Robbed of His Birthright

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15895, 21 January 1924, Page 3

Robbed of His Birthright

CHAPTER X—(Contd.) If the grown-ups were a little at a loss, Mary Harris was not. She did not even wait to greet her greatuncle and aunt. Straight for Jack she made, jumped up on the chair he had vacated, and flung her arms round his neck, and somehow, though he was embarrassed as any boy of sixteen Would have been, thsrs was something strangely sweet in the caress. "Isn't that the right way to sny 'thank you' to a hero who saved your life?" she demanded, with her usual frank audacity, and her parents covered their annoyance with a laugh. "You little monkey, boys of sixteen don't want to kiss cheeky little girl's," said her father. "He didn't kiss me. I kissed him," said Mary promptly, "but, of course, he will kiss me when I ask trim. Won't you, Jack Gray?" Blushing furiously, Jack yet accepted ihe challenge, to Mary's frank delight.

"That's more herioc on Jack's part than saving your life, young lady," laughed her great-uncle. "Now come and give Uncle Rupert a kiss if you have any to spare, and let your mother have her chance to have her say." Miriam's remarks were exactly what they ought to be, yet there was something in her manned which made Jack feel vaguely uneasy.

"If it weren't so ridiculous," he afterwards told Nell, "I would have thought Mrs Harris was displeased because I had saved the little girl. She was exceedingly polite, you know but —I can't put it into words—there was something antagonistic about her manner."

It remained so all through the afternoon, and over and over again she was on the very brink of sharply calling Mary away from Jack's side. She hated the mere sight of them together,; yet darqd not show her annoyance in Uncle Rupert's presence. It was perfectly evident that the child had conceived one iof her sudden, violent affections for the apprentice boy, and that both Mr and Mrs Osmond were sympathetically amused. "When will you come and have tea with me, Jack?" she demanded <at tea. "Next Sunday?""We won't be in town next Sunday, Mary," said her father instantly, having quickly planned a week-end trip. "And besides, boys who have to work hard all the week don't want to waste their Sunday afternoons on spoilt little girls." "Then the next Sunday," the young lady said calmly, for spoilt she certainly was.

"I'm sorry, Miss Mary, but I'm usually very much occupied on Sundays," replied Jack. "And Saturdays and week-days, too." "Then I'll come and see you at the shipyard again," she compromised. And when you get your holidays you can come and stay with us in the country. You're quite the nicest boy I know, and I've just got to see as much of you as I can." Mrs Harris got to her feet. "Fred, I think wo had better go," she said, with a rasp in her voice which told that her patience was nearly at an end. "I'm going to church this evening and I want to run home first."

The moment they were seated »a the car she caught the child by the arm and shook her.-

"Mary," she said shortly, "you are quite old enough to know that you cannot make friends with a common working boy, no matter how nice he is, and if you annoy me any more about that Jack Gray you will be sent away to school."

"I don't care," said Mary doggedly. "I will be friends with him. He saved my life. And I'm going to marry him when I grow up, just like what they do in story books." Her mother let her go and leant back in her own corner with a gesture of despair.

"Well, I hope you're satisfied now, Fred Harris, with the result of your determined spoiling of that child,'' she said coldly.

"No use crossing a bridge till you come to it, Miriam," her husband said. "And, after all, there might be worse solutions than that."

"Hold your tongue," hissed Miriam. "Can't you see how she is listening. You're the poorest ally any woman could have! I've chosen the path. I shall follow it to the bitter end." Fred Harris sighed, but ventured no reply. He was as clay in the hands of his unscrupulous wife. *

CHAPTER XI. Climbing. Miriam carried out her purpose. Mary was sent the very next week to a fashionable boarding school. Her father's protests were treated as of no account. Though he had a very shrewd guess as to the real reason for this sudden move, Mr Osmond expressed his approval of it. "For the child's own sake it had to be done, Fred," he said. "Miriam and you have completely spoilt her. Of course, my wife and I must share the blame, but you, as her parents, are primarily responsible." Harris knew the words were trueyet resented them, nevertheless. There was a little strain betwon the men for a week or two, but Mr Osmond chose to ignore it. The very fact that he knew Harris and his wife were annoyed by his interest in Jack, made Mr Osmond the more determined to befriend the lad. Just a quiet word lo the manager, and, without any open display of favouritism, Jack's path at the shipyard was smoothed considerably. Me iiad unwittingly let drop that he was thrown into contact a good deal with a number of rough lads, who were more keen on rough practical jokes and horseplay than their work, ragging him because ho would not join in. •

M the first possible opportunity ha was placed under a different foreman at another part of the yard. This brought him more in touc.i with Matthews, and gave him an opportunity to sec that it was no idle talk which named Matthews as the biggest bully on the Clyde. ins slowly growing dislike to the man made rapid strides after that and became merged in disgust. lie was more and more glad that he was not kin to the people with whom he lived and he became determined to cut connection with them as soon as he could. This apart, he thoroughly enjoyed the change of working scene. Ho liked his new foreman, his fcllownpprenticcs, and the men. His passion for he could was gratified. He made speedy progress. He was soon entrusted with, work seldom given to an apprentice, no matter how el ever he migbt bft. Strangely enough, there was no,

(All Rights Regerved.)

By M. C. RAMSAY Author of “ With Aimless Feet," “ J ames Ogflvy's Experiment, Etc., Eto.

jealousy among the other young fellows, perhaps because Jack himself was so frank and friendly, with absolutely no "side," that only the meanest mind could resent his success.

He was soon looked up to as a leader amongst them, though he was not himself aware of Ms strong influence oyer the lads alongside of whom he worked. But his foreman knew, and thoroughly appreciated tire fact that his influence was entirely on the side :Of good.

"Those youngsters of mine are like a different crowd since Gray came amongst them, sir," he told the manager. "It's the first proof I've had that example is better than precept. I'll be sorry when he leaves me for the drawing office, as he ought to before long. He's got a head on him. He won't be a common engineer all his flays." "He's getting the first chance of the drawing office," replied the manager, "though Mr Harris has his eye on another fellow altogether." "But the Governor's eye is on Gray. That's the main thing," answered the foreman. "It's a good thing, sir, there's no more talk of him giving up. Osmond's won't be the same yard without him, even if he does take things quietly now." But neither man guessed that his real reason for changing his mind about retiring was his desire to see Jack Gray's foot firmly planted upon the ladder before be should; himself step down. ■ "Harris does not like the lad for some reason or other. He would do nothing to help him forward, Mary," he confided to his wife. I have a .strange feeling that he Is going to be my real legacy to the world. I've got to give him all the helo that is in my power. That would not be much once I gave the reigns into Harris' hand."

When he learned the lad's skill as a draughtsman his joy had known no bounds. He : lent and gave him books. He made him a present of u set of drawing instruments which a whole years wages would not have bought. In short, he treated him as he might have done a favourite godson, and it was significant of the relationship between the two that Jack's pride let him accept everything in the spirit in which it was offered. The happiest hours of his life wero spent in .'Mr Osmond's study, discussing the whole art of shipbuilding as if nothing else mattered in the whole wide world. Mr Osmond had the history of shipbuilding by heart He poured it out to the delighted boy and indulged in many reminiscences of great shipbuilders and inventors of the past. But he made no mention of anyone named Gray, and Jack did not once say: ■ "My grandfather built the best boats on the Clyde," not so much from any excess of modesty, but because he had come to believe that his father had been wrong. Miriam and Harris looked on in silent fury. At any moment they might hear that Uncle Rupert had adopted the lad. "Something must be done, Fred, and done quickly," said Miriam, when Fred came home to tell her that Jack bad been invited to the trail trip of the shipbuilder's new yacht. "We'll know no peace while that boy is alive. Surely you can contrive some sort of an accident to rid us of him once and for all?"

"Do you know what you are saying, Miriam?" Harris gasped. "That — that would be murder." "An accident sounds better,' said the callous woman. "You know how we stand —head over heals in debt!"

"Thanks/ to your extravagance, which has proved stronger than your greed," retorted her husband, i "Thanks to your mad passion for gambling for big stakes, rather," was the counter-charge. "If Uncle Rupert even guessed what was going on there would be a split between you right away, for you know how he abhors gambling of any kind. But you've to take that bold throw, Fred, unless you're ready to face ruin!" (To be continued to-morrow.)