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The Romance of a Business Girl.

( ! I \ PTEIt X! i. (Continued.) 1 "V.. ;i s snir,eb:Kl\'r : ' "I <k ; u isn't mere .suspicion; itactual knowledge. My wife. Sho ,;lonc. hi«l a key to our flat; sho alouo kne.v t!>.:«:■ t.'ic other key Nut what's tin- «£o of talking [ must find her. Curling, raid you can help mo in this. The police are impossible." . "1 will," Jim vowed emotionally. "Now shako hands." "Gladly. It's a terrible thing, •i; 1 chup, to get tangled up with women, a man never knows whore lie is. And yet men will go on doing it until the end of the. chapter." "J am sure of that," Jim hopefully Kiid. "dive, me your hand rt«ra"in, Mayhew. That feels bettor. 1 think we will finish the day together; 1 couldn't write another line if I were paid to do it. Let us make a night of it, and Wow rings round liis satanic majesty! One must let off steam sometimes." CHAPTER XIV. MAYHEW IS AROUSED A blissful day on Sunday for Serena. Jim called at her lodging* in good time, .so that they could go to church in the morning. She 'had often expressed a wish to hear the service at St Paul's Cathedral, and thither they went. After church they drove toKiehmond Park, and enjoyed themselves after the fashion of hundreds of Londoners whoso onlyday for healthful recreation is Sunday. There were line opportunities for long' talks, and Jim pleaded Lewis Mayhew's cause. He told her of the stolen jewelry, and of Lady .Laura's and liis own unjust suspicions. "[ know- what it- is to i'oeL downright mean now. 1 feel thac J. can j never do enough for Mayhew. He knows that he has treated his wife badly, and wants to make amends. He was worried out of his wits, and no doubt 'she tauntered .i.nd pestered him. She isn't any particular catch i for a man, anyway, and this jewelry affair looks very bad. She will be trying to sell some of it, and then | the fat will be in the fire. Mayhew ' wants to prevent her from, doing this, .Serena ; and if you know where she is " "Tell me what to do, Jim, and I | will do it. You know best. Poor Phil is weak and strong all in one breath, and the keynote of her character is | impulse." Serena gave a little gasp. I She was thinking of the flying man— I the Frenchman—and of Mrs Mayhew and her narrow escape. "She would be safe in the care of her husband —her natural protector. I. have promised Mayhew to do all I can, and he is thoroughly repentant. "Poor old Phil!" Serena breathed. "Jim, she left England for New York neurJy two weeks since, and I have not heard from her yet, but I shall." Jim's face fell. "The dickens!" he said blankly; then after a pause: "You see there is no matter of doubt about those jewels. She went to the Bayswuter Hat while her husband was away, to fetch some little things of her own Oh, Mayhew's got 'em all catalogued Such a memory for detail. Then sho caine across the- key of Lady Laura's house, and happened . aloivg ~ there when there'.is only the butler at largo, and he is dozing in the servant's ball. M.y theory is that she was desperate, and, feeling that Lady Laura was her enemy, really went to have it out with her. You know how .we poor humans are apt to dwell upon a fancied wrong until we loose our i heads altogether. Finding, nobody at home, sho probably took the trinkets in a spirit of revengeful bravado." Serena nodded. "I am sure- Phil never did it—l mean never stole the things like a regular thief. That doesn't express my meaning exactly, Jim, but you know." Ho squeezed her hand. "As soon as Mayhew gets her address ho'll go after her—'even to the antarctic. You will let him know, won't you, when ho writes? And I want, you to be nice to him',' Serena: Don't forget that he was mixed up with our knowing each other. He introduced us,, and I shall,...always bless him for that. He gave me thekey to heaven." Serena laughed softly-,- and a beautiful blush overspread her face. "I hope you will always think so, . Jim. L have nothing against Captain Mayhew. He was always kind and courteous to me until this trouble about Phil." 9 glorious day, that, and there was

'(HW'btiRIAL.) j

BY F. L. DACRE Author pf "A Fleet of Dw-- ' i ; < Money," "Tiio Shade wof Shame." "A Fhauthe Past," F eld in Bondage etc.

to bo an endless succession ;>{' glorious days in the fuiuro for ciM-oi. That h v.-hiio J iir. declared, and th-'re was to 1)0 another on Monday. H<> was going to bring tho motor for Serena quits early in tho morning—rush through the furniture business; lunch at jLvomano's. and men iiv down to Dalehurst for a imai vieiv oi Tiie Pines. Tho electrician wished to consult liim on the /spot before proceeding with certain work. Ho wrote to Mayhew by that night mail, inviting his friend to> bi-eaufast with him at the Cecil. He liad news for him. Mayhew dashed up in a cib at half past eight au iViondin morning, and over the meal the two men talked. "New York!" exclaimed the captain. "Good heavens, what a little-dare-devil she is I And what an i. fernal shame that girl should be harried about in such a fashion. All my fault, Carling; I have been so selfish, so absorbed. I beckoned to her from my high and mighty altitude, and she bartered her independence •and freedom o be shut .up in a stuffy cage. When she revolted, I was mean enough to have evil thoughts, and gave expression to them in an evil way. But, upon my soul, J always loved my poor, impetuous wife. What kind of an ogre does she think I am?," "Miss Fleming is bound to hear from her in a day or two," Jim said, hopefully and cheerfully. "I have been in Scotland Yard and circulated a description of the jewels, without consulting Lady Laura. Every pawnbroker in England will benotified to-day, and the foreign police by to-Jnorrow. I know what my cousin was wearing that night at His Majesty's, and i know pretty well what was left in her jewel- case." He stired moodily at the wall. "So you are oft"to DaJehurst this afternoon? 1 should like to see the old place again. I was horn there. Lady Laura's mother was my father's sister, and The Pines wa.s her marriage portion." ■ "Come with us. then. Let me pick I you up somewhere." f "Shall Ibe in the wiy?" "Not a bit. ] am my own chauffeur, and you can talk to Miss Fleming, and do the amiable. Let her seo what a decent fellow you really are behind tha-t mask of yours." ' Jim laughed encouragingly, and Mayhow yielded. "You are a good chap, Carling, and I am glad that the-, old homo hasn't dropped into anybody else's hands. Another link to our friendship." At nine-thirty Jim's car was ready, and he spun :iway to Dulwich. At eleven o'clock Serena and he were at the furniture emporium, but in view so much else to be crowded into the day. only a very few preliminaries could be gone into. Prices and syles discussed, and to a certain point a free hand was given to the contractor. The magic: of ready money will, accomplish tiie seemingly impossible. Two o'clock found them at Romano's, lunching with Mavhow. At first he was almost shy of Serena. He was rather taken aback by her improved appearance. It was difficult to believe that tho girl had up to a few weeks ago served as a waitress at the Corner Shop. Sho wa.s quite a little goddess in her way. '"Oh." but Phil wa-s just the same," ho thought. (To bo Continued.)

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19121108.2.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 8 November 1912, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,334

The Romance of a Business Girl. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 8 November 1912, Page 2

The Romance of a Business Girl. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 8 November 1912, Page 2

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