JUDY SAYS “ NO.”

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18345, 3 June 1931, Page 4

JUDY SAYS “ NO.”

Serial Story

CHAPTER Xll.—Continued. “I’ll do what I can lor you, Clive," his mother had said. And she was here now'. She drew Judy in to the breakfast-room, and turned to her, her hands outstretched, “Clive came home a little while ago. He says that you don’t love him. Judy, you can’t break my boy’s heart." Judy did not speak, but she looked at Mrs Crawford sorrowfully. “You have encouraged him. You must admit that ever since you came you have encouraged him to think that you might care, and now you have refused him. Judy, think it over. I have set my heart on it. I have grown so fond of you, Judy. My dear, I want to bo a mother to you." “I am sorry," faltered Judy. “I don’t love Clive.” “What do you know about love?” said Mrs Crawford passionately. “Judy, no girl could fall in love my boy; he is so fascinating; he’ll make such a wonderful husband, and he love you so." “Do you think he really does love me?" said Judy gravely.

“What makes you ask that?” said Mrs Crawford, suddenly alarmed. “I think that if he knew I should never inherit grandfather’s property he would change his affections. Mrs Crawford, I know now that I shall never be grandfather’s heiress." “How can you know? The lawyer has been here to-night. There is another will 1 It has already been drawn up. I am quite sure that your grandfather means you to Inherit." “But you see I know something w'hich .will make grandfather change his mind. And in that case I am quite sure Clive would not want to marry me." Mrs Crawford did not know what to say. She, too ,was equally sure that Clive would not want to marry Judy unless she had every prospect of inheriting Harmer House. But even she was a little put out to know how o get out of this awkward situation.

“The best thing wo can all do is to sleep on it," said Mrs Crawford. “I think so, too,"' said Judy. She gave a weary sigh. “I wanted to see grandfather to-night." “But you can’t, my dear; he has gone to sleep. He has had a very tiring day. Directly after you hud gone the lawyer came, and they have been at it ever since. That is why I am so sure that he is making you his heiress.” “I know, but things have a way of turning out so differently from what we expect. Good-night, Mrs Crawford. I am glad that you no longer hate me.” She turned and went upstairs disspjritedly. And, left behind, Mrs Crawford stared after her, a dazed look on her face. What was it that the girl knew that would make such a difference to her own prospects? In a way Mrs Crawford had grown almost fond of Judy. There was something about the girl that was engaging. One could not help liking her. But, of course, if she was just going to be one of the country vicar’s brood, with no other distinction, then she was not for Clive. It was long after the first bird carollecf forth its morning lay that Judy fell asleep. She had been thrashing over in her mind what she was going to do about Clive. It went so thoroughly against the grain to tell tales about anyone, and yet for Nick’s sake she would do even that I Only surely there was some other way I It was not until dawn broke over the hills that Judy had thought of the way.

Next morning Rapston told Judy that her grandfather wanted her in the library. She went down as soon as she was dressed, to And that he was up for breakfast. It seemed as though years had rolled away from the old man. He looked at Judy with a proprietary air, almost amusing,, if it had not been almost pathetic. Knowing what she knew, Judy felt her heart touched to the very core by this new altitude on her grandfather’s part. As soon as breakfast was over he took her into the library. And there Clive and Mrs Crawford joined them. “I want you all to know that last night I made my last will.” He took it from his pocket and put it down on tlie desk in front of him. “I shall never make another one. I shall never change my mind. Judy Is to be my heiress.” Ho turned and put out both his hands towards Judy, but she drew back.

‘‘Wait a minute, grandfather,” she said, and her face was pale and her eyes were dreary. “There is some thing I have to tell you.” He looked anxiously at her. “Do you mean that you have turned Kenway down?” he spluttered. She gave a most heart-rending sigh. If it was only that! “No, it Is not that that troubles me, though he did propose, and I did refuse him." “My dear, I'll not urge you against your will. Judy, you have taught mo a great deal. You have made me bow my proud head. I love you, child. You have become the whole wide world- to me. You are going to be my heiress, Judy; you shall follow in my footsteps, and have everything that is mine." She shook her head, smiling a little tearfully at him. “I am sorry, grandfather, but I can't' accept 1” “Can’t accept? What on earth do you mean?” “I mean that I must say no.” “No? Do you mean that you are going lo refuse to be my heiress? I never heard of such a thing.” He looked fiercely from Clive to Mrs Crawford. “This is some of your doings I You have been soiling at her, trying to make her think that it is all honestly yours. Well, you will not gain anything by your Ircachcry.” “Dut we have done nothing,” said Mrs Crawford. Enid had colored, and she slood transfixed at what she heard. Judy going lo refuse—saying no! Her puzzled eyes swept the gird's face. What could it mean? “There is something i must tell you grand father," said Judy. “I have learned the truth. I know all! l can’t I ell you all, but this much 1 will tell you. Nicholas is innocent. A. man whose name I know, but whom 1 won’t give away—at least not yel—has been impersonating Nick.” “1 never heard such a story,” said Henry Harmor indignantly. “But it is a true story, and you must believe me. Listen while i explain what 1 know. When I met Nirhalos Harmor, my cousin, 1 was convinced that ho was a much-wronged mum

(By WINIFRED CARTER.) Author of “Lass O’ Laughter.**

jjuu i realiseu i.uu * o*‘oa.u uave lo bring you proofs, and so I startea getting them. You know that girl Marion Jackson? She. does not even know Nick 1 I realised that one day when I had left the singing lesson and saw them meet in the High Street, and neither of them knew the other. That started me puzzling things out. I took a whole hatch of photographs from the photographer. I wanted a photograph of Nicholas from Enid. She turned to the spellbound Enid. “Do you remember, Enid?” Enid nodded. She had pressed closer. Her heart was beating wildly. What if this was true that Judy said 1 What if this girl whom she had so despised was going to clear Nick, make everything plain sailing for her ! Oh, please God she would 1 Please God it was all ended with Roger 1 The misery of being engaged to a man she . did not care for, when she loved Nick so achingly! Judy went on solemnly: “Enid did not give me one, but I got one all the same. I took' them to that girl. I showed her a whole batch of photographs. She could not pick one up. If you get that girl here she will confess everything, except perhaps the name of the man who impersonated Nicholas.” “But there’s Ventris and the cheque,” said her grandfather, quite staggered at this information that Judy gave him. “Yes, I am coming to that. When I realised that a man had been impersonating Nicholas ‘I got Lord Kenway to invite Mr 'Ventris to the Carnival last night, brandfather, this man met the real culprit. With my own ears I heard him say: ‘Hullo, Harmer. When are you going to take your revenge on me for winning that fifteen hundred?’ But it wasn’t Nicholas Harmer. It was ” She paused, her. eyes on the carpet. “Some day perhaps the man who did this thing will confess of his own free will. I am not-golng to give him away; only, grandfather, you must believe me when I tell you that Nicholas is innocent. Those bills that came in, those tales of gambling debts, and of wrong living, it was the other man, not Nicholas. Look into it all; discover the truth for yourself. Remember that those accounts came from people who lived at a distance. That girl, Marion Jackson, would have herself’ known that the man who was making love to her was not Nicholas had they not been new people to the district. Even then lam not sure that she was not in the conspiracy. If you still doubt me, bring Mr Ventris, of Ventris Keep, and Nicholas together. Don’t say a word to them; you’ll find they don’t recognise each other.” There was dead silence in the room. She could hear the clock ticking. She dared not look at Clive. She just sat there wondering if Clive would confess now that he knew she knew the truth. Would he be able to keep up the deception any longer? She had to give him his chance —but he did not speak, and suddenly her grandfather struck one hand against the other. “If this is true,! then I have cruelly wronged Nicholas;!’ “It is true that you have wronged Nicholas,” said Judy. “I must .send for the boy. I must do what I can to make amends,” said Henry Harmer. She could see that he was shaken. “I doubt if he will come, grandfather. Remember” —she gave a bleak little smile—“he said you would have to apologise first. Why not go to him and tell him that you are sorry that you judged him so? Oh, .you have been imposed upon cruelly, I’ll admit that; but you were wrong because you would not take Nick’s word. He had never lied to you, had he? “No,” whispered the .old man. “Yet you disbelieved him! I, who had never known him intimately, felt at first sight that he was honest and straight. You should have given him a ‘Tm rnrry, Judy.” Ilis hand fell on the will and he looked at her gravely. “All the same, I have made my last will. I don’t intend to cimngc it." “You mean that even though you know that Nick is innocent you are still going to leave everything to me?” “I’ll do what I can for the boy, but this is done.” ’ With a swift gesture Judy had snatched up the will. The next moment it lay on top of the fire; a flame caught it, curled round it; it blazed merrily. Something in Henry Harmer’s old heart whispered: “Well done, Judy!”. Outwardly he scowled at such insubordination. “Come here, my girl,” he said. She moved slowly to him and knelt beside him. Neither of them noticed the others creep out. “You have given me back something, Judy—faith in mankind! You have given me back my boy Nicholas! Best of all, you have given me what I have never had for years and years real love, in which money has no part I” She did not speak; sho leaned her head against him. A moment later he straightened himself. “Come, Judy; we’ll go to Nicholas.”

Reconciliation. They went down together to Harmer’s 'Rest, those two. They found Nicholas busily milking, in the sta'l beside the fawn, smooth-skinned Alderney was a black and white Friesian and another, a new purchase, a beautiful white cow, with a little snowy, weak-kneed calf beside it. Nick looked up as the shadow fell over tho cow’s flank, and lie nearly upset the pail of milk when ho saw w ho was there, lie frowned, instantly on the defensive. , “Well, my boy,” said Henry Harmer. “I have come to apologise. I liavo found out 1 made a mistake. Will you forgive the old man?” “With all my heart, sir,” said Nick boyishly, and he took both his grandfather's hands. So easily done, so bitter the quarrel, so quick the making up that it gave Judy a lump in her throat, “ilow did you lliul out, sir, that 1 was innocent?” said Nick eagerly. “Judy did it all. That girl's a marvel. She never believed that you would do any of Hie things 1 charged you with. It did not matter that I had got, absolute proof. .Proof does not affect Judy if if goes against her instincts. She was a belter judge of human nature than I was, my boy. Stic knew you would never do tho tilings I believed you did. Well, I’ll eat humble pic.”

“I'll eal humble pie, too, sir. I ought not to have been so proud. 1 ought to have asked for chapter and verse and proved you right or wrong, us X euuld have done, but I wouldn't."

“It’s the Harmer pride. That girl Judy lias made me see pride is a very poor stuff to lean on. She’s a great cliilil, Nicholas. We owe. a lot to tier.” He’ pul out a hand ami drew Judy to his side. “I made a will leaving her everything. I swore i! was my last. When 1 knew about you 1 decided that l‘d do what i could for you, hut still 1 wouldn’t change my mind. The minx burned it." “And why not?" said Judy with a toss of her bead. "Once again, grandfather, you made a decision that was wrong’. It was foolish to slick to il; it was your pride again.” <To bo uonUuuod.)