Heart of Gold.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 233, 2 October 1928, Page 16

Heart of Gold.

By C. M. MATHESON

Author of "NUT IN THE HUSK," etc. etc.

chapter xxnr. I

Lord Scotley told his sister the extraordinary story.

"There we were, watching the fire, and Mallory was in a great state; kept on saying he'd get no information out of the people. He was distinctly fuming at the delay. He and I made a few tentative inquiries, but, of course, the people were simply keen on watching the blaze and had never a thought fOr anything else. The next thing we knew was that Lacy was. missing, and there was a lot of babbling that he had gone fiito the inn. I said something to the innkeeper's daughter, but she was sulky and would only gay the man was, mad or a fool. She was a spiteful and vindictive young woman, had her knife into Lacy for some reason, hoped he'd burn. I didn't realise this till later. Anyway she never said a word tp us about there having been a girl: in the inn. Mallory' even went so far as to discredit the girl's hint that he had gone into the house at all. Mallory said Jim p wouldn't be risking his hide— not for anything in the wretched £üb. And . so. it was something of a surprise to us. when our Lacy staggered out with a bundle in his arms. It was plain at once that he had-rescued a human being, and we immediately jumped to the-con-clusion that it was Doreen. Indeed, as Jim planted his bundle in Tom's , arms he . actually said 'Doreen.'. And' Mallory was simply mad; he tore off the wrappings and found—a stranger. It was the most bitter and cruel trick fate could have played on the poor chap. Jim was by this time mercifully unconscious, and what he will say when he" hears that he risked his life for a strange girl I. do not know. It'll be a terrible blow to him." "Terrible. Who was the girlt" "I think she has been identified. A girlwalking to' London, hoping to get work. She's ail right: Nearly stifled by smoke, and her clothes scorched,' but all right otherwise. The farmer's wife, who had been gone all day, came down the . toad just then,'in a market - trap,, and she was a kindly soul and took the • girl; off with her. She'll be all right there. Promised to hang, on to her till : T could communicate with her again: . I thought, just possibly, the girl might know; something jof Doreen.". - "I will go over there to-morrow and •ee her." , >•' "Mallory is pretty- nearly, crushed with the disappointment. I had to take the wheel coming back. We tied up Jim's hands in oiled rags—they were burned rather badly—and brought him along." He was so exhausted he did;,not. seem to realise anything. Ws did not tell him the, truth about the'rescue. He never •poke though hewasquite conscious. He i was completely played out."

"Poor fellow." "Edith, it will be the- dickens of V' job telling him the truth. The doctor will be her© shortly. Meanwhile Mr«: Grtss has got Jim to bed," ' '.' ...„;/• / c' see tie doctor when he comes. Someone will have to tell Jim, of courte, a's sbon as-he is -well enough.". "Yes. Mallory's in his rooms. He's another' that -I feel anxious about?' , "I;. will see him, too." ' "V!" I ''. Edith set out at once to find-Tom. He. was in his rooms over the garage.'She went • there, and spoke to. him'; he answered .her in monosyllables; there was a hopelessness about him' that deepened her pity. , . ; lose-heart,", she -said to him. "W© shall: yet'; find Dbreen." Nothing; could comfort him, nothing bring, hope to his face. Presently she returned to the house. : /'sbe doctor is here, my lady," said thevhousekeeper. , 1 'Sting him to me before he eoes." my lady." "ife'll be all right," the doctor said to Lady; Edith, after he had seen Jim. 'Superficial burns on the hands. They His exhaustion is complete. jres't and food will remedy that:>!l bear: ;he • believes he found the missing youig girl and : that he has /in interest j n quarter, and he been toM he rescued a strangeri" '. v " ; : *••. v "Sttit's quite true," said Xady Edith. "Someone must tell him.": £8?+ "N®t yet. Give hiln twenty-four hours. I'll' que him again." • .. *•-;„ "%cry well. I will tellhim my sett ■ when he is ready" / v "Isi-suppose," he said'as he prepared to "yj>u ..- have no reason to.- offer in explanation of this disappear* v- • . . .' "N® j real .reason. .. I - just conjecture;" "I rf see." n; Heiefther. Presently MaleolmAdeane entered the-room. -- he said, "theyVe finished down there" at #ie water. Thank God theybavev ip0..•«.1t was.driving me crttry." >3 "No clue there?" she asked. " " "Noi;'a thing." • • Hefidgetted about, the. had longed] to telVi; her. of iiis j "proposal toDoreen; he longed to -hear her'say that his attentions' couldnot have'bee'n r 'the. cause.,of this disappearance., vfla&Sbjeg by his'pijrowtVdf-'.kerT . a ®- B b e actually made awaywith:herself in order. ,to. escape him?. He ™ feared that it was not'en* ♦1* Y et ' he intend^ but good to Doreen—nothing but 8D0d«;5';.; ..... .. • chivalry and admiration had impelled him towards her. JHad sfe infled from him? " • ' v> ' Tt seemed to him that he ought to confess what had passed between himself and-the missing girl. He did not eupjk>m; they would find her any the sooner on the strength of his confession, but he would; feel easier in liis mind: if Edith fr'MJfy knew. . He turned abruptly on jhie Jieel towards her and blurted out the **»&<■ - . .. ... "ftay. J ought to have told you before ,but jt didn't, eeem to lead to anything. I W.ifelKl *» admiration lor lhat girl, for mmm When I *aw that, little bit of a tMufS' Plte and considered what Wmm&M PPM properly struik on her< ,mfw4 i* 1 want someone 'to >\M* iW m> rw* # to' l»r for what: m pUt lbe MRilea W fmm~ WWI* fiw,' And 'r to 4o ill f MmdW feejr/' ? 1»!

"She only half listened to me. She seemed to think it would be very nice to get right away, but perhaps she didn't exactly fancy me as her husband. That's how aha felt, I believe. Then before 1 could get any further she was gone— she'd cleared eut. That just shows how she. really felt about the idea of having me \for her husband." J Lady Editn said nothing. She was very still,, her eyes averted. H>, continued:— "It's been a regular blow to me, I assure you. ""he thought so little of my almighty proposition that she's run away—" ... Edith heard .the hurt in the boy's voice. She said: - "Doreen -is a staunch little soul. She's never really forgotten Jim, never really given him up. I expect your offer was so tempting that she could hardly resist it. 'And no doubt she thought she could never make you happy." t "Maybe she felt like that," he agreed. ; "She did not want to marry you unless she- could be sure you would be happy," Edith continued, comforting him. ' "I'd have been all right with her," he maintained.

"You think so? I, think youwill be happier with some other girl. You made Doreen an honourable offer, a tempting offer. Many girls would have jumped at it. But she felt, I think she felt, that you, would never be entirely happy with Her. Malcolm, you must' not-mistake pity and chiValry-for' love. They ire fiM.; qualities > - but without love they have no might. And Doreen loves Jim. Shi lover- hip now, in spile of every,thing. Jim had neither pity nor chivalry for-Doreen, but he loved her. I will stake my i life ' on-that. ■ And she loves him. There is no/getting away from it—Mai-. colim, 'she may have gone to look for indeed be in London." "London's being searched," he said. I "True. And we have : no news. She has been:gone two days." , " ?■ "I'm sorry for, Lacy," he said after ** • " « ' ' v' : -' l Oh, so am L He risked his life in thathouse to save thegirl he thought was Doreen. I suppose he just had a vague glimpse of someone lying in the smoke and -at once threw the blanket over; her;. 5,i 8 hands aire burned, though the doctor sayahewill recover, and his 'clothes •; were charred and -burnt into holes, and his hair- was all singed-. He had a miraculous escape. How happy *0 should all "be if he had reaHy fotyd Doreen!" , (To be continued daily.) W