NO WOMAN'S LAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1938, Page 10

NO WOMAN'S LAND

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT COPYRIGHT

BY

JANE ENGLAND

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

CHAPTER XV. —Continued. “Don’t worry,” she said. “David doesn’t mean anything drastic.” “Hadn’t you better . . wouldn’t it be better if you went into see her?” said Tenby, confusedly and anxiously. “Leave them alone, and they’ll come home,” quoted David firmly. “Now Dolly, what about some coffee?” “Jacob is bringing it,” she answered dreamily. “The Inkosigaas from up yonder comes in a cart,” announced Jacob as he put down the coffee. “Very lucid,” said' David. “Tenby, who is the Inkosigaas up yonder?” Tenby thought for a minute. “It must be Mrs Marshall,” he said. “You know Mrs Marshall?” “I don’t know her,” said' Dolly snappily. “She’s really very nice,” said Tenby unhappily. “As nice as Mrs Hanslow?” asked Dolly, “and as kind as Mrs Carfrae?” David leaned forward and said quickly, “Dolly, what about pouring out the coffee? And don’t take it out of poor Tenby. He isn’t responsible for the sins of the neighbours.” “She probably wants to tell me that I have outraged the feelings of the district by harbouring Nella Howard,” said Dolly furiously. “Or else she wants to snoop round here and go back and report on the frantic orgies that are staged here nightly.” “But she’s really very nice indeed.” repeated Tenby plaintively. They heard the mule cart rattle up to the side of the house, and heard a deep, cheerful, voice shout, “Anybody home?” Dolly got up, and stalked out on to the verandah. “Everybody’s home,” she said in a voice that could by no means be considered welcoming. She saw a short, dumpy woman walking towards her. wearing a slouch hat and a coat and skirt. The moon glimmered redly just above the horizon, and the stars distilled a pale,’silvery light over the silent veld. CHAPTER XVI. “I’m sorry to land myself on you at this ungodly hour,” said Mrs Marshall, “but the fact is 'that I made my annual visit to Klinter’s Dorp today and heard a lot of scandal. They do clack, don’t they?” She marched on to the verandah and pulled off her hat, revealing grey hair that was parted in the middle, rose crisply like cherub wings, and was secured in a neat bun at the back of her head. “You’ve got that Howard child here, haven’t you?” she continued. “Disgraceful that newcomers to the district had to befriend her. I’m ashamed of

myself. But the fact is that though of course I heard about her father’s death, I was very busy myself, and I concluded that some of the nearer people had done the right thing. I might have known that I was wrong.” “Won’t you come in?” said Dolly, faintly. She added, rallying her waning resentment, “it’s a pity, it seems to me, that people had to wait until her father died before they could do anything for her. Not that anybody has done anything now except to make things more difficult.” “Hullo, Tenby,” said Mrs Marshall, as she walked into the sitting room, and she nodded cheerfully to David. “Well, as to that,” she said, reverting to Dolly’s remark, “of course its a pity. But then, it wasn’t all on one side you know. Where is the girl, by the way?” “In bed, I believe,” said David grim-' ly. Mrs Marshall chuckled. “First time in years she’s been in bed at a proper time, I should imagine. Well, I came along first to apologise, and secondly to see if you wanted any help.” ■ “Don’t bother about either,” said Dolly with a dangerous smoothness. “We can manage easily enough, and there’s nothing' for which to apologize.” “Well, take it that I apologized for the district. They ought to have called. But I’m not surprised that they didn’t Most of them have to scrape every penny, and I gather that you young people are not staying, and need not scrape. Still, they ought not to have landed that child on you. I’ll take her along to my place if you like. Plenty of room there, and plenty to do.

ed it. And it was true, too. “She’s got her own farm,” said Dolly. “She can’t do anything with it. She couldn't live there alone. She’s got to learn, anyway, to live with ordinary people in an ordinary way.” “And I am not sure that we are temporary,” added Dolly. She was surprised to hear her own voice making this statement. She saw David turn quickly, look at her, and then turn away again.” Mrs Marshall stared too. “Don’t tell me that you’ve got capital for that mine of yours!” she said. “No. We—I —well, we were thinking of farming the land,” said Dolly. “We “In fact,” said David amiably, “I’m thinking of building a dip.” It was Dolly’s turn to stare. She looked at him, her., eyes opened wide, and began to laugh. She leaned her head in her hands, laughed helplessly and suddenly, they were all- laugnmg; laughter swung round the shabby room, and fled up into the dim rafters. Nella, lying fully dressed on her. bed, heard it and stiffened into resentment. So that was what they all cared! They were relieved when she was out of the way, and they laughed. And who was that woman, anyway? Tears sprang into her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks. She whispered, .“Archie, Archie, oh Archie,” forlornly as if it were a spell. In the sitting room, the laughter died down, and they all looked at each other. “Did you mean that?” said David slowly. “Did you mean that, Dolly? That you want to stay and farm?” “Yes, I did. It sounds mad, but I want to. Only I hate the mine. I can’t bear that mine.” They looked across at each other as if no one else were in the room. Mrs Marshall cut into the silence, “So you mean that, Mrs Hastings, that you’re staying?” “Yes, I’m staying,” said Dolly. She couldn’t think why. But she was staying. “In that case,” said Mrs Marshall, “I’ll be going. For I don’t expect that you’ll want to get rid of that girl. Well, if you’re staying, we’d better get to know each other. Will you all, Miss Nella Howard included, drive over to our place next Saturday? Come early, and stay the night. We’ve got plenty of room. I’ll be getting on. My man will be wondering what’s happened.” “But she’s incredible!” said Dolly aloud, when Mrs Marshall had gone. David had come up behind her. “She isn’t'real,” he assured her; “And we’re mad,” said Dolly. “Quite mad,” said David, and slipped an arm round her shoulder. “Quite mad, darling. And I don’t know a thing about farming. And you had the most golden opportunity of getting rid of Nella .... and now we never shall.” “Oh, she’ll marry Archie Fellowes in

the end,” said Dolly contentedly. “I’m not so sure. She’s obstinate, that one.” “Then she’ll marry someone else,” Dolly insisted. “Look at the moon, David. Isn’t it grand?” “Grand. But poor Tenby is in there. And we’ll have to put him up now. Have you got any blankets for the divan?” “Yes,” said Dolly, “oh yes. Come on then. David, I’m scared. What have we taken on?” “Nothing worse than finding a job in England,” said David. “By the way, are we going over to visit that old biddy next Saturday?” “Most certainly,” said Dolly, and gave her faint chuckle. “As a permanent resident, it is my duty.” CHAPTER XVII. Archie Fellowes liked farming. He liked to be alone' on his. own land, and tc be untroubled by the necessity of showing constant politeness to his fellow creatures. He was, however, no snob. In spite of his severe and youthful ideas of what was and what was not done, he constantly found himself interested in people who were not considered reputable by his neighbours. It was that

idiosyncracy on his part that had at first led him to visit the Howards. But from his own point of view, if he had not found Nella attractive, if he had not fallen in love with her, he would never have been seen there. Non was he really aware just how defensive Nella had been all her life. And so he could not forgive her for imagining foi’ one moment that he was likely to have, killed her father in an unpleasant brawl. He had been shocked and infuriated, but never frightened, when he found that some people apparently thought it possible that he had killed the old man; but as the days went by that aspect slipped out of his mind. He forgot that Wentworth was still in the district, that still no real explanation of the tragedy had been put forward. He supposed, when he thought about it all, that people were at last convinced that it had been an accident, as he himself was convinced. So he went about his farm, working a little harder than usual because of the raw pain that the memory, of Nella made in his heart. He knew that she was still with the Hastings, and he heard from a farmer who rode over that , the Hastings were staying on. “They’re crazy,” grunted the farmer, “they won’t last. Look at them, la-di-da, both of them.” Archie grinned. He had a shrewd idea that both the Hastings would be more than a little astonished to hear themselves described in that way. “By the way, have you heard that Klinter’s Dorp store has changed hands?” said the farmer. “Funny business . . that chap Hudson has taken it on. Remember him, the policeman? Seems he bought himself out and came down here and bought the store.” “He won’t get any of my money,” said Archie grimly.

Stop her brooding. “I suppose,” she said, after a short silence, “that you both think the whole district is full of narrow and uncharitable people. Well, of course, you’re wrong.” “But look here,” said David quietly, “when the girl’s father died, nobody did a single thing. Mrs Carfrae did nothing, and . . . .” “Just a minute,” said Mrs Marshall. “People did do something. Major Carfrae did something. He didn't like the way Hudson was behaving, and he got into touch with Salisbury. Mrs Carfrae may be a silly woman —I don’t say she isn’t —but she’s not as bad as all that. What you’re grousing about is that other people, the Carfraes, for instance, would have made the girl feel her position much more. They would, because they think that that’s only right. But what about it? Shall I take her along with me?” “What, to-night?” exclaimed Dolly. “Why not? Better now than later.” “Yes, that’s true, I suppose,” said David suddenly. “Better now than later. Better now than when she’s got used to the idea of having her cows about the place, and got into the habit of thinking that this is the way things are going on for ever.” “It seems a shame that she should be passed about like this, but it’s no good pretending that she’s got any choice in the matter.” The Hastings said nothing. Dolly was conscious of a sinking doubt. She had an illogical conviction that this was remarkably like a betrayal. It would appear to Nella that the instant they got a chance to be rid of her, they seiz-