The Baffled Schemer

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 45, 20 April 1927, Page 7

The Baffled Schemer

A Pleasing Romance of English Life.

BY

REGINALD HOPE.

CHAPTER IL—Continued. This unwelcomed intruder walked across to the fireplace and leaning against the mantelpiece ,looked down at the indignant Nestley with a blandsmile. . “Enjoyed your-supper?” he asked, coolly, removing his cigarette. “None the better for seeing you,*’ growled the doctor, drawing hard at his piped 'Our excellent Duncan,” observed Mr Beaumont, airily, “is ' rather cross. ’ ’ - At which impertinent/ observation, Nestley began to show anger. - “What right have you to come into this room?” he asked savagely. “The best right in the world,” retorted Basil, smoothly. “It is a public r00m;...1 am one of the public—ergo; I use it. ” •

Dr. Nestley frowned again, and his rather weak mouth quivered nervously as he looked at the placid countenance of the. man leaning against the mantelpiece. On his part, Beaumont ‘slipped his hands into his pockets, crossed his long logs and, after glancing curiously at the figure cowering in the armchair began, to talk in a deli-cately-modulated voice, which was one of his greatest charms. “We were friends five years ago, Nestley, yet now we meet as enemies. I am not, as a rule, curious; but I confess I would like to know the reason.” “You know well’ enough,” said Nestley, - sulkily. “Ah, let me sec. I think in the road to-night you accused me of ruining your life. Pray tell me how —I don’t think,” observed Mr Beaumont, re-, jflectively, “Jj Really don’t think X bororowed money from you.” Dr. Nestley removed his pipe, and put his hand up to hide the nervous quivering of his mouth. The artist went on smoking placidly, waiting for the other to speak, so seeing this, Nestley, with a great effort, sat up in his chair and looked steadily at him.

“Listen to me, Basil Beaumont,” he said, slowly. “Five years ago, when I met you, I was only a boy—- “ Yes, an awful cub,” replied Beaumont, insolently. “I taught you all you know.” “You did, ’’ retorted Nestley, bitterly, rising to his feet. “You taught mo things of which I had better have remained ignorant. I had a little money ’ ’

“Fairly won by me at cards,” murmured Beaumont, coolly. “I don’t mind that,” said Nestley, who was walking up and down the room in a state of uncontrollable agitation, “you had that, and welcome — one must pay for one’s experience, I suppose. No; it was not the money, but I did blame you for teaching me to drink wine to excess.”

“I!” said Basil ,in surprise, “why I never drink wine to excess, so how could I teach you?”

“Ah!” replied the other, significantly, stopping in his walk, “your head is too strong—mine is not. I was a clever boy, and likely to do well in my profession. You met me when I came to London —liked me for some inexplicable reason, and undertook to show me what you called life. With my weak constitution and hihgly-strung organisation drink was like poison to -me —it turned me into a maniac. I did not care for it —I had no -hereditary love for alcohol, but you were always at my elbow, tempting me to have another glass. My weaker .will was overcome by your stronger one. ~ I took drink, and it niadd me mad. causing me to commit a thousand follies for which I was no more responsible than a child. I got into the habit of taking drinks all day. You encouraged me— God knows why, except for your own selfish ends. Had I remained with you, I would have boon in a lunatic asylum or in the gutter but, thank God, my better angel prevailed, and I broke the spell you held over me. Leaving you and the mad life I was then leading, I became a total abstainer, at what cost need not not tell you—no one can ever understand the struggles and agonies I underwent, but I conquered in the end. For fivoi years I have not touched a drop of liquor, and now- — now that I have subdued the devil that once possessed me I meet you.once more —you who so nearly ruined me. body and soul.”

Beaumont did not during this long speech, delivered with intense emotion by Nestlcy, but at its conclusion shrug-

ged his shoulders and addressed himself to the task of making another cigarette. T 1 “ A very excellent lecture,” he deed, but quite wrong. I did meet you said, scoffingly, “very excellent, in-. in London, and out of kindness introduced. you into decent society, hut I certainly did not teach you to make a beast of yourself, as you did!” “You were always urging me to drink.” “Hospitality only. I asked, you to drink when I did,., yet I did not make a fool of myself.”

“True! You only made a fool of me. What you could take and I could take were two very different things. was drunkenness in me was sob-

riety in you. ’ ’ Beaumont laughed and lighted the cigarette he hod just made. “You were an idiot,” he said politely. “When you found drink did you harm-you should have left it off.” “Ah! you think that an easy task?” “It would be to me”

“To you!” cried Nestley, vehemently? “yes, a practised man of the world like you has his nerves and passions well under control. I was young, inexperienced, enthusiastic, you were cool, calculating and cynical. You drank three times as much as I ever did, but the effect on our natures was different. You were looked upon as a sober man, I—God help me! —as a drunkard! ”

The artist smiled sarcistically. “Well,” he said, coolly, “all this was five years ago—why are you so disagreeable now?” “I cannot forget how you tried to ruin me.” “Humph!” observed Beaumont, walking to the door, “there’s nothing like putting our sins on other people’s shoulders; it saves a lot of unnecessary trouble. However, I don’t wish to argue any longer. You reject my friendship, so I’ve nothing more to say. I daresay you’ll be gone by the time I rise in the morning, so, as we’r.e not likely to meet- one another again in this life, I’ll say good-bye.” He opened the door just as Nestley was about to -answer him, when suddenly there was a noise—the voices of men laughing uproariously, then the sharp bark of a dog, and in another moment a largo black eat, with her fur all on end, darted into the room, followed by an eager fox-terrier in astate of great excitement. CHAPTER 111. VILLAGE GOSSIP. Snarling and spitting, with blazing eyes and bushy tail, the cat flew round the room rapidly, did a steeplechase over several chairs, and finally took refuge on the mantelpiece, where she stood with arched back, spitting freely, while the fox-terrier, yelping sharply, tried, unsuccessfully, to leap up. “What a beast of p, dog,” said Beaumont, tranquilly; “it’s Muffins, of course.” “Rather,” cried a laughing voice at the door, “did you ever know Muffins when he wasn’t worrying a cat Or killing a rat or doing something disreputable?” The owner of the voice was a tall young fellow of twenty years of age, with curly hair, a fresh complexion and merry blue eyes. He was positively bubbling over with good nature and excitement, and appeared the embodiment of robust health and animal spirits. Suddenly he caught sight of Nestley, who. stood near the fireplace looking on at the scene with an amused smile.

“Awfully sorry about ray dog, sir,” he said, taking off his cap with a gay laugh and striding across the room to where Muffins was performing leaps worthy of an acrobat, “but he beliyes his mission in life is to kill cats, so at present ”

“He is performing his mission with great zeal,” finished Nestlcy with a smile.

“By the way,” interposed Beaumont, raising his voice, “I’d better introduce you two men, Mr Richard Pemberton —Dr Duncan Nestlcy.”

(To be Continued.)