The Half-Closed Door

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 719, 19 July 1929, Page 5

The Half-Closed Door

By

J. B. Horrs-Burland

Author of ” Th# Black Moon •• • Ta# Poiton Laagua/’ “ Th» Whitt Rook,” 4c.. 4c

CHAPTER XXII (Continued) "Oh. Dick, dear, this—this is terrible! ” “No,” he said sharply. “It was what she wished to do. She was not driven to it. She wanted to do a great thing. And. by jove, 6he has done it. She has tasted most of the pleasures of life, but never this —Mary, my dear child, there is nothing to cry about. I lost my arm, just because I had to try and save those scoundrels. Don’t you remember what I told you then —how angry l was with you?” He took her in his right arm, and she smiled. “You were ill, darling,” she whispered,” and I had to humour you—Dick, dear, have you no gratitude for poor Susan Croad?” “I have more than gratitiude,” he answered: “I have admiration. She has paid her debt. All the others had paid. I even think that I've paid. She felt a bit out of it. She d*d : what she could. You would have done | the same, ray dear little girl.” “I did nothing—worse than nothing.” “You bearded old Croad in his den. There are not many women who j would have done that. Croad was , fighting for his liberty, and he might

i easily have taken it into his head to kill you.” I “Oh, that —that was nothing.” She left him and put some sausages on the gas stove. Dick Felling stood by the fire. In a few moments there was a delicious smell of supper. Outside the house the rain was descending in torrents, and there was a cold north wind. After all, he was a very lucky fellow. And life was not a succession of dramatic events. It was just sheer hard work for a man, and. if be were fortunate, a woman to love him. And there was firelight and warmth, and the smell of good food cooking on the gas stove. ' Mary, her arms bare to the elbows, came up to him, drew his face close to hers and kissed him. “Dear old chap,” she said. “We re , going to make a good thing of life, after all. We re going to have our chance.” He kissed her. "You're the best i thing in life.” he said. “I shall never find anything better than you.” She went back to the gas stove, and he glanced at The door. It was closed, and h*» was on the , right sid<> of it. [The Knd]