“MAN FROM THE AIRPORT”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 December 1939, Page 10

“MAN FROM THE AIRPORT”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

LESLIE BERESFORD.

Author of "Mr Appleton Awakes,” “The Other Mr North,” etc.

CHAPTER VIII. Continued. The other chucked in his huge way. “Sure, and it's mysef that’s surprised to find it so, boy!” he said. And how’s things here? I’ve been up to the big house where you’re staying, and a peach of a girl there told me where I’d be after finding you, said would I tell you to come along, as she’d a surprise for, you there.” “That would be Pamela —Sir Oscar’s daughter,” Peters explained. “Is that so? Well, she’s a fine lady, and I’d not be asking much encouragement to be taking her to the ‘flicks’ and holding hands ” “Don’t fancy your chances too keenly, Dan!” Peters laughed as together they moved to his car. “She's too swell for fellows like you and me. You’d very soon find the old man wanting to cast an eye on your banking account ’’ “It’s my overdraft you'll be meaning!” O’Corrigan chuckled a little grimly, as the car rushed them along country lanes towards the big Baring house. "Sure, Ireland's a great place for to be spending money,” he went on, "and I’ve always had the spending habit in my blood. I was totting things up on the way back, John, and I can see I’ll be needing wings again mighty quick if I’m not to go bust.” “Don’t worry, Dan,” Peters urged. “You chucked up that job at Otterbridge in a sporting spirit to take your chances with me, just as Pierre did, and both of you are coming into this business with me. Touch wood, of course, but I think I can fairly say were on big money.” “Fine. All the same, boy, the big money won’t interest me if I don't happen to fill the job good and square

“You’ll do that all right, so don’t worry. Things will shake out —again touching wood —that you and Pierre and I will be in a sort of partnership, and on clover.”

“In which case,” O'Corrigan chuckled again, “there may be a chance for me, after all, with the girl friend where we’re going ” But, the car drawing up a moment later outside Lea House, he uttered a loud exclamation of surprisse, gesturing with a hand. “I’ll be damned. Just see, John, who’s over there on the grass. The dame herself and —if it’s not that blackguard, Pierre. And it looks as if the blighter’s making the pace with well.” At the moment, not having as yet noticed their arrival, Pamela Baring was deep in animated conversation with Pierre de Brissac. A very different Pierre to the rough fellow • in flying kit out at Otterbridge. He was well groomed, and looked singularly handsome, Peters thought, though he had always called him good-looking. O’Connor chuckled grimly. “Making the pace? The man’s speeding. And he must have turned up after me too —”

Here Pamela Baring and de Brissac realised their presence. The former came towards them, speaking to Peters.

“So your friend found you all right?” she laughed. “I’m afraid I’ve been putting over a joke on you both. 1 said I’d a surprise for you. I had to do that, because this other friend of yours didn't want you to know he was here till you came back. He’s been here since just aftei’ lunch.” “Trust a Frenchman for stealing a march on his friends,” laughed O’Corrigan. “I hope, Miss Baring, you’ve not been paying too much attention to the man’s blarney, because —between ourselves —he's not a bit nice to know, if you'll only take my word for it.” Peters and Pierre meanwhile had been shaking hands, and discussing what Pierre had been doing in France, and how he had fared. Pierre was fully satisfied. He had found his relatives, and had a good time with them. Better still, through a distant uncle of his in Paris, he had come in touch with one of the heads of the best-known French air line.

“I've been doing quite a lot of flying over there,” he told the others. “Privately, of course. But, if I liked to accept it, I’ve a film offer with the Nord-Sud people in my pocket.” “Then, Pierre. I should grab it, and go right back to it,” O’Corrigan grinned, his laughing eyes on Pamela, and then winking at Peters.

“You must never take Dan too seriously," Peters confided. •The only thing 1 take seriously at this hour of the day is tea." replied Pamela. “What about it?’ Footmen were even at that moment laying the tables on the lawn under the interior of his house having just motored down from his London office. Peters introduced him to his two friends, about whom Sir Oscar already knew so much as Peters could tell him, and was glad they had now been able to accept his invitation to come here for a stay. They discussed the Peters Penetrator. as the invention would be called. It was a contrivance by means of which it was believed aero engines could be so fed as heavily to reduce the amount of fuelling, so that planes might fly long distances with fewer stops for refueling, and naturally less expense as well. The three really came together only to compare personal notes when they gathered later in Peters’ room.

There, eventually, the conversation drifted to the old days in Otterbridge, and Hughson. Pierre had only recently received in Paris a letter from someone out there. This had contained some interesting information. “Hughson had just been fired,” ne told the others. "Nobody quite seemed to know why. It happened all in five minutes. Of course, there were all sorts of rumours. Everybody said something fishy lay behind it. And there was some little Jew fellow mixed up in it ——”

“Ah . . ,” Peters interrupted, “You spoke about that chap on our last night there, Pierre ” "You remember that?" laughted the other. "Well, he said Hughson had something coming to him, if he didn't pay. I suppose he didn’t, and had to put up with the consequences." “And who’d be sorry for him?” asked Dan in his lumbering way. “He deserved the very worst he could get. the foxy-faced blighter. There must have been something pretty dirty behind it, for him to be fired on the spot. Serve him right, and may he know what it’s like to starve for a change—” “Go easy, Dan,” Peters urged. “That might be a good enough punishment for him, I agree. But you mustn't forget he’s a daughter. It won’t be so pleasant for poor Rose.” "I shouldn’t worry, John," Pierre intervened. "That girl had looks, and was smart. She’ll see she never starves, you bet. Anyhow, she and ner father left for England.’ “Looking for you, John. Rose, anyhow," Dan laughed. “Best be careful ”

“Which reminds me, John,” interrupted Pierre. “You remember that little squirt of a lawyer’s clerk, who was there that night with a story about the legacy you turned down .flat?” “I’m not likely to forget him,” Peters answered, asking: “What about him then, Pierre?” "Well, if that fellow didn't come down by the same train as I took from town, and get out at the station here there never were two fellows more alike in this life. This fellow was dressed much the same as the other —if it was any other —and he’d the very same way of talking, kind of mincing his words. He was with a foreignlooking fellow —a German, I should say

“And you’d probably be right, Pierre,” Petfers said, suddenly alive with' interest. He guessed at once that the German would be the Luttner person from the road-house. “What— —?” Dan was interested too. “You haven’t been in touch with him here, John, have you? Has he been after you about those millions again? Are ye telling that it’s a change of mind you’ve had, and you’re for taking them now?”

“No. I’m not taking them. But, since I’ve been here, I’ve met the girl who owns the Accrington fortune —’’ “And it’s a girl, is it?” Dan interposed. “Easy on the eye as well?”

“Decidedly.” 'Then it’s easy. Why, man, you’ve only to make up to her, let her know you’re the real heir, and fix things up so you get married and halve the estate.”

"No, it’s not so easy as all that, Dan,” Peters had to laugh, for O'Corrigan affected to have mercenery ideas on women and marriage. Peters, in a few vivid words, described his meeting with Paula Accrington, and outlined the events which had followed right up to the revelation made by old Mr Wallingford. “Nobody here knows as yet, of course, that I’m the rightful heir," he said, ‘and I don’t want them to know it. At least I didn’t want that—not immediately. But if you’re right, Pierre, and that pie-faced solicitor's clerk is down here in the neighbourhood, he’s pretty certain to catch sight of me, or hear my name, and then what’s going to happen?” “What do you want to happen, John.” Pierre. But. before I do that. I want to speak to that old lawyer of yours, and you put that little clerk and his German friend right out of court.”

“And that's what I propose to do, Pierre. But, before I do that, I want to be quite sure the one vital proof is in the register at that old Devon church. In fact” I'd made up my mind I was going down there in a few more days. However, since that little clerk, Tucker., seems to have turned up. I'd better get away as quickly as possible.” “We’ll both go with you,” Dan suggested, but Peters shook his head.

“No, that wouldn’t do, at all, boys. You’re just arrived here as guests of Sir Oscar. I don’t want even Sir Oscar to know where I’m going—at least, the real place, and certainly not the reason. I’ll go on my own—suddenly called away for some reason I don’t explain. I'll not reckon to be away more than twenty-four hours. You'll stay here and dig yourselves in —for Sir Oscar's prepared to like you. and he's worth cultivating " “D'ye hear that, Pierre?" Dan quizzed in his dry way. “Sir Oscar's worth cultivating, John said. Well, remember that, if you please, and keep your eyes off the daughter——"

They went to their rooms, quarrelling in the friendly way of men whom it would be difficult to part by real enmity. But Peters quick eye noted that Pierre was unusually terse with the Irishman, as well as embarrassed by that remark. Of that, however, he did not think much at the time, being more concerned with the far more important matter of the heritage which really was his, although Paula Accrington was playing ducks and drakes with it. The arrival of Tucker here had brought matters to a head.

Peters had so much sporting concern at least over Paula Accrington as to squash the obvious intention of the German and that little solicitor's clerk. Tucker, to extract money from her. It was really, after all. his money, once he was ready, and wished, to assert a legal claim. (To be Continued.)