NO WOMAN'S LAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 July 1938, Page 10

NO WOMAN'S LAND

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT COPYRIGH'

BY

JANE ENGLAND

(Author of “Sjambok,” “Trader's License,” &c.)

CHAPTER VI. (Continued.) “I say, Mrs Hastings,” he> said nervously, "I don’t think that you ought to have let that girl go alone with Mrs Carfrae. I mean .. . Well, it’s really wrong of me to say anything, but they will ask her the devil of a lot of questions. And do you know, I think she ought to be protected. I’d be awfully glad if you wouldn’t drag me into it, but I do think that it’s hard luck on the girl.”. Dolly stopped dead, and regarded the young man inimically. “You saw her jump at the Carfrae woman, didn’t you?” she demanded. “Yes . . I suppose I did,” he said unhappily. “And you saw,” pursued Dolly re-' lentlessly, “the light leap into her eyes? You saw her fawn on the Carfrae?” “Oh, yes, I know all that,” said young Fingall, “but she doesn’t realize . . .” "Doesn’t realize what?” interrupted Dolly with a virtuous indignation. “Doesn’t realize that Carfrae is leading her up the garden, doesn’t realize that David and I, poor imbeciles that we are, have tried to help her? Well, if she doesn’t realize all that, God help her, and He is her last chance.” “God,”. said young Fingall, with a sudden and hectic desperation, flinging aside all his inhibitions, and speaking plainly, “has got to act through material beings.” “Don’t paraphrase Shaw to me,” snapped Dolly. “She’ll probably hang young Archie Fellowes, and get herself into prison, but what can I do?” “Don’t, let her talk to the Carfrae woman, ” urged Fingall. “Oh, very well. All right,” said Dolly, and glowered at him. “I’ll go down and try and stop her. But I don’t see what I can do. You’d better imperil your career still further, and tell my husband from me that we want solicitors and King’s Counsel down at the Carfrae’s house . . .” She turned about, and walked down the lit street towards the Magistrate’s house. CHAPTER VII. Carfrae came along rather fussily to his office. He was fussy by nature, though a competent and kind-hearted man. The trouble with him, thought Wentworth, who was waiting for him, was that he was as likely as not to be stampeded into action by muttonheaded bullies like Hudson. “Hudson’s been at him to arrest Fellowes out of hand,” thought Wentworth, “and he thinks he ought to but doesn’t want to. Well, well, well!” He stood up as Carfrae came in, and said politely: “Good evening, sir. Major Sinclair sent me down in response to your telephone message. Sergeant Wentworth, sir.” , . Carfrae put down his topee on the table, and rubbed his moustache fretfully. '“Tiresome business,” he said, “very -.tiresome. Hudson will be along in a minute. By the way, what’s your exact position now? Did Major Sinclair say?” “Full charge, sir. He’s the confirmation. I’m seconded here, as it were, for the duration of the case, with, - er —with full powers.” “Good, good,” said Carfrae. “How did you get here so quickly?” “Came by car, sir. I brought another man with me. He has gone over to the kraal.” -r Carfrae hesitated. He didn’t want to be indiscreet, but he badly wanted to confide in someone. He would have preferred Sinclair to have sent down an officer. Still, this man Wentworth seemed all right. Decent chap. The real trouble about Hudson was that the man was such an outsider. Not the sort of man for the police at all. “The fact of the matter is, sergeant,” exploded Carfrae, “I don’t feel that Hudson is really the right man to deal with this. Frankly, I think he’s prejudiced.” “Personally,” thought Wentworth gloomily, “I don’t think Hudson’s the right man to deal with anything except a traffic jam. But the trouble with this fellow is that Hudson .has pitched on one of his own tribe as a suspect.” “Well, sir,” he said with a deceptive mildness, “perhaps we had better hear what Hudson has got to say.” “Good evening,” said Hudson stiffly. He looked with a suffused fury at Major Carfrae, whom he suspected, quite rightly, of being the cause of Wentworth’s appearance on the scenes. “Ah, good evening, Hudson,” said Major Carfrae briskly, and began to arrange papers on his desk. “Sergeant Wentworth has been sent down to take over. You’d, better let him know what you’ve discovered.” “Yes, sir,” said Hudson. “But I’m afraid that it’s been a waste of time sending the Sergeant down, sir. The whole thing is as plain as a pikestaff.” "Well, let’s hear about it,” said Wentworth. “At midnight last night, May 12,” intoned Hudson, referring to a notebook, “a native from M'Taki’s kraal came to the Police Camp with a message that there had been a death on the Howard’s farm. He had been sent by a white man called Hastings. I proceeded to the spot with Trooper Fingall, and found that Eric Howard, owner of the farm, had apparently been burned to death in a mud and pole thatched hut. The two huts on either side had also caught, and there was nothing left but red hot embers. On inquiry I found that Archibald Fellowes ...” “Mr Fellowes,” interrupted Carfrae testily. “ . .Mr Fellowes,” continued Hudson gruffly, “had arrived at the farm, according to his own statement, to find the huts blazing. He could do nothing owing to the heat, so he started off for Klitner’s Dorp to report the matter. But within a short distance he met the girl Nella Howard (here Major Carfrae did not interpolate the

world ‘Miss’) daughter of the deceased, and returned with her to the burnt huts. Mr and Mrs Hastings, who have been driving home with Nella Howard, arrived shortly ” “Why did Miss Howard get there before them?” asked Wentworth. “Because the glare of the fire was seen by her, and she rode across country. The Hastings had to go by road.” “I see,” said Wentworth. (To be Continued.)