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Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 3 August 1907, Page 4

them soon would wb« He tim* as sufmanaged over the two rieata at a wag up She vociferous ehanabe pointed be should palmparasol go steamer's de of embarrassso long not so there; he was and fortified eoald easily ento meet be feared that ran might got giving place a wind rustled when footsteps. his door; tall man in white, the salon by reflected from wall*, the gloom garthe newcomers, illuminated by could Hem while he himself i pale silhouette. et«p prd forward, lifting toward* the figure that chair to meet him. sahl, tentatively, name," answered the looking towards the girl prodding the earth parasol, and notat him. difficulty," said the t H had the fluency of one favors. "We the mail-boat thai came somehow, we have been left laughed gently and deprecan't speak Portugese, you are the only Englishhere." »odde<J. "That is so," he »aid. cone inside." to let them pas*, and turned to the girl. She was a palpable unwilher; but after a moment or up the steps and entcrdown frigidly, and «" retr" On the floor. The the room, so strangely last vedette of civilisation from her. Dunbar looked a moment, and the curve of deepened as he turned again

drew up a chair for hitched it along until he host at close quarters. He blond, with a neat mousa slightly indeterminate cliln, bad a confidential manner, His HJJj. , 9 be ironed forward, suggested HubuM Interview, hut his manner was Kgrwbe MMcfouS, even grandoise. Wmjfa same," he said, "is Martyn. With ygn Irnnsr. I haven't > c&rd witn Ett di&i't expect to pay calls, you know. Eh^cr—in the army.'' Wgitomi araiyH naked Dunbar, gravely. IPtii, rm>ao Englishman, of course," '■BlJirit the oCher, unmoved. "I mention Smetter » a sort of reference. This Mr is MM B7*n- w<> came a-l,f " v to ' ■L and it's chiefly on her account I have Initisted —that is to say. that Tentored to trouUe yon." imL MOMd, hit the girl sat sliest. hei fa-g fljed oa the floor- She was no IKWnißg; -there wag hostility, pronHesl Emniliation, grudged defeat, and bittei KgyQce expressed in every line of nei [Jtaure. but her fare spoke it only In i Immobility, that woodenness ani Cflishnesa which denote the wom!,n .. It Du*b«r looked long at her, and hi' hatrft irf assessing arwwrir-. H< pwlior of th» }"«"? fiKI - "" Ht month, the -t j.uv, aurf Willi the" EmM. Witl. a leap of the puH~. «1«

K futile curv of the neck and the -on are of the il ~ we '" M ' from the eari. . He turned t" Martyrt Vm hi" MOW snggcstwn to m;ike? no aAw"We sre m a very nwkward po-iti'm. V «Jd M«ilv Belt to no purpose at alt. No w !" V _ot anything to give warning that rhc cut end run- ' fan,, . v 1 elia '! f or «om<»b'»dy soon a a touch of the telegraph wire see," hj" w « 4 nn - a "' l hi' voice and puckered hi? r' t ' h 03r''io"r- ---' uuj/ieAsanf J)nnl*r glant-WI at the xul I'M* atart - nR k

Martyn, gknesee that she had Ryan will let me she can go said Dunbar, not the girl, dinner." The girl time. and saw perplexity irritation the that gentleman, refuse, and Mr Dunbar receive us " Dunbar, steadily, to dine That arranged." brad at this, and gave for she send the ntaid to me — to ring. "I'm afraid Kaffir women," he said, boasts others. But him half a liow. and follower' who ap|ieare«l at eyes went with her. and the skirt, as she turned aside an immediate appeal to his and door dosed lwliind her. Martyn sigh of relief and turned to creatures, women." he said, as to a seat. "I've had to do many in my time. A chap the army, you know." I he!" said Dunbar. "How do he does?" laughed. He could laugh verv One less adroit than Dunbar in expression for the thought bemight have regarded his easy. : as the index of a light heart and mind. He kept his quick on the younger one till the laughter

HFOh, come now," said Martyn. 'That's Hit,fair. Wish I had a card with me. fcpow all fhis looks beastly funny, ■fat aboGithat girl. She's compromised. Br course, and 1 daresay she's realised it, Hnd that's what has pot her temper out fit joint. She—she actually has a noEnon that I lost the way and missed the hrteamer on purpose." f- "So you were her guide, eht" asked [Dunbar. He was standing gauntily before the other, looking down at him, with hands clasped behind his back. "That was the idea," Jlartyn admitted. He became more confidential. "But say, old chap, do you mind my depending on you to see us through? I can repair the matter of compromising you know. I've already spoken to her about that. But we came ashore with just what we had in our pockets, and

Dunl»ar silenced him with a hand-wave. "Do you mean to tell me," he demanded, slowly, "that you'vP actually told her she was in danger of slander, and have offered to protect her by marriage?" •"On mv honor. I have," affirmed Mar* tvn. He had mistaken the purport of the question. "You can ask her, if you doubt me. It's the best I could do. One must run straight/ "Mont one?" There was a chill of hammered metal in his tone. "Well, you'd like a wash tiefore dinner no doubt. Clean hands are a comfort, aren't they? Let me show you a room.'*" Dunbar's own preparations were quick, for he was hack iu the salon ten minutes afterwards. Here, standing at the window, he waited, looking out at the whispering darkness with a certain expectancy, till Miss Ryan entered. He turned and brought her a chair. She did not sit down, but stood with her hand renting on its high back, as though to make it a rampant between them. "Mr Dunbar." she said, breathlessly. "I am at your service,'' he answered. Her stolid enmity had given place to trepidation. She eyed him nervously. wanted to tell you " she said, speaking as though with difficulty, "that I know all about you. _ tiling—J know evcrvthwff-** p»k> broke off and waited for his riposte. lie only towed. "My father," she went on, '"was one i of—one of your "

He helped her out. "One of my victims?" he said gently. The spasm of effort reinforced the habit of his composure. "I am sorry," he said. "When the Emancipator broke." she went on, "and you ran away*— the steady gaze of his eyes wavered an in* istant, and she saw it—"yes. ran away 1 with the money, my father was made ' penniVss. I could never tell you with what an energy of loathing and contempt f think of you." "Ther* is no imu, v he answered, "I know already." She shook her head impatiently. ''You cant know. But now that I have told you, as clearly as I can. you can decide whether you will help me or not. For I am in such need of help that I will accept it even of you. I daren't refuse it, and—and —you owe me something." It was his turn to shake his head. "That must stand." he answered. "I will help you apart from that, or not at all. You are right when you say you need h*lp." She had an answer to make, but at lhat moment Martyn entered, spruce and pleasant, and they went to dinner. Dunbar gave his arm To the girl, and she took it; both saw Martyn's eyebrows rise.

"Well! old chip.'' said Martyn. when they were seated in the punka-cooled dining-room, that was separated from the verandah only by screens of bamboo, "have you decided what you are going to do with Hi'"

'•I have an idea." replied Dunbar, "that you won't require any hospitality, after all. Tt's ju-t jww-ih!e that the raaillioat did not get dear of the mouth before dark." "What do you mean." demanded .Martyn. 'She's eating up the miles between here and Beira bv now." Dunbar turned to the girl. "There arc no buov?. yon know, and no lights," he explained. "And if she didn't succeed in getting out More sundown she wouldn't take any risks. There are miles ol sandbanks between here and the sea, and she'd simply anchor till daylight. So there's just a bare chance that she may be there now." 'T.ot!" said Martyn. "It's a thousand to one against it. And. anyhow, it's twenty nii'es off. TTow the deuce arc you giling to set to her by sunrise, even if she is there. She left e.?rlv. too. on purpose to get out. So there's nothing in that, anyhow." . Dunbar heard him with deadly patienee. "Indeed!" he said, and turned again to the girl, who was waiting with both hinds clutching the table. •'There is a launch." he said, "a steam launch of a sort, the property of the Portugee who draws pay as harbortnas ter, or port-captain, or something. 1 can get that, but—well, it burns wood." "What does that matter!" she asked, "I've used her before," he explained

'Slip will carry fuel enough to take us down to the liar, but if your ship isn't there, well have to -nil hack, and we shnn'f lie here till to-morrow afternoon. She can gutter alon? fairly veil muter steam, and she <-,ii]s like a raft." "That settles it. then." said Martyn. ( sharplv. 'Toil can't drift about all nisht." -mien can we start." asked the girl. •'As .-oon as we have eaten our dinner,'* answered nunbar. tr \ou must make as Rood a meal as von cau. you know." , Xfartvn picked the serviette from hi» knees mid Huns it on the table. His face was flushed, ami tie spoke angrily. •■\<>b-. look here." lie said. "Ihere's no

li-e talking. localise I won't have il. Mi-'- llvan i- responsible to me. in a way. I've "I.t (•> put her straight with the world" anil -o when I >av that I won't allow her to go chasing that damned s*eaml>oat like this there's got to be an end to the matter. Dunbar, you've got (o drop it." - , The trirl rose in her seat and looked at him with a white and angry face. '•I -h-tll be ready when yon are,' i»he saM to Dunbar, and walked forth. Dmilrar went on with his meal. Marfin »'nred at him. and curious creases I;-,, Mit on the fall of his chin, as •!v,u«h his face were made up to blub-

some more Burgandy." said the oWer man at last. "Vou've made a mistake. Mr Martvn. You'd better not talk about it anv more.'" "Took here." said Martvn. "Who are vmi to interfere like this? \\ hich of u? ha« »ot to maiTV (hat girl, you or I!" of answered the other. vou are ith)

Leave it unsaid, my man, or I'll have you ' flogged. That's all, you can go now." j "I say," said Martyn, standing up; "] I say, don't talk like that, old man. II you're so set on this boating trip, I sup pose well have to come, but " "You needn't come," replied Dunbar, rising. "You can't come, anyhow. Now, out with you." A minute afterwards Martyn was gone. There was a slender crescent of moon aloft when the launch was at last poled off. Over her lmiler the wood was stacked high, and aft the girl and Dunbar sat in the shallow of it. Two silent natives attended to the engine and on the faggots forwaril sat the stout negress who was shipped as chaperon. The native stoker and engineer squatted in the glow of the furnace door, cast into striking relief against it, like great toads, and overhead a wonder of white stars stood in a dome of velvet. For half an hour there was no sign but that of the engine and the wash of water as it raced aft to the white riblion in the wake, save when, at short intervals, the furnace door clanged open and a billet or two of wood crashed into the (ire. At such limes the glow would lighten to a hot g'are, and in it the girl sitting silent beside hiiii, took occasion to glance at Dunbar. He was leaning back, his arm resting along the tiller, his big face upturned. It had an expression to make her wonder—something so still, so acquiescent of any fate, so peaceful, speech to parry the sombre association of the vast night, the dark water, and (his monstrous and wonderful man. "So this is the only steam vessel in Inhambane," she said, tentatively. lie nodded. "Yes" he said, "the only one now. I had a yacht here once, 1 beauty. She could have taken you round to Beira and beaten the mail-boat by a day. But I had to get rid of her." "Why ?" she asked. He turned to her. "She was a Bri:ish ship," he said. "My captain connived the idea of arresting me on board if her."

The silence fell again, till she broke it. "I shouldn't like to think you were happy," she said wistfully. | lie smiled, but the smile was not of ridicule or amusement. Jt was not even bitter. "No," he answered at last. "That would be too much. I have still my sen<e of shame." They spoke no more then, till, when the hours had lengthened to four, the launch crawled over a slloal and rounded a spit. "There's your mail-boat," he said, pointing.

A light was hanging over the water, n Couple of miles away, and the lean moon just sufficed to make visible the bulk of the steamer. Dunbar thrust the tiller over, and they headed down to it. The girl caught his arm. "Mr Dunbar," she said, and almost choked on the words—"Mr Dunbar, the mail-boat's a British ship, too.'" "Well?" He was smiling again, and the smile was now no shell of laughter. "Had you not better " she began, but he stayed her. l 'Wc shall be fellow-passengers for a .lay or two," he said. "I'm going home. I've had enough of it. Do you rememlier \ wouldn't jet you claim an obligation? That is because lam going to face my obligations in a mass, t think i was meant for something better than a thief in hiding." They clucked and wheezed down to the steamer, and their line was caught and made fast. A parley resulted in the lowering of an accommodation ladder, and Dunbar followed Miss Ryan to the deck. i

The captain was there and he greeted the girl warmly. 'Tou're in luck. Miss Ryan," he was saying. "I'd have tried a rocket or two, if I'd had any, to let the town know we were still here. Lord sakes! Who' B this?" 'Tin Henry I)imW, captani/' was the answer. 'TN ill you give me a free passage to British territory?" The captain bit his cigar in two in sheer astonishment. "You bet your last cent I will," he answered with emphasis. "I'd sail you to Newgate with pleasure."