PAID IN FULL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21217, 13 September 1940, Page 3

PAID IN FULL

r: NEW SERIAL STORY ~

by H. S. Sarbert

in! m “And you. my dear." her father raid. "What ir your opinion? How do you feel about it?” “About what, I'ather?” “About this young man, of course! Still in love with him? Still anxious to marry him?” Carrie handed a cup of coffee across the table to her father, and she looked straight at him. “Yes,” she said, “I'm going to marry him.” “In love?” “I like him—l've told you that. He’s very nice-looking, isn’t he?” Mr Lucas nodded. “Admitted,” he said, “but very young ” “I’m young ” “Granted again. But he’s very inexperienced ” “He has a future, hasn’t he?” “Perhaps!” “But you said yourself he was clever.” “Did I?” “Father, please don’t be so exasperating ” Mr Lucas sat upright. “All right, my dear—l’m sorry!” he said. “Yes, he is clever. Only there are lots of clever young men looking for jobs—good jobs—today.” “But with your help ” “He might be able to do something—yes, that’s right—and that’s why I asked you. Sometimes I wonder whether he’s quite the right sort for you.” Carrie got up. Once—twice—she paced the room, and then came back and stood by her father’s side. “I’m going to marry Harry Preston,” she said slowly. “Perhaps I love him, and perhaps I don’t, but that’s not everything.” “My dear ”

“Just a moment, father. I like Harry well enough—although I abominate his father. There has been a clash between us right from the commencement—a clash of wills. I told you, didn’t I?” “Yes, I think you did mention something about it,” her father stated. “Well, go on.”

“Old David Preston doesn’t want me to marry Harry. He would give quite a lot to stop me doing so. He wants Viola Winn to marry his precious son. I hate Viola Winn, with her baby face and ways! I hate them all! They’ve set themselves up against me—but all they can do won’t be able to take Harry away from me. They won’t be able to stop him from loving me—or coming back to me as soon as he is able. And that’s why I've determined to go on—because it’s going to spoil their plans.” Her father laughed. “There speaks my self-willed daughter,” he remarked. “Always determined to have her own way, always delighting to score over other folk. I suppose some people would tell you that that isn’t the way to look on marriage at all —but I’m not going to read any lectures to you, Carrie—not tonight, at any rate. You must do as you please, and I know you’ll do that, whatever I say. Only whether this Harry is going to live in such a paradise after he has married you—well, we shall have to discover later on, shan’t we?”

Lucas got up and was moving towards the door, when it opened and a servant announced that Mr Freeman was waiting to see him on a matter of great importance. Lucas looked surprised. He had not expected a visit from his business colleague. However, he gave orders that Freeman was to be shown in. Freeman looked very worried when he appeared. “What is it?” Lucas asked quickly. “Bad news?” Freeman nodded. “Yes,” he said, “pretty bad! Can I speak here?” “Of course,” Lucas answered. “No, don’t go, Carrie.” He went to the door and turned the key in the lock. Then he confronted his partner. “Now, Freeman, what is it?” “It’s the estate plans ” “Well?” Lucas asked the question sharply.

“It’s not well at all!” Freeman replied. “Wyman, the solicitor, got ! hold of a set of plans, and—well, he* 1 got busy. You know what Wyman ; is, Lucas. He doesn’t like us. He’s : always out to cause trouble. Any- ; way, he called in an architect and I surveyor on the pretence that he was interested in the property. We shouldn’t have been able to stop him , doing that in any case.” j “But Harry’s plans were all right,” I Carrie put in. | Freeman turned to her with a ; trace of impatience, j ■'‘l'm not saying anything about the j plans,” he replied. “Wyman didn’t : let it rest there. The builders are already at work, as you know, Lucas. He got in touch with the contractors —and everything came out. The materials that are being used, the construction, the—oh, well you know, don’t you? We’re found out. That’s the matter in a nutshell. It will only be a day or two now before people are clamouring for a return of the deposit money paid. Wyman will see to that. And then it will all come out, I tell you. And we can’t pay back their deposits. It may -even come to arrest ” He moistened his dry lips with his tongue, and he looked from one to the other. “Father, exactly what does this mean?” Carrie asked. “Please tell me at once.” “It means,” her father replied slowly, “that Mr Freeman and myself may have to go out of town for a bit. my dear. Unfortunately, certain statements were made that have not been fulfilled. We have not done all that was claimed; but even so, I do not think we can be brought into it. No, I do not think so. The , person legally responsible is the man ; who signed the papers—young PresI ton!’’ (To be continued)