Silas Dennington's Money.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10670, 27 June 1912, Page 2

Silas Dennington's Money.

OUR SERIAL.)

CHAPTER X.—Coriinucd. "So you would deprive mc of my cherished exorcise? That's cruel,'' ■said Captain Aubrey Re Yore. "I li'-ro tne bus ride, and the walk, a?>d fch(> eycitemert of talking to niy darling editors. I like to sco how things are moving, too." Jack laughed. Was this what man called a w6man bohemian ? Ho turned to the typewritten paper, and pretended to read it The captain was appraising the contents of the room. "This is quite jolly. Why, you arc living here. Not married? How do you spend your evenings? All my other editors are married men, and I am so lonely ab times." "You never get into this room again," thought Jack. ' "What made you think of becoming a publisher, Mr Castlemaine? Unless you have dene something of the kind before. But, then, I should have heard of you, as Igo everywhere. I suppose Castlemaine is your real < name? I hardly "know • v nro a young old-man, on ■•• el' 1 ;r- •: man. There, lam bori:;g you, and that'll never do, or I shall get the bounce." "Oh, no; you are quite a new experience." "Is that a compliment, or otherwise? You are quite different from +be other men I Icomv, and I like you. I'li do all I can for the paner. You arc* not offended with me?" "Not a bit of it, captain. Hang it! I don't like calling you by that '-itle. It doesn't seem nice—or respects ful." "My baptismal name is Susan Jinks, but I don't like Jinks, and you can Susan mo if you like." Jack did rot reply to this. The captain rose, and picked up her reticule. "If you weren't so busy. Mr Castlemaine, vou would ask a body out tn lunch; I know that, so I'll let-yon off. 'Good-bye until next time."

Jack jumped uo and shook bands 'with Contain Aubrev De Vere, and a sigh of relief pa.sed his lips when he heard the swish of her shirts on. the stairs. ''Good heavens-!" he muttered. "Worse than a nightmare! I'll see that she never get's up here again." He threw open the window and the i door to make a current of air—to dis- : sioate the fragraace she had left behind, her. ; What a long and exciting time it was now for days and days. Up with the dawn, and no bed until midnight. Brown would insist with arush job: I a Goliath of a firm which published boys' 'papers had heard of the presumptuous rival, and had called a meeting of directors to consider the best means of squelching; it at its birth. The decision was to put another on. the market in front of itV Tlie captain was responsible for the invitation. By the following Saturday morning 1 Jack was holding a complete copy of the first number of'his paper in his trembling hands. They would tremble a little in spite of everything. The artists and printers and everybody had worked nobly, and the result, was tragic enough to please the most exacting lover of penny awfulism. The front page consisted of a picture wherein a giant of a man was in the act of hurling a boy (the hero) off.au

BY F. L. DACRE, Author of ''Held in Bondage," 'A Phantom of the 17zz'j" "Sir John's Heiress," "The Shadow of l 'A Daughter of Mystery," etc

aeroplane ten thousand feet from the earth. There were lots of other pictures inside of a similar nature. But the journal looked all right from a business point of view; it was a little bigger than any of its rivals, better 1 paper, and plenty of colour in the printing. Jack read it through eleven times, put it down, and took it up again. Innumerable posters, handbills, circulars, and other advertising devices were rolling in from the printers until every foot of available '•pace was "filled; on the top floor was a busy hive of women folding and sealing' mixed packets to mail' +o! retail newsagents. Twenty thousand of these packets left the office in a big van for the general post office on Saturday morning. Can- [ vassers had been despatched into, the country to work up the puiblic and the trade; were doing the same thing in London. And on Monday morning 'were to appear telling advertisements in all the daily, newspapers. A new wonder of the world had been created, and the printing presses were running night and day. ' The office of Castlemaine and Co. was closed at two o'clock on Saturday but there were busjy brains, and busy hands behind barred doors until late in the evening. Teddy Brown was there, and Grantley Dennington, and Watson, the publisher. A copy of the new weekly was reposing in the window, surrounded by large pictorial posters. The pungent odour of printers' ink stung the nostrils, but withall was fragrant <.with promise. "Thank Heaven for Sunday," said Brown fervently. Jack echoed the thanks, and glanced through the window over the way. Then his lieart'plunged. Rosamund and her father were shutting up shop, and he saw Rosamund's eyes scanning the lurid posters, His faco burned. "A hundred and fifty thousand!" enthused Brown. ""Jf. wo can settle down to eighty thousand a week." He went' into calculations, and Grantley nodded. "Next Tuesday is the great day; next Tuesday—next Tuesday 1" He clasped l|is hands, and hugged them one with the other. "Shall you stick

in this office all day Sunday, Mr [Castlemaine?" "Part of the time —yes." The curiosit-v shop was now closed, and Rosamund was at the window : upstairs. [ "You won't come to my place? No? But it isn't lonesome here now. Look at the company —thousands and thousands of the children of our brains." "I shan't bo lonely," Jack smiled. "I am living for the first time." "No, he won't be lonely," thought Grantley, with a curious contraction, of his eyes. He had seen Rosamund Grant at the window. CHAPTER XI. LOVE IN NETHER STREET 1 ,. * Mrs Garland had a good deal to say about the extra dust in Jack's flat, and she reserved her lecture until Sunday morning, when things were quiet. A layer of fine powdered "apor was upon everything, and when disturbed it only rose in the air, to settle again an hour or two later.

"If you're going to make a business office of iny sitting room, Mr Castlemaine," she. said, "the carpet will have to come up once a week, and the fin-niture —«h, my! and such lovely things, too!" "I've noticed that things are a hit gritty. Butwe've been working so many hours, and so many .people tramping up and downstairs." "I can only give it a lick and a nromiso this morning, and I feel that T nm not leaying you as comfortable as lotfght to. These publishing officesare hot fit to live in. 1 The dust comes out of.-the paper." "T must put up with it, Mrs Garland." "But it's in the food, ■ and everything. And you, a gentleman, who has been used to the best. Yoxi could have a nice flat at Tootinc: for 12s a .week, with the use of a big gardbn I full of flowers .and trees," "I believe yon live out there," Jack [yawned. "Used to be a pretty place ""hen I was a boy. TP the dust and dirt do turn mo out I'll bear Tooting in mind." . It v.-as a sunny morning again, and the church bells were ringing just as they had the Sunday before. He dropped into his big easy chair behind < the-curtain with his pipe and newsnaT>er. Ho looked at the window of the ' Grants', which was-in a line with his own. and wondered if Rosamund and her father were going to Church that morning. Of course they were. -Hadn't Mr Grant that his tei* never missed church on a Sun- ' day? Mrs Garland's complaints had disturbed his serenity. The idea of leaving Nether Street for such .. a.. rowdy place as Tooting! It. wias -preposter-" jfliis! If Nether Street 1 was good, enough for Rosamund Grant —well, he had no desire to live anywhere else. He hoped that Mrs Garland wouldn't voice her opinions to the Grants. ; She was over there at that very moment; the Grants found her plenty of work ; they kept no regular servant ; indeed, no self-respecting general housework-, or of the modern school would lower herself hv being employed, by a .shopkeeper in gucli a hole as Nether Street. , : And now over the washing up, and the clatter of plates and the dishes in the- Gran i's' dark little kitchen, Mrs, Garland's tongue was . running away with her, ..and -the subject was Mr Castle.roaine., As Rosamund was helping, she was obliged to .listen, and nob unwillingly, either. Both she and. her father were interested in their' opposite' neighbour. "No decent man could live in the dusty state his rooms are in,, and I've persuaded him to leave. If you saw the nice things bo's got there, miss, they'd make your eyes dance. Pictures, and ornaments, and books, and I did hear him talking of having a piano to amuse himself , with of an evening. -It's a loss to some woman that he isn't married. Maybe ho is," she added'reflectively, "and there's family'troubles. I've looked about for ft pictiiro of a woman, but have never found ono." "I shall ho sorry if'Mr Castlemaino lea-ves Nether Street." Rosamund said. "He and my father ,are such good friends." "You'll see him. often enough at business, Miss Rosamund, unless the devil flies away With mm for printing ,so many of that dreadful paper of his. It's, them things that send boys off for' soldiers and sailors, when they ought to be home working to. help their mothers."' At that moment Mr Grant's slippered feet were heard in the passage,, and he popped his head into the kitchen. (T* be Continued).