Island’s Thorne

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 556, 8 January 1929, Page 5

Island’s Thorne

(Serial Slory)

(Published by Special Arrangement)

♦ BY

FRANCIS VIPOND

CHAPTER XIII. — (Continued.)

“He told me that he intended malting a fresh will without delay,” he answered “He asked me if I would be one of his executors, and also witness the will when he signs it. 1 believe he wishes Lord Francis Croft !■> he another executor, and also a wit ness. He told me he was sending you instructions as to the drawing-up of the will, which he wishes done as soon as possible. When you have it ready we are to meet at Island’s Thoi'ne, you, Lord Francis, and myself. for the signing. No time should be lost. Jacky." “I will lose none,” returned Wroule. “Suppose we say to-day week. 1 cannot manage it before. I am very busy with a right-of-way case. Will it suit you if I arrange to meet you at Island’s Thorne to-day week, If it Is also convenient to Lord Francis.” The doctor made a note in his case book. “It will suit me excellently,” he said. “I wish I kuew how old Thorne proposed settling matters in that new will: he is as close as wax; he gave me no hint as to what he was going to do.” “No?” said Jacky, with his most childlike smile, and the doctor seeing that there was no information to be extracted from him prepared to depart, and the lawyer rang the bell for the old clerk to show him out.

“I will call for you in the motor, he said, as the medical man took un his hat and drew on the heavy gloves which were inside it. “I will see Lord Francis to-morrow in accordance with Mr. Thorne’s instructions.” As the doctor left the room the

serene expression left his face, and he read and reread the pencilled draft written on the foolscap sheet, a frown forming between his eyes. What he saw there evidently did not please him. “1 suppose 1 must carry this out.” lie thought. "‘lt is no use arguing with Mr. Thorne in a matter on which lie lias made up his mind, as he evi dently has in this. In any case, he is in no state of health to be crossed. If 1 refuse he will simply go to some other firm of lawyers and get them to do it, and that would only lead r;> ! more trouble in the end. it has to lie done, so I had better do it, but it is ; not at ail what I should wish.” | He took up a pen and began to write, quickly and neatly, consulting the draft from time to time, then he sent for his confidential clerk. “Have this drafted out to-morrow, in proper form,” he said. “Lock it up in the safe to-night. Let me have it to go through before I leave for London in the afternoon.” The clerk took the document and retired. Jacky Wroule sat on long after the office was closed for the day and his staff had departed, going through papers from deed boxes oil which was inscribed in white letters “Island’s Thorne Estate.” “1 am sorry for the girl,” be mal tered aloud. “And lam sorry for Ormandy. There are all the chances of a grand mix-up in this business."

At last he finished, and ppt away | the deeds and papers with a sigh of j relief, then taking his hat he went i out into the square. j Here and there, as he made his way ! home, he was greeted by townspeople i and clerics: everyone had a pleasant | word for Jacky Wroule, who was popular with rich and poor alike. “Quite like pre-war days,” he said with a laugh to the Bishop, whom he met on his way, pointing to a hoarding made hideous with sensational posters, flaring and highly coloured, announcing the advent of a circus and menagerie. “I always wish i had nephews and nieces to take when I see a circus in the place. You can’t very well go by yourself: it would look too frivolous for a man of my age and position to be seen going to a circus alone. But .1 have a very warm side for such shows." The Bishop studied a lurid picture of “Chinko, the performing baboon.” for full half a minute with serious attention. “That looks a wonderful animal,” he said gravely. “At any rate it is better than the roundabouts of the fair with the steam organ. The fair ground is just beyond the palace, and the only 1 tunes the organs play are three p-pu-lar airs they grind away from morning I till late at night, and it is appalling, ! Will 1 do for a nephew to be taken 1 to the circus: it is years and years since I saw a lady jump through a i hoop?” They laughed cheerily at the lit: joke and passed on. “Here is somebody coming up the; drive in a motor.” announced Lady i Greenthwaite as the footman strapped

a luncheon basket of generous proportions to the back of her car. “It seems a little early for a call. I wonder who it is?” CHAPTER XIV. —IS HE DOING JUSTICE? “It looks uncommonly like Jacky Wroule,” said Lord Francis, pausing in the disposal of a bundle of rods and landing nets to look at the approaching figure, “if it is 1 can tell him I am not going to put off my fishing for business of any kind. Business can wait; the May-fly won’t. Ah! Good morning, Wroule; we are just off for a day on Thornewater. What do you say to coming with us. the May-fly is on?” Mr. Wroule pulled up his two- ! sealer runabout neatly alongside the | big Daimler, standing at the hall I steps. He looked very dapper as he j descended in his immaculate light ! grey suit, white spats, and soft felt 1 hat. a small rosebud in his buttonhole, for he affected the style of the i dandy, and was always smart and ; well turned out. His lazy glance j rested for a moment on Sydney, with a gleam of most unwonted interest. It | was not often he let what he felt

appear on the surface, but in this instance he did. “J only wish 1 were free to accept your invitation,” he said with a sigh. “But unfortunately I have got to go up to town this afternoon to get some further particulars and attend a court for a miserable right-of-way squabble. 1 am full up to the eyes with work, and it is lucky I have caught you like this. Lord Francis, can you spare me five minutes before you start? There is a little matter of business I must discuss with you. I promise 1 won’t keep you yong.” Lora Francis muttered something. What, nobody knew, but it sounded suspiciously like “Damn!” He drew the lawyer aside, and listened attentively to that gentleman’s terse and swiftly-given statement of Mr. Thorne’s wishes regarding the newwili he was making. “Oh, yes, I’ll dt) it.” said Lord Francis. “Suppose I must, as he asks and makes a special point of it. Of course, I must not ask you to tell me what is in this new will, but 1 should like to know. One thing you can tell me, Jacky. and that is. is he doing justice?” He cast a quick look in Sydney’s direction as he spoke.

Wroule met his sharp, searching eyes with a look of the most childlike innocence and simplicity that was baffling. “X think I may commit myself as far as saying yes,” he said, “but it is a qualified yes. There, Lord Francis, that is as far as I can go.” Lord Francis glared at him through his eye-glass. “1 suppose you mean by that-that it is a sort of one-eyed justice,” he growled. “Gives with one hand, takes aw'ay w-ith the other. Oh, I know your qualified ‘yes.’ it digs pits for the righteous man to tumble into, and makes fortunes for the lawyer. 1 know your law, Jacky. I’m not blaming you. it is your profession, and you did not make the laws: but 1 have not much of an opinion of

“You’ve had plenty of experience of law and lawyers,” retorted Wroule, in no way moved by the aspersions cast upon him and his kind. “You magistrates of long-standing are as bad as any of us, you know.” “Add that I'm your client, too," retorted Lord Francis With a grin. Then, as he moved to Indicate that it was time to rejoin the others, he added: “Very well, I will meet you at old Harting’s; no, I mean I will meet you and old Harting at Island’s Thorne next week. Damned nuisance, but I don’t see how I can wriggle out. Jf you are letting me in for anything of which I disapprove I shall give it you hot, Jack, so be prepared. Sydney, my deal-, this is Mr. Wroule, the most accomplished legal robber of Nidchester. and incidentally your grandfather’s solicitor, so you ought to meet him. He waxes tat out of such clients as your grandfather. and myself, and a few more pigeons of like ilk. whom he plucks with the most barefaced effrontery, pretending all the time it is for their benefit. 1-Ie has charming ways, a graceful elegance of manner which deceives, and for 6s Sd he will be delighted to write letters for you or anyone else.”

“You can’t say you do not get your money’s worth,” said Wroule, with his light laugh, which was infectious. “I need not tell you, Miss Thorne, how pleased 1 am to see your father’s daughter at Thornes. We have waited long, but it is good that it is an accomplished fact at last. Your father used to take me out fishing on Thornewater when I was a boy, I remember it well. Fraser there used to be beguiled from his duties to row us about, and see that we did not drown ourselves. “Simmons has never forgotten the belting with a strap he gave me for sueaking away from the pantry to the lake,” said Neil. “He is downright proud of it, and when 1 showed him my V.C. he said: ‘Ah, well; to think of it now. And do you remember the walloping I gave you, Colonel? I knew it would make a man of you, and it has.’ It did help, too, though not In the way he imagines, for it was partly to escape his heavy hand that I went out to South Africa; if I had been too comfortable I doubt if T should ever have gone.” Me smiled at Sydney as he spoke. | These two already seemed to under- | stand each other. There was great j friendliness in the girl’s manner to ward the son of her landlady, and | this fact did not escape the wideawake Mr. Wroule. “I have to go and see Mr. Thorne,”

lie told tlie company, as getting into own car lie watched Lord Francis shepherding his flock into the Daimler. “I may as well follow you, and have a cast or two before I go. I make a point of combining business with pleasure when possible, and my last client j having proved more reasonable than ! I dared to expect this morning, I can 1 indulge myself. This was a last shot at Lord Francis, who was too j busy to again take up the foils, i ‘'There is enough lunch for you.” I was Lady Greenthwaite’s comforting | assurance. She really liked Jacky | Wroule, and was pleased to add him I to their number. “You and I will : have a boat to ourselves, Jack. I j was going to call for Fraser, but you I will do instead, and he can take your ! place when you have to go. I want to talk quite seriously to you.” “Now, have we got everything?” ! asked Lord Francis, beginning to I fume lest there should be any furI ther delay. He was convinced at last that they I really were ready, and the big car i swept down the drive, closely followed by Mr. Wroule, who drove neatly and skilfully, as he did everything. They were a good example of “Dignity and Impudence.” The lawyer welcomed the opportunity thus afforded him of seeing and | judging for himself the footing on ! which Sydney and Hugh Ormandv j weie. It had been the chance of j seeing them together that had de- | cided him to join the fishing party, though at first he had refused. The big car halted at the Underbank boathouse. at the end of the lake. Wroule went on to Island’s Thorne to have his interview with Mr. Thorne, saying that he would join the others shortly. , “Bring Ormandy with you,” Lord

Francis called to him. “Tell him I we want him to make up a boat. ! Don’t say he is to row me, or you may put him off.” “I can play my cards better than j that,” laughed Wroule, well pleased, j for it had been his intention to ! bring Ormandy with him on his re turn, and here it was all arranged and worked out for him as though it were not connected with him and business at all. Neil unlocked the door of the boat house, and raised the heavy water door. The luncheon baskets, the i fishing baskets, and the nets were placed in the boats, the rods set in readiness for a start. . “I shall row across to the island with the lunch,” volunteered Lady Greenthwaite to Neil. “We may as ; well wait for Jack; he will not be long.” “I will take the lunch,” said Neil, lifting a pair of oars from a rack and placing them in the boat containing the luncheon hampers. We can take it across and leave it; it will be all right under the shade of the fortress.” “Do let me come with you,” exclaimed Sydney. “I do so want to learn to row.” He smiled at her, and held out liis hand to assist her into the boat. “Come along then,” he said, fending the boat carefully off from the rough side of the stone pier running out into the lake to make a landing place possible when storms rose at the boathouse. “You take the bow oar and T will row stroke.” They drew away from the shore. | At first Sydney felt hopelessly at se>i; the oar was unwieldy, and when she attempted to draw it through the water it went down so deep that she could hardly pull it out again. Then

she watched the easy swing of her companion and noted how he did it, and gradually the motion came to her, and she stopped catching crabs an » began to pull more easily and rcg larly. Lord Francis and his daughter w. , busy tying casts on the bank. Th old man took his eyeglass from if-resting-place and wiped it with ex treme care on a silk handkerchief kept for this especial purpose, then he r»placed it in liis eye, and gazed though fully at the receding boat and its occu pants. “Harry.” he remarked to his daugh ter, “I am very uncertain as to wlia Mr. Thorne would say could he that tableau.” Lady Greenthwaite was occupied ■: fixing a green drake to the tail of h* cast. She finished it. then looked up “He probably will see it preseutL if he looks out of the window, as you may be sure he will,” she returned composedly. “I wonder if he know Katherine Drury? That is another thing which may cause him surpris* Lord Francis looked hard at his daughter. “I am quite certain he does not,” ureplied, emphatically. “He has mot likely forgotten her existence, and l do not fancy somehow that Hugh will remind him of it. Here come Hugh and Wroule, thank goodness. Now we can really get to work.” Hugh followed Wroule with a slightly sullen air, which was not lost on the gentleman who had marked him down for a boat companion. He frowned as he saw’ that Sydney was not with them, and w’as asking wli re she was when he caught sight of tfcr boat, which was just about to set of. i ou its return journey from the island. /To be continued.)