THE PRISONER'S SISTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1938, Page 10

THE PRISONER'S SISTER

PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT . COPYRIGHT

BY

PEARL BELLAIRS

(Author of “Velvet and Steel”)

CHAPTER XlX—Continued. Stuart strolled out with her when she went over to her rooms to go to bed. She rather wished that he wasn’t with her, because if she had been alone she might perhaps have stopped for a minute to stand in the shadow of a certain garage doorway —to remember and ponder. There was a brilliant moon. “Oh, Stuart, isn’t it a gorgeous night!” Julie raised her arms towards the light-filled night sky in a sudden ecstasy. It wasn’t, perhaps, the tone to use when she was with Stuart, who naturally adopted these moods as meant for himself; nor to have pressed his hand so warmly when he took hers to say good-night. —. But it was only that she felt a great friendliness towards the world because she was suddenly so full of unreasonable, overflowing happiness. She ran upstairs to her room, called "good-night” to him, and while Stuart stood below waiting to see her light go on, Julie had forgotten his existence as soon as the door closed. Next morning, as Stuart, had said, the paper contained an announcement: “The marriage arranged between Lorna Evelyn, daughter of Sir Hurst and Lady Treeves, of Treeves /Tower, Gloucestershire, and Mr Ferris Rand, will not take place.” There was one way of getting rid of restlessness and suspense, Julie had found, and that was to work frantically hard. She rushed at her duties that morning, did everything at high speed and with minute thoroughness. No call came from London. Stuart had to amuse himself by himself. In the early afternoon Julie decided to cheek the stock of linen in the hotel. The consequence was that when she had shut her ears to the sound of all cars arriving, and all telephones ringing, and she was muffled in the recesses of the linen room on the top floor, Rand arrived. He came alone in his sports car, not intending ..to stay the night. His arrival therefore was attended by Connor. only. He went into the smoking room, where he found Stuart, and they sat down. : “Where’s Miss/Moffat?” said Rand to Connor. ■ “Miss Moffat,-is engaged inform her that you’re here, sir.” “No! No! Don’t bother her! I’ll see her when she comes, down!” said Rand, and ordered a gin squash. The last thing he wanted to do was to appear to send for Julie, though he immediately hoped that. Connor /would tell her that he was there. “Well,” he said, to Stuart, “you’re looking fit!” ■ “I’m feeling, fit,” said Stuart. “I see you’ve, ha d your name in the papers again.” “Yes. Lorna and. I decided it was rather a farce to go on with things.” . “You know,'.! never quite understood why you wanted to marry her. I don’t think you’re the marrying sort.’.’ ■ Rand..qocked an enquiring eyebrow at .him, , and then replied dryly: , “Possibly not!” After a minute he asked, “How’s the work going?” “Not badly—but I’m afraid I’ve not had my mind on it,” said Stuart, with a smile. “How are you in these days? How’s the leg?” “Better.” Ferris was the only person to whom Stuart could talk about his crippled foot. “In fact, I’ve had no trouble with it. And I’ve been using it a good deal.” “So on the whole the operation was a success?” “Yes; I’m jolly glad you made me have it done! You know, Ferris, though you’re a mug when it comes to dealing with your own personal affairs —” “Thanks!” “Not all all—l don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t had you to deal with mine!” “I’ve done nothing for you!” said Rand.

“Oh, haven’t you?” “Don’t be a fool. Anyhow, even though you are an obstinate young half-wit, I’m pleased to see you looking better.” “Yes. I’ve been having a healthy time down here. Julie and I have been walking all over the countryside.” “Oh?” Rand looked up. “You and Julie” he repeated. Stuart coloured. He was quick to resent and defy any comment, and his eye gleamed a little. “Yes,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to have a talk with you about that.” “About what?” “About Julie. And the family. You see I want to marry her, and I don’t know how they’ll take it. I was hoping I could count on you to help.” Rand didn’t speak. While Stuart waited anxiously he bent forward and carefully stubbed out his cigarette in an ash-tray. “I mean—you haven’t any of the damn-fool ideas that they have. I thought you’d help,” said, Stuart, breaking the strained silence. Moving slowly to gain time, Rand lighted another sigarette. Finally he said: “And Julie? What does she think about it?” “Well, I haven’t exactly asked her, but from things she has said —look here, Ferris, don’t turn me down. Tell me you’ll help us!” Rand took out his handkerchief and mopped his brow. His face had a curiously exhausted look; his mouth was drawn into a wry smile. “It looks rather,” he said, “as though I have no choice!” Stuart’s face lighted up with relief and satisfaction. “Let’s go up to my room,” he suggested eagerly. “We can’t talk here!” And as he and Rand went up in the lift, Julie came down the stairs.

CHAPTER XX. Julie was in her office half an hour later when Rand came down from Stuart’s room. She had heard that Rand was in the hotel, and she was doing her best to look as though she was very busy. He came over to the office with a casual air, though when he got nearer she saw that he looked constrained. She felt excessively constrained herself. “Well, Miss Moffat,” he said in his most metallic voice, “how are you?” “Very well, thank you,” said Julie. He didn’t look at her, though her eyes were fixed on his face. “I said I’d come down. To apologise to you, wasn’t it?” He flashed her a smile. “Something like that.” “Well—do accept it, won’t .you? My apology, I mean. His brows were knitted as though he were preoccupied with seme inner thought, but his voice was facetiously matter of fact. “If I’ve ever annoyed you I’m extremely sorry. The effort of being the prototype of a great industrialist is a great strain — sometimes I break down under it. However, if you’ll accept my apology “Of course!” said Julie. “Thank you. Good-bye!” “You’re going?” “I only came for ten minutes, and I’ve stayed for an hour.” He nodded without looking at her, turned away, and walked out of the foyer and out of the hotel. That was all. That was all he had to say to her, and he had gone. Julie shut up the office and went over to her rooms. It was quiet there. The children were at school. She shut out the whole hateful world with a sob of relief. “Oh, what a fool I am,” thought Julie. “What fools all girls are!” She had known at the time when he had kissed her and talked as he had, that he was only amusing himself. How she had let herself imagine afterwards that he—hard, arrogant, super-successful—would ever think seriously about herself? She was drowned in humiliation when she had even suspected that he had broken his engagement to Lorna Treeves because of herself. She had actually hoped for such a thing! j It was an abominable disloyalty to Tom. She must have been mad! Julie raged. The incident shamed her so that she felt she would never be able to remember it without blushing. When she had recovered enough to go back to the hotel, she avoided Stuart, and gave him no chance to speak to her until the evening, when he was due to go back to town. She wanted to have no more personal dealing with any member of the Rand family. But he caught her in the foyer before he left. “Oh, are you going now?” said Julie. “Good-bye. I’m frightfully busy, I must rush!” She didn’t give him time to do more than squeeze her hand; she avoided his serious look and retreated hurriedly into the office. Stuart went away feeling thoroughly dissatisfied, wishing he had said more, and wondering what he had done to annoy her. He was staying in his rooms in town and he was working hard; but it wasn’t easy. He made up his mind to get things settled once and for all, and went down to Lime Grove in the afternoon two days later. ■ Julie was in her office 'and he went in at once to talk to her. He thought she looked pale and tired. He told her he had come down to see her. “To see me?” said Julie, raising her eyebrows with just the faintest hint or sarcasm.

“What’s the matter, Julie?” said Stuart puzzled. “You’re changed. You’re quite different.” “No. What makes you think so?” replied Julie, trying to smile naturally. “There’s nothing the matter with me,” It was difficult not to be melted by the eagerness of his face, his hurt serious eyes looking so wistfully into her own. “I wanted to talk to you before I went away last time,” he said. “But you didn’t give me a chance.” “I was busy,” said Julie. “I wanted to ask you if you could—if you would —will you marry me, Julie?” Julie stared at him. His fine featured, sensitive face was rather pale, and his eyes, when they looked dark and intense like that, made her think of Rand’s. It was as though she was suddenly stung into speech: “Oh, no!” she cried. “Don’t ask me! Stuart, I couldn’t!” She got up from her desk. White to the lips, he was looking at her with the deepest chagrin. “Why?” he asked. “Because —because—!” Julie fought to find words to explain in a way that wouldn’t hurt him. “It would be impossible! Apart from anything else it would harm you. Socially, you’d be ruined. You know about my brother, your family knows about him —it was your brother who prosecuted him!” “Couldn’t you forget that?” “Yes—l could. But your family wouldn’t like me —-they’d be angry. And then all your friends too —what would they say? No, it would never do!” “But Julie, do you think I care a rap about all that?” “You would in the end.” “I would not!” “Well, I would,” said Julie desperately. “I can’t do it, Stuart, and that’s that!” (To be Continued).