Love Conquers Treachery

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17751, 1 July 1929, Page 4

Love Conquers Treachery

Synopsis: Jim h'estan, 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 supportea 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, persuades 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 hi Jim’s room until late at night, in order to give the young director a better chance to get clear.

CHAPTER XXI. Sir James Hestan, lying in his big four-poster bed, watched his nurse put straight the gloomy room. The windows were small and stained by Marborough soot; the Victorian furniture was massive and large. When his elder son married Sir James had given him Mireflelds and gone back to the house his father had built in the tdwn. Sir James knew where he belonged—the phrase was his—and Mireflelds was really a speculation. Besides, he liked Jim, the blacksmith’s, furniture. The material was sound and the workmanship was good. Sir James himself had used the hammer, and he had the skilled workman's contempt for shoddy stuff.

Yet he was a knight. He reflected with a chuckle that had he but schemed a little he might have been a baronet. To that extent he had cheated Charles’s ambitious second wife, and now Charles was gone young Jim was not the sort to want a title. Although the boy had brains he was first of all a workman, and, like Sir James, he hated shoddiness. The old fellow distrusted Mrs Hestan. My lady had not loved his son; she had hoped to squander the Hestan’s money and had entangled her husband in social ambitions. All Sir James’s money, however, was not in Hestans’ shares, and only his lawyer knew where it would go. Robert, his second son, meant well; but Bob was very dull. In fact, Hestans' directors were frankly duds. Sir James had not chosen them for their cleverness. They stood for the family’s interests and voted as they were told. He himself had carried the house along, and now his relations thought he was on the. shelf. Some were satisfied for him to stop there; but since Hestans needed him he reckoned to cheat the lot. Nurse Bliss was putting flowers in a glass. She -was a competent young woman, and Sir James respected her because she knew her job. For some time she had firmly ruled him, but he now indulged her because he soon might need her help. He imagined Mrs Hestan influenced the doctor. At length my lady was coming to see him, and he wondered what she wanted. “Since you expect a visit you might, if you like, get up for an hour,” the nurse remarked.

“The trouble is, I don’t like,” Sir James rejoined. “There’s another thing, Sally, until you’re satisfied my improvement’s going to last I’d sooner not excite my anxious relations’ hopes.” Sarah Bliss noted his queer, twinkle. She began to know her patient, and when he called her Sally she was not annoyed. “Very well,” she agreed. “One, of course, must guard against a relapse, and your temperature went up last night.” "That’s the line! Y r ou ought to have got the matron’s post at the cottage hospital, my lass.” Miss Bliss gave him a keen glance. The old fellow was very shrewd* but she wondered whether he really k/,w she had asked for the post. “I can see you baffling an inquisitive committee and perhaps faking a patient’s chart,” he resumed. "No," said Miss Bliss firmly. “Not the chart ”

“Oh, well, a committee is fair game; but I suppose there is a point at which one stops?” “If you want to talk to Mrs Hestan you ought to rest,” the nurse rejoined. Sir James was quiet and speculated about Mrs Hestan’s visit. Helen was clever, but her greedy extravagance was destructive, and if she were left alone might undermine the house he had laboriously built. Anyhow, since his control must weaken Jim must be given power to put my lady in her James was not remarkably scrupulous, but he was honest at the works. Heslans touched nothing cheap and nasty; their stuff was good, and the house carried out its engagements. When one must meet keen competition that perhaps was much.By and by Mrs Heston was shown in, and she gave her father-in-law a polite smile. “To get a hopeful report from the doctor was encouraging, and now you begin to get better I hope your progress will be fast.” Sir James doubted her sincerity; he reckoned Helen would sooner he stopped in bed, and he was willing that she should think his doing so probable. “At my age one is not very optimistic, and after a disturbed night I am not very fresh. If you are interested Sally wilf give you particulars.” The nurse took her cue. When the old fellow called her Sally she thought he had meant to annoy his daughter-in-law.

“Sir James's temperature was high and he did not get much sleep.” Mrs Hestan declared’her disappointment, and then indicated that the nurse’s presence was not required. Miss Bliss turned to her patient and since lie seemed to consent she went off. She knew he knew Mrs Hestan had noted her inquiring glance, nad the hint of an understanding would bother the lady. When she had gone Sir James remarked—“l suppose I must be resigned; but since I ought to be about, to lie here is hard. Robert and you are calling a shareholders’ meeting?” "The directors have called the meet-

ing.” “Then you have fixed the date?” said Sir James. "When is it?" Mrs Hestan saw that she had been rash, but she told him. “It doesn’t look as if I shall be there: but since I was knocked out I’ve not been allowed to talk about the works, and I suppose Robert and Strome have some proposals to which they hope the shareholders will agree?" "When the doctor consented to my seeing you he stipulated that I must not discuss the company’s business. Still, to know Strome has got some large orders might not disturb you. Robert declares they need new machines, and so forth, and he proposes to borrow some money on debentures. That is all I may tell you." “So far as it goes it’s satisfactory. Well, my habit Is not to give compliments; but your brain is better than Bob’s and you know the other’s qualities.' Do you trust Strome?" • “I don’t know,” said Mrs Hestan, and Sir James knew her sincere. In fact, he imagined Helen was disturbed. “He is a useful man," she resumed. “And are you satisfied to use him? However, I’m not allowed to meddle,, and we must let It go. When do you -think I rolfiht seaJisA’i

Author of “The Imposter,” “The Allinson Honour,” “Andrew’s Folly,” eto., eto. (By Harold Bindloss.) (Copyright.)

Mrs Hestan hesitated. “We must ask the doctor; but he insists upon quietness, and I expect you must wait. Then I’m sorry Jim himself is rather tired and slack. He ought to go easily and be content to superintend; but you know his keenness, and since you were hurt he has borne’an extra strain.”

Sir James knew she kept back something, but he could not force her to be frank, and the doctor was, unconsciously, her confederate. “Jim is willing, but we mustn’t break the lad. Well, there’s no use in storming, and I oannot get about. In the meantime, it looks as if you must use control. You know where you want to go and get there. Unless he’s on a horse, Bob, as a rule, does not." Mrs Hestan got up. “Sometimes you are rather nice, but I have stopped longer than I ought. When I am here again I hope to see a marked improvement.”

Sir James let her go and pondered. Helen had found out that he had got better slowly, and was more or less inclined to keep his bed. He hoped my lady was satisfied 1 He had found out that she and Strome weighed some plan they thought he ‘would not approve; they might reckon on persuading Bob, and the others were fools. All the same, if the plan were not for the company's good he’d baffle the gang. Then the nurse returned and he gave her a smile. “Now my visitor is off I’m going to get up.” Twenty minutes afterwards he went shakily to an easy chair by the window, and .signed the nurse to another.

“You know as much as one or two doctors I could name. Suppose I went out to-morrow on my feet?” “You would come back in an ambulance,” Miss Bliss replied. “Then suppose I waited five or six days?”

“If you waited for two weeks, and all goes as we hope " “A nurse must support the doctor! The trouble is, our doctor supports Mrs Hestan, without perhaps altogether knowing she means him to do so. A doctor is but human, and I expect you are aware that in the hands of a clever woman some men are pliable.” “Some are not,” Miss Bliss rejoined meaningly.

“We won’t dispute. I doubt if I can wait for two weeks, and I must begin

to use my legs. If you’ll give me your arm for two or three minutes, until my balance is steady, I’ll raee you to the table in the passage for ten pounds.” Miss Bliss’s look got stern. “I cannot take your bribe, Sir James. For two minutes, however, you may walk quietly up and down the room.” Sir James did so, and admitted he had had enough. When he was back in the big chair he smiled. “You’re a leal, kind lass, and but for you I might never have left my bed. For all that, if I’m not at the works in ten days it will not matter if I keep my room for good. Very well, if I engage to do all you order perhaps you’ll undertake to put me on my feet in time.”

The nurse replied that she would use her best efforts, but much depended on the doctor. Sir James nodded humorously.

"Exactly! You stick to the proper rules; but let’s talk about something else. The hospital lost a good matron, but since you are soon to be married I expect you do not bother much.”

“I have not talked about my marriage,” Miss Bliss replied coolly, although she wondered how her patient knew.

“Well, in one respect the young fellow's lucky, stock keeper's clerk at the forge, I think. Hestans are not a generous lot. He ought to get a better job.” The company was not generous. Sarah Bliss had waited for her lover, and their youth was going. Her heart beat, for she knew’ Sir James Hestan did not talk at large. “Pearsons’ new rolling mill w'ill soon be finished, and George hoped they might engage him, but he doesn’t know Mr Holroyd.” “I know’ Holroyd," Sir James rejoined with a twinkle. “Then, as a rule, Hestans have a job at the foundry for the proper man. In fact, if George likes to look me up—l owe you something, Sally, and I try to pay my debts: but if I’m to be useful I must get about —there’s your business.” “If I can help you to do so. Sir James, you can reckon on my willing ness,” Nurse Bliss declared with a touch of emotion.

“You are going to help me, Sally, but I’m not offering a bribe. The efforl you have already used deserve son reward. There’s just another thingthe doctor gives out the official bulii ’tins, but where my relations inquire i you your reports will be cautious, do not want the inquirers to think m better than I am.”

"You are very kind,” Miss Bliss replied. “But you have talked for some time, and you must rest.”

(To be continued.)