LADY FOR SHANGHAI

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1939, Page 12

LADY FOR SHANGHAI

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

By

KAYE FOX

CHAPTER 111. (Continued). It was Mrs Pan- herself who suggested going to watch the dancing when they heard the big gramophone started up on the deck soon after dinner. She did not include Christine in the invitation, but at least she and Miss Crane could not object if Christine went with them. Not many people were dancing, and so Martin Royde and Fay were all the more conspicuous as they danced out of the darkness into the light, his black head, flecked with grey at the temples, very close to Fay’s halo of golden curls. Christine had never seen Fay look lovelier than she did that night, with her blue eyes shining and her cheeks softly flushed, and she winced when Fay’s gay laughter rang out in answer to something which Martin Royde had whispered to her. “Miss Lind from my section,” Miss Crane said to Mrs Parr. “Silly little fool —like most of these modern girls, she thinks she knows everything. I suppose, but she’s up against something if she’s going to take up with that Royde.” “Has she got a mother with her?” “No —travelling alone. Old Mrs Bugle is at her table in the saloon, and tried to be nice to her, but the girl was cheeky and rude, and none of the older passengers are having anything tc do with her now. Well, all I can say is that if she’s asking for trouble, she’s likely to get it.” Christine hardly heard what they said—-she was watching Fay and Martin Royde, who went on dancing together even alter a crowd of other people came out on deck. Somehow, she must see Fay and warn her. CHAPTER IV. “I didn’t expect to see you, at this time of night, Christine,” Fay said, in a rather hostile lone, as Christine-slip-ped into her room at midnight. Fay, still fully dressed, had been standing in front of the dressing table, staring at herself in the mirror, when Christine came in, and Christine saw i that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes very bright. ( “1 came down earlier, but-you were not here,” Christine explained, “so I waited until the others were asleep and then crept out of our cabin. There’s no one on watch now except the night .watenman—and I hope he’s cleaning shoes somewhere.” “Any special reason for being so desperately anxious to see me tonight?” Fay asked, sitting down on the bed and kicking off her slippers. She was so elaborately casual that Christine knew that she had a bad conscience. “1 wanted to speak to you—about Martin Royde. Fay,” Christine • said bluntly. “Some of my passengers were talking about you yesterday, and they said you were getting friendly with him.” “The gossiping old peahens—why can’t they mind their own business?” Fay muttered. “But I saw you tonight, Fay, dancing with him.” “Well, there's no harm in dancing, is there?" “There is—with Martin Royde, Fay. I He's sailed on this ship before, and the staff knows all about him—and I can tell you, Fay, that I couldn’t bear to hear his name coupled with my sister’s." “He's the most attractive man that 1 ever met." Fay burst out, "and I know what I’m doing, thank you, Christine. Every woman on this ship is mad about him, and I won’t have you interfering—coming along here to preach at me. You're so narrow-minded " “Fay 7 —You've never been East before," Christine said grimly. "Do take my word for it. that there are some people on board who aren't —very safe friends for you, and that Royde is one of them." “I'm old enough to judge for myself." Fay said, her mouth set in an angry line. "You may be-my elder sister —i and by bad hick you happen to be on I the same ship—but 1 won't have you ! . meddling with my private affairs.' You're as bad as that old Mrs Bugle 1 who had the nerve to give me whal she called a little motherly 7 advice —" "Which you took very badly. Do have a little sense, and don't make yourself unpopular, as well as getting yourself talked about with-—with one of the unstcadiest people. By the time you get to Shanghai, you may wish that you hadn't." "Will you mind your own business. Christine?" Fay 7 burst out. "It's true that you've been East before, and I haven't —but you've been East as a stewardess, not a passenger. I can just imagine the way the stall' talks about the passengers. They don't like to see ether people having a good time when they have to work." "Don't be silly "

"Silly! It's yon who are silly. Christine. if you think I'm going to be scared by your hints, picked up from the stewards. Are you going to stay here all night, or will you clear out of this room and let me go to bod?" "1 must go to bed myself." Christine said, reluctant to leave Fay. but quite sure by this time that she could do no good by staying. And she dare not stay tiny longer, for Mrs Parr or Miss Crane might wake up arid miss her. and it would be difficult to explain her absence from their cabin in the middle of the night.

It was almost impossible for Christine to see Fay at. all during the clays which followed, for Fay was never in her own room until late at night, and it happened that Mrs Parr had neuralgia and was sleeping badly. Christine saw Fay dancing with Martin Royde evening after evening, and she heard the comments made by both passeiigi-rs raid stewards, but she had warned Fay onee, and she could do no tiling more

Christine and Grant were doing number eighteen together on the day that the ship was tied up at the wharf at Port Said. Since there was no inspc.ction when the ship was m port, and both Mrs Smythe and Mrs" Collins had been up fairly early, it gave Christine a chance to do that room really thoroughly for once. "I suppose they'll come back laden with half the contents of the souvenir shop," Christine said, disentangling a long bead necklace which had tied itself round some of the pots and bottles on the dressing table, "and this room will be a greater muddle than ever." "They will not," Grant told her with a grin. "They've gone ashore together, on their own. and they're not likely to spend much at any shop. If they’d gone with Royde it. would have been a different matter--but Royde is otherwise engaged." "With—Fay Lind," Christine said, under her breath. "You're right, Miss' Jordan—with that little fool, Fay Lind. I saw them going down the gangway as soon as the ship tied up, an hour before Mrs Smythe and Mrs Collins went. Of course, they may be going to join forces later, out I don’t think so —I think Royde lias come to some arrangement with Mrs Smythe ” "What sort of arrangement?" Christine interrupted, her busy hands suddenly pausing in their task. Well, you know that Royde and Mrs Smythe are old friends, and that they were together a good deal at the beginning of the voyage. He's dropped her lately—but I happen to know that he's paying her chits, for drinks and cigarettes and so on. Seems to me that he’s more or less bribing her to keep clear while he amuses himself with the Lind girl—after all, if she liked to turn nasty, she could tell the Lind girl a mighty lot about him, couldn't she?” “They make me sick, these people," Christine said, in a choked voice. “Why worry, Miss Jordan?” Grant said lightly. “If you're going to start getting worked up over the things the passengers do, you’d better retire from this profession before you have a nervous breakdown. I don’t care what they do—so long as they don't slip off without tipping me at the end of the voyage." “I don't care as a rule, but sometimes ——" "Simetimes you feel like a human being, not like a stewardess. And sometimes I don’t feel like a steward, and I long to tell some of ’em just what I think of ’em—but we'll both get over it as we grow older, Miss Jordan. It's the first twenty years that are the worst.” He went, out laughing, and Christine heard him start whistling as he strolled down the alley-way to the cabin de luxe: there was a pleasant feeling of leisure on the top deck that day, since Port Said was their first port, outward bound, so that this was the day with no inspection. Christine herscld had been rejoicing in the thought that Perrin was too busy in‘his own office to interfere with the bedroom staff that morning, but Grant's information had set her worrying about Fay again. Of course she had been worrying about Fay before, but she had somehow hoped that Doria Smythe would make a violent scene with Fay, before Martin Royde's influence over the girl became 100 great. But if Doria Smythe's silence had been bought, there was no one to check the dangerous friendship between Fay and Royde. Fay was by this time thoroughly unpopular with all the older women. Late that evening, after the ship had left Port Said. Grant came to toll Christine that Mrs Smythe wanted her. She went up to number eighteen al once, and found Doria there alone. "I've grazed my elbow stewardess." Doria said. "I knocked it against the car door when I was getting out, and though Mrs Collins bandaged it for me. alter a fashion, she hasn't made much of a job ot it. I’d like you to do it again.” “I'll fetch a fresh bandage." Christine < suggested, looking at the rather nasty graze on Doria’s elbow. Christine went back to her own , cabin to fetch the things she wanted, and when site returned lo number eighteen, Martin Royde was sitting on the settee, talking to Doria. She hesitated at the door, wondering whether to go in, but Doria signed to .her to go on with her bandaging, and Royde ig- j nored her completely. "I haven't said anything to the little girl about the dance club idea—l . thought that had better come from you." he said, “but t'm sure she’ll jump at it.” "And—-.you're still keen on the idea yi tirsell? Doria asked, in - t rather strained voice. "Of course 1 am. my dear girl—haven't I promised to back you? If you can provide them with some attractive little partners like Fay Lind " Christine, glancing up at Doria's face, caught the expression of sheer hatred in her eyes, but Royde was fidgetting with a bracelet which he had picked up oil Hie dressing table, and was not looking at Doria. "Well, I must leave you now. my ' dear, for I've got an engagement." "With Fay Lind. of course'.'” But Royde left without replying. (To be continued.)