed behind him, but those on the stage heard a sudden fall, and then a groan.

In one passionate terrible thrill Floss knew what had happened. The- men who had been placed to catch the harlequin had betrayed their trust, and Ricardo Garlandi had fallen.

Heedless of the audience, heedless of everything save only Dick she rushed behind the flat and found him lying there. She fell on her knees by his side, and a cry 'broke from her lips. For the first time he had no smile for her. : •

“He is dead,” she cried. Then she sprang to her feet and looked straight at Ingleton, who was standing near, “lit is you w r ho have- killed him It is your carelessness that has caused his death.” ’

The manager . came hurrying up. There were many whispers. From the other side of the scenery a band struck up light dance music. The audiencebegan to dance this time. Someone had assured them that though an accident had happened it was slight—nothing must interfere with the gaiety that reigned -within the cabaret. <*> <s> Lady Hardcastle with her two daugh tors had been to a dance that evening, and she was returning home feeling that the world would have been going well if Eric had not become entangled in '.that very undesirable affair. All her other plans promised wonderfully. Ker eldest daughter, Gladys, was already buying her trousseau, and Greta was winning admiration on all hands. “If only I could break the engagement between Eric and that girl ’ ’ she was thinking moodily., The words seemed to be drumming in her ears and she lookecT with brooding eyes at her two daughters huddled in their preftty cloaks who were sharing the motor with her. Gladys was certainly pretty, and she was going to do well with her good looks, bujt the second girl Greta -was lovely and Greta must marry into the peerage—so her mother determined Eric’s engagement to this dancing girl might spoil his sister’s changes and it was most aggravating. “If there were only some way by which he and his enchantress could be separated,” she thought again. The motor glided to the door of the big house. Lady Hardcastle alighted, the girls following As she did so a man who had been waiting by the area railings panic forward with a shufliling •step touching his cap to her. She paused. “Who are you?” she said doubtfully. “I think I have seen you somewhere?” Had he been an ordinary beggar she

would have passed on. She used to explain she did not believe in giving in. diSCiimii.ate alms ba:. something familiar in the man’s f..cc had arrested her attention. “My name’s Ingleton, my lady,” he said. “I was employed by Sir Robert at B arch ester, only trouble came, and I was sacked, though I wasn’t to blame I give you my word for that. And now there is something I want ito see you about if you can spare me a minute.” Her ladyship drew her furs more closely round her, taking a step back lest her silks should come in contact with the man’s clothes. “I remember you now,” she said. ■‘You are Ingleton.- Once or twice you have come to the house at home with messages from my husband, but afterwards he had to prosecute you for dishonesty. It is an impertinence for you to address me.” “I expected you.’d say that,” he re. tort'ed. “All the same there is some thing I’ve got 'to say, and if you arc wise you will listen to me. It’s about Mr Eric and the lady he’s engaged to.” If Lady Hardcastle had been really the high bred woman she pretended .->hc was she would hardly have condescended to discuss her son’s love affairs with this particularly disreputable stranger. But her ladyship was not what she seemed so she let Ingleton iin. press her. She turned to the girls. ‘Go into the house,” she said. “This poor man is asking for a little help, and I want to question him before I decide what to do.” A moment shr. paused, then she added. “You had better come into the house, too. I will hear what you have to say.” _ To the amazement of the servants she led the way up the steps across the hall, and into a small room on the further side, Ingleton shuffling behind her. The electric light was switched on. Under its glare she looked at him. “Now ” she said coldly. “State your business as quickly as you can, and go. What is it you have to tell me regarding my son?” The man leered cunningly. “It’s like this, my lady,” he said. ‘ ‘ After I got into trouble at Batches. ter I came.up to London and got work at the- Last Word Club. I was employed aboujt the cabaret, got to hear how Mr Eric was in love with the dancer, Floss Fancourt. Having a bit of sense in my head I don’t need to betold that you and Sir Robert arc angry, I’m right about that, ain’t I?” “As you say, the fact does not need telling,” replied Lady Hardcastle in her coldest manner. Ingleton smiled slily. “And I expect you wouldn’t mind paying a good bit of money If I or any other man could make that girl set Mr Eric free ” “It is impossible ” said Lady Hardcastle abruptly. “I have tried ” Then she checked herself. After all she could not explain everything to this confidant. The man pressed both -hands upon the little table dividing him from her ladyship, and leaned forward, the light full upon his face. “It’s not impossible,” he- said. “It’s easy enough to do it. You give me twenty pounds cash down, my lady, and I’ll guarantee Floss Fancourt doesn’t marry your son.” “Why should I pay you. ” she asked and then added: “You would not do anything against the law?” He shrugged his shoulders. “What I’ve done has been against the law right ’chough,” he said. “But that’s over long ago. What I am going to do now is Tawful enough only it’s just possible I may bring trouble on myself, and 'that means I must have something to pay me for it.” “There’s my son to consider,” she said slowly. “Will this plan of ycur bring him into trouble?”

“You needn’t be afraid of that,” he’Tetorted. “It will have no effect upon him in the legal sense-, anyhow. You pay me the twenty pounds and I’ll guarantee he’ll not be engaged to Floss Fancourt another hour.” (To be Continued.)

An English /tourist while ‘doing’ the Waikato recently was surprised and disgusted to notice so many Maori women enjoying their pipes. On His return to Auckland he mentioned the matter to an old colonist, remarking that it was a sure sign of the degeneracy of the Maori race when their women smoked pipes. Said the New Zealander: “Well, if that is so the Irish women of the working class must have been degenerating for a good while, because I remember seeing them smoking clays in Dublin when I was a boy.” The tourist said no more. There is nothing wrong with pipe smoking for man or woman sq long as the right tobacco is used. Choose a brand as free from nicotine as you can. That’s all. Our New Zealandgrown tobaccos contain only a trifling percentage of nicotice-, and you can’t beat them for flavour ad aroma. You can smoke them for hours and they won’t do you any harm. Ask for “Riverhead Gold ” mild; “Navy Cut’ (Bulldog), medium; or '(Cut Plug No. ■10” (Bullhead), full strength.