NO WOMAN'S LAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1938, Page 10

NO WOMAN'S LAND

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

COPYRIGHT

BY

JANE ENGLAND

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

CHAPTER XVIII. —Continued. She made a movement with the reins, and the mustard-coloured pony pricked its ears and began to move. She didn’t like him; she was sure she didn’t like him, and yet she wanted to stay near him. In the blazing sunlight his hair was the colour of ripe corn, and a soft wind stirred it, so that one thick lock lifted and fell again. He sat quite still on his black horse, and smiled at her, as if he 1 understood what she was thinking. “I’ll come over to the Hastings,” he agreed. “You can ride round with me some time and show me the boundaries. Do you know them?” His voice mocked at her, and she flushed again. “Of course, I know them,” she said. “Of course.” « * * * As she cantered down the track, Archie Fellowes came along his usual road towards the burnt homestead. He saw this man on the black horse and saw Nella cantering down the track. It seemed to him that there was a look of flight in that fast' canter, and without thinking he put spurs to the mare and went after her. He thundered past the man on the black horse and down the track towards Nella. She heard him coming 'and thought it must be Peter Drew. Real panic assailed her then, and she ’ didn’t look back but spurred her pony to a gallop. “Nella,” shouted Archie; “Nella, stop! It’s only me. What’s the matter? What is it?”

She couldn’t believe it. The blood drummed in hex- ears and she galloped on. They had almost reached the drift when he caught her up and leaned over and seized her reins.’ The horses slowed to a trot and then a walk, and Nella looked at him. “I didn’t —I couldn’t believe it was you,” she said. Her mouth was slightly open and her breath came unevenly; her eyes looked enormous in her flushed face.

“What did the blighter do to frighten you?” said Archie angrily. “Who —oh, he didn’t Archie. At least —no, he didn’t do anything. He’s renting the farm.” “Funny that you should bolt like that . . He must have done something.” “He didn’t. It was only—he’s just different, and I felt stupid. Oh, it wasn’t anything really.” He saw to his amazement and distress, that tears were pouring down her cheeks. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, but the tears still rolled down.

“Darling .. .” he said urgently “Nella, darling. What’s the matter?” She didn’t cry easily, or becomingly. She began to blubber, and yet she still sat bolt upright, and the pony and the mare walked on sedately side by side. “I’ve been so miserable.” She had no pride now, and no resentment. “I’ve been so miserable.” “I’ve been miserable, too,” said Archie quietly, “damn miserable, Nella.” He took her hand and she let it stay in his. It was hot and sticky and grubby, but he 4 held it very tightly and suddenly wanted to kiss it. “You haven’t been miserable,” she said huskily, “you’ve only been angry with me . . . and I’ve been so miserable.” “Not angry . .he began, “oh well, perhaps I was. I couldn’t help it, Nella. _But I was miserable too. Nella, stop crying, do stop crying, darling. I’m not angry any-more. I’m sorry I was angry. I can’t help loving you. I tried not to, but I can’t help it.” She dabbed at her eyes again with the back of her free hand, and left smudges of mud on her cheeks. “I didn’t mean . . .you-know-what,” she muttered. “I don’t see how you could ever have thought it,” he said. “I was . . frightened. It was awful. I couldn’t think. Archie, what did happen . . . what, could have happened?” “I don’t know. It must have been an accident.” “I suppose so,” she said doubtfully, “but I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.” “Then don’t think about it Nella. I want to marry you. That night I was coming to try and persuade him to let us get married. Will you marry me?” “I wouldn’t marry anyone else. Oh, Archie, I do love you!” “I love you coo. I’m sorry, darling . . . I’ve been a brute. But it hurt you know.” They had come to the drift. The horses walked cautiously down the steep, crumbling sides. On the opposite bank a big clump of trees stood against the sky. Down there, at the bottom of the drift it was very hot and still. The horses checked. There was still enough water in the river to make a thin tinkling as it trickled over the gravel. Archie leaned over and put his arm round Nella. Her hair smelt of some pleasant scent, and the smell of leather and horses and hot sand and reeds swam up to his nostrils. He kissed her gently and she clung to his hand.

“So it’s all right now?” she whispered after a long silence. “It’s all all right now,” he answered, and they smiled at each other. Then they started up the other side of the drift in silence. The clop and splash of the hoofs as they went through the water, and the sudden squawk of a jay were the only sounds in the world.

They walked their horses along to Bloots, because they wanted to be alone together for a long time. Nella began to talk about the Hastings, about how they were going to farm. They weren’t going to trouble about the mine.

“But there’s a fortune there,” said Archie. “It only needs capital and the proper machinery.” “No, it would only make more tragedies. It would really, Archie,” and in spite of the heat she shivered a little. “But that’s the most awful rot, darling. Really it is . . just because a few people have failed with it.” “It’s worse than that,” she exclaimed tensely, and he looked round at her and saw that she was quite white, and her eyes looked haunted. “Nella,” he said. “Nella, my dear . . don’t look like that.” She shivered again, and tried to laugh. “It’s funny, Archie; but do you know I’ve always had that feeling about it, a sort of horror. I.shall be most frightfully glad when he’s closed the shafts.” “So shall I, if it’s going to make you happy. Nella, when we’re married, we shall be most disgustingly large landowners. Do you realize that your land joins on to mine?” “Oh!” she exclaimed in dismay, “and I’ve just let it for 10 years to that man.” “Well, he can’t have it now,” said Archie cheerfully. “We don’t want a .tenant, do we?” “No, we don’t.” They laughed happily for no apparent reason. “Before Mrs Hastings sees you,” said Archie, “you had better wash your face, and I’ll tell her about us. Happy?” “Awfully happy.” “So am. J.” The horses were tethered to the, hitching rail at the side of the house. “The gendarmerie are there,” said Archie cheerfully. He was happily unaware that there was any question of himself being a person of interest to the police; but Nella went rather pale and caught her breath. ■ CHAPTER XIX. Wentworth rode over to the Hastings with young Fingall. Brown he had sent forth to garner news, because there was no one like Brown for picking up unconsidered trifles of chat and spinning them into a coherent whole. At the moment Brown was engaged in gathering gossip from Beeston’s mine. But Wentworth rode glumly towards Bloots.

“You now see,” he said to Fingall, “just what comes of women being on the veld. They send me notes telling me my business. They send and tell me that a man called Peter Drew ■is in the district, and that I ought to find out who he is.” Fingall looked solemn, and Wentworth cast a ’ suspicious glance at his smooth and very young face. “And as a result,” Wentworth proceeded coldly, “I am reduced to travelling about the veld with a beardless boy, with a young trooper from a public school. You listen to me, young Fingall. I am going to leave you with the Hastings. You are going to stay with them, and you.are going to develop a deep affection for Nella Howard. So intense will your affection be that you will never leave her side. You’ve got a week’s leave.” “Oh, I say!” said young Fingall resentfully. “That’s a bit thick!” Wentworth grinned malignantly. “Besides,” said young Fingall, “you have already planted five native detectives on the place. I thought that was a bit excessive, anyway. One would have done.” “I’ve planted five,” said Wentworth, complacently, “because I always like to do things well. Nyassa boys always go about in groups, and, besides, I have an idea that it will be a good thing to have five. I'd have had five round Archie Fellowes’s place, only he would not have taken on five extra boys. It was a bit of luck that he fell for one.” “It seems to me,” said young Fingall, “that it’ll only cause more trouble with Archie Fellowes.”

“You needn’t worry,” said Wentworth kindly. “Nella Howard won’t ‘fall for you. Girls of that age don’t like boys of your age.” He pulled in his horse which had shied at something unseen by the roadside. “Snake, I shouldn’t wonder,” he commented. “Hate snakes—worse than I hate women on the veld.” * # # 4, . Dolly was in the living room when they arrived. “Can you have this lad to stay for a week or two?” asked Wentworth without preamble. “Love to,” said Dolly, “only I don’t quite know where he’ll sleep. Does he mind a divan?” “I dont mind anything,” said Fingall, in an agony of embarrassment. He cast a look of pure fury at Wentworth, who returned it with a benevolent smile. “Send him out and let him get those five boys you’ve just taken on to build him a temporary rondavel,” suggested Wentworth cheerfully. “It’s the least he can do.” “How did you know that I had taken f>n five boys?” she demanded. He pulled his nose and looked portentous. “They were in Klinter’s Dorp this morning, asking where they could get work. I had a feeling you wanted labour.” “I’ll go and collect those boys, if I may,” said Fingall, “and then get started.” “And do change out of uniform,” said Wentworth in a paternal manner. “You’re on leave. Do please recollect that you’re on leave, and that Mrs Hastings has' very kindly invited you to stay with her.” “Don’t take any notice of him at all,” said Dolly to Fingall. You do whatever you like.” When the boy had gone out of the room, she lit a cigarette and turned to VZentworth. “Now what is all this?” she demanded. “It’s just this,” said Wentworth. “I

don’t know who this Drew is any more than you do. Now you can’t chase that young woman all round the veld, and you' can’t keep her tied to the house with a bit of string without making everything difficult. But if a young and sentimental trooper, with a wide and candid brow, attaches himself to her side, then it’s all very different, isn’t it?” “I suppose,” said Dolly, “that you think you are a latter day Machiavelli. Well, you may be. And thanks for the young Fingall. He’s a nice child to have about the place.” “Let him down easy,” said Wentworth. “He feels very unhappy about his position.” “I’ll cherish him, said Dolly lyWentworth pulled his nose gloomily. “Oh, don’t do too much of that,” he said. (To be Continued).