Love Conquers Treachery

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17746, 25 June 1929, Page 4

Love Conquers Treachery

Synopsis: Jim Hestan, the youngest member of the Board of Directors of Hestans, Ltd., a big steel firm, opposes a plan for the issue of new capital advanced by Strome, the maanger, and supported by his own stepmother. The latter endeavours to get Jim sent to a mental home, on account of his opposition, and gets two doctors.to certify that this is necessary. The doctors are deceived by the effects of the war on Jim’s nerves, which are unquestionably "shaky.” Hearing of the plot against Jim, Kate, his sister, persuad.es him to go to Edinburgh to consult a famous specialist. In order to get away Jim impersonates his friend and co-worker. Lawrence Blake, who remains in Jim's room until late at night, in order to give the young director a better chance to get clear.

CHAPTER XVII. The street was quiet. Three or four people sauntered along the opposite pavement and about a hundred yards off an errand boy put some parcels on board a motor bus. Lawrence knew the bus ran to the north, and when the driver pulled out his watch ne imagined it soon would start. Two or three minutes went, but the chemist did not come back, and he began to be disturbed. Then a group turned a corner down the street, and he thought one was Haigh. The moiur bus driver put up his watch and got on board. Lawrence’s heart beat. A step echoed in the shop and he crossed the floor. The chemist gave him a packet and took some money: Lawrence with pretended carelessness started for the pavement. Haigh was about seventy yards off, but it looked as if he did not watch the shop, and Lawrence took a side street at the end of the block. Then he plunged down an alley, and, turning a corner, came back to the main street, some distance further on. Haigh had vanished; he was no doubt in the shop, but the motor bus rolled up the street and Lawrence jumped on the step. Dusk was falling, but a full moon rose behind the black hills and touched the pool by the alders with silver light. Thin mist floated about the boggy fields and at the tail of the pool the current brawled across a ledge. Rain had swept the moore where Scotland and England meet and had filled the dykes and burns that fed the stream. When the moon is full the tides are high, and Lawrence had reckoned on a run of sea-trout from the Solway Firth. Since the water was coloured he used a worm, but when he had caught two good fish he put up his rod. Lawrence knew where to stop and the sea-trout were not his. For two or three days he had tranquilly followed the green roads and sheep paths across the moors. On the whole, the rain had not bothered him, and when the sun shone on the red heath his excursion had some charm; but his object was not to enjoy a peaceful holiday, and he began to feel lie neglected his proper job. Well, where the banks were watched to poach sea-trout was something of an adventure and might have consequences. At the end of the dusky larch wood by which he had stopped Lawrence’s figure melted into the background. He had advanced cautiously, and all he heard was the river’s throb; but he imagined somebody was about. Since he had a few minutes sooner been forced to climb a bank the moonlight touched it was possible the fellow looked out for him.

A light wind shook the larch tops, and by a curving dyke thin willow branches moved. Lawrence felt a cool touch on his chin, but the river’s turmoil drowned the faint murmur from the trees. Yet if somebody watched movement might betray him, and he wailed and glanced about. The mist rolled back across the field and the alders and hazel bushes by the pool got distinct. Lawrence, searching the bunk, thought a trunk was somehow misshaped; the bole was thicker than it ought to be. From another point of view he might not have noticed the queer thickening of the trunk, but now the mist was gone the water sparkled behind the trees, and one saw the bulge against the luminous background. Lawrence imagined a man crouched against the alder, and he himself ought at once to go the other way. For all that he stopped and cogitated. So long as he did not move he was probably as invisible as a grouse in the heath. If the fellow by, the tree was a river-watcher he probably knew the disadvantages of bis hiding place, and had he expected to be observed from the larch wood he would have flxed on a different spot. The inference was lie watched the other side of the pool, and his concentration interested Lawrence. It looked as if somebody else were poaching. If that were so the prudent line was to leave both parties alone, but Lawrence had engaged to imitate the sort of adventure in which a lunatic sportsman might indulge. Moreover, since in a way the adventures were logical he admitted they attracted him. At all events if he crept across to the willows he might find out for whom it was the watcher watched. Five minutes afterwards he lay in the grass by the curving dyke his boots in the water and mire on his clothes. Lawrence reflected that the clothes were really Jim’s, and he doubted if Jim would approve his understudy’s escapades. Thirty yards off a man seated on the bank and fronting the river leaned against a tree. Now Lawrence had changed his point of view the fellow was not conspicuous; from tlie other side he could not be seen. Lawrence crawled along the dyke and presently pushed across the grass. The throb of water covered his advance, and when he stopped by a hazel bush he was but two or three yards Ofr. Although he had used caution he Imagined the other might have sensed somebody about, but for his concentrating on something across the river. Lawrence noiselessly got on his knees and pushed his head from behind the bush.

(To be Continued)

He saw the pool. On his side the rippling current vanished in thick gloom, but he knew the water deep, because he was above the hollow entrant curve, which tho current sweeps, and tho bank was high. Across the stream silver light fell on shelving rocks and revolving eddies sparkled in the moon.

A man, waist-deep In the water, braced himself against the current. He pulled a net, and a confederate crawling down the rocks, carried the other end. Neither talked, and but that one’s nailed boots now and then jarred on a stone they moved almost as noiselessly as an' otter moves. In fact, to study them was. rather like watching a scene on the film, with the river’s turmoil for an orchestra. Lawrence smiled. At the university he had planned Ingenious rags, and he felt the situation was humorous. The watcher, watched the poachers; lie watched the watcher, and nobody knew lie was about.. Very well, ids line must harmonise with? the part he had undertaken. __

Author of “The Impostor,” “Tho Allinson Honour,” “Andrew's Folly,” eto., oto. (By Harold Bindloss.) (Copyright.)

He , speculated about the watcher’s quietness. On the whole, ho thought the fellow did not mean to seize the poachers. To seize a poaching borderer might be rash. He might, however, hope to seize the net, for evidence, and it was possible he would sooner they caught some flsh. Well, Lawrence had caught some flsh ) and the trout were in his sack. The watcher was his antagonist, and Lawrence’s sympathy was for the under dog. He admitted he did not argue like a responsible foundry manager.

The fellow in the water pushed cautiously forward. His business was to pull the net across and stop the head of the pool. His confederate would then carry his end to the tail rapid and so enclose the basin; but they had perhaps another net. The important thing was in a few moments the first poacher would climb the bank and walk into’tho arms of the man who waited for him.

Lawrence pondered. If he shouted to warn the fellows they might fight for their net, and he would be entangled. If they made off he would be left, embarrassed by his pack and mackintosh, to front the watcher. Besides, two sea-trout were In the pack. Lawrence decided he would not shout. He crawled from behind the bush. A yard in front the watcher's dark figure was stiffly braced. It looked as is he were ready to jump for the man with the net, who had now reached the bank. Lawrence as quietly as possible got on his feet, put his boot against the watcher’s back aud pushed.' The fellow plunged from the bank and water splashed. Tnat was all Lawrence knew. Under the alder branches the pool was dark, and he was occupied. He had pushed harder than he thought, his pack swung him forward, and the grass was slippery. He lurched, a branch he seized broke off, and he was in the river. The plunge and the rucksack carried him down, but the current ran for the shallow at the tail of the pool. Sometimes his feet touched bottom and sometimes he was washed against a rock. Anyway, he was going down stream ) and lie mechanically stuck to his fishing-rod. Then hard ground jarred his knees, and he got on his feet. Splashing through the tail rapid he seized the hand somebody gave him, and the other pulled him on to a shelf. “Where’s the watcher?” Lawrence gasped. . “lie’s awa’,” the poacher replied, with a chuckle.

Fifty yards down stream a dark object splashed and floundered along the channel. The watcher had obviously had enough, and since the river for the most part was shaliew he kept the water, He had some grounds not to trust the bank. When he vanished behind the trees Lawrence sat down. Although he was cold, and ought to keep moving, his foot hurt “Where’s the fellow gone?" he asked.

“He’s for the Lodge. ' I’m thinking he’ll be back with the shofer, the twa gairdners, and maybe the polisman. Ye see, the fishing’s Mr. Hairdcastle’s, and if he sends for Jock he’ll liae to staii’t.”

Lawrence inquired how far off was the lodge, and when the other told him he got up. . ■ . “Half an hour, if they don’t stop to talk. Perhaps we ought to shove off. What about your net?” “Jimmie’s rowing her up. But where will ye be for? And why did ye meddle?"

“I- really don’t know,” said Lawrence. “I was going to stop at the Sandholm Inn, but perhaps I had better not. Then I have two good sea-trout in my bag, and when I first spotted the fellow I thought he was looking out for me. However, the Important thing is I’ve followed the moors since breakfast, and now I have hurt my foot.” “If ye bide for two or thro minutes I’ll be back with Jimmie,” the poacher replied. Lawrence waited. The fellow wanted to consult his companion, and presently the other, carrying the net, arrived. “Ye’re wanting a bed for the night?” “And some supper, if possible,” Lawrence agreed, and added: “I’m not altogether broke.” “Ye might wait until ye’re askit,” the' poacher responded. “Sorry!" said Lawrence. “All the same, I felt I was not entitled to claim your hospitality. My pushing the watcher overboard, so to speak, was a joke. However, I wonder whether you know Mr Hob Heron.”

The first poacher laughed. “Frae Newcastle to Tweed shaws auld Bob’s weel_kent. Are ye a friend o’ his?” “Not long since he stated that I might use his name,” Lawrence replied modestly. “Then ye’ll bide the night wi’ us,” said the other. “Give me your pack. It’s time wc took the road." Lawrence allowed him to carry the sack, for his foot was worse. ' They crossed the wet meadows, pushed through a woo'd, and where a burn splashed down the hillside climbed the shallow glen.