"GAY VENTURE"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 October 1940, Page 10

"GAY VENTURE"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

T. C. BRIDGES.

CHAPTER 111. (Continued i. a “He believes I killed Kemp. I did ] not kill Kemp. He committed suicide, r All the same, if Captain Hedley gives ? the evidence against me that he has 1 threatened to give, and if you back it I may find myself on trial for murder. ■ Do you begin to understand, Miss Nisbet?” “It seems fairly clear,” Eve answered coolly. “You want me to .refuse to give evidence.” “Exactly.” ‘And if I am called as a witness, what then?” ■ “You can say you heard nothing.” Eve shook her head. “I did hear, Mr Tarver, and if I’m asked, I must say s.o. Let me pass, please.” CHAPTER IV. Tarver did not move. “Think a minute, Miss Nisbet. A million is pretty good pay for so small t a favour as I am asking you, and I am the only man in the world who can give it you, the only one who knows the facts.” .“Did Kemp know?” Eve asked, and Tarver recoiled as if she had struck him in the face. Before he recover Eve was past. Next moment she I was inside her cabin and had closed and locked the door. She sat on the I edge of her bed, feeling rather breathless. “And it was true,” she said presently. “I’m almost sure he was telling the truth.” She paused and thought a . while. “Then he did kill Kemp,” she murmured with a shiver. “He—he is a murderer.” She undressed quickly, . and it was not until she was ready for . bed that she unlocked the door. When ; Mrs Kingscote came in Eve’s eyes were closed, and to all appearance she was j asleep. Actually it was hours before , she slept, and when she did she wished ‘ she hadn't for the hooked nose and green-grey eyes of Youd Tarver figur-

ed unpleasantly in her dreams. It was a real relief when the stewardess brought her morning cup of tea and let the early sunlight into the cabin. After the woman had left the room Mrs Kingscote looked across. j “What’s on your mind, Eve?” she asked in her quiet, pleasant voice. “What do you mean?” evaded Eve. “My dear, you moaned and gnashed your teeth so that I was quite frightened. I got up once to look at you.” Eve was silent a moment. At first she had not meant to tell anyone of her meeting with Tarver. The whole thing was so absurdly melodramatic. Yet now she felt the need to talk to some one. Once started', the story came easily enough. Mrs Kingscote did not move or say a word until Eve had finished. Then she nodded. “I don’t blame you. my dear. I shouldn’t have slept a wink after such an encounter. The odd thing is you seem to believe that Tarver was telling the truth.”

“I do believe that,” Eve said slowly. “Have you any rich relations? “I don’t know much about my relations,” Eve answered. “I don’t remember my father at all, and my mother died when I was quite small and left me to my half sister, Jane. I have heard Jane speak of an old relative of my father who was very well off, but I’m afraid I didn’t pay much attention. I don’i even know his name.” “I should write and ask.”

“I will,” said Eve. She frowned. “But why did Tarver say that he was the only person who knew the facts? He declared he was the one man in the world who could give me this fortune. What is more —he meant it.”

“That is’odd,” Mrs Kingscote agreed. “Eve. I think you should tell Captain Hedley.” “I don’t want to be laughed at.” Eve said.

“Keith Hedley won’t laugh,, my dear —not at you, anyhow.” She smiled a little as she saw Eve blush. “In any case, it is only right to tell him. He will be the other witness against Tarver, and the fact that Tarver has tried to bribe you in strong evidence against him.”

“I’ll tell him,” Eve promised. “Now go and have your bath,” Mrs Kingscote said. “A cold shower will do you good.” The day was hot and calm, and the decks of the Dunoon unpleasantly crowded. Eve found no chance of a quiet talk with Keith that morning. After lunch there was the usual siesta, and later Eve joined the Kingscotes for afternoon tea. Keith came up presently and Zoe with him. The orang walked upright, clinging to his arm. She sat on a chair and handled her cup of tea like a perfect lady. As soon as tea was over Keith took Zoe down to her quarters, then came back and suggested to Eve that it was cool enough for a stroll. They found a quiet spot forward and leaned over the rail, watching the bow wave break endlessly across the silken swells. “Has Tarver been bothering you?” Keith asked suddenly. “How did you know?” Eve said quickly. “Mrs Kingscote said you had something to tell me. Naturally I thought of Tarver.” “Yes, it’s Tarver,” Eve said. “He stopped me last night on the way tp my cabin, and offered me a million not to give evidence." Keith turned and gazed at Eve. “A million." he repeated. "Seems a nice bit of money. Tarver must be richer than I thought." "But it isn’t his. It’s mine." Eve explained, and Keith burst out laughing. “There, I told Mrs Kingscote you’d laugh at me!" Eve said in an injured tone. “Not at you—at Tarver," Keith said quickly. “The idea of his bribing you with your own money is distinctly quaint. But evidently there’s more in this than I know. Suppose you tell me the whole thing." Eve did so and. after she had finished speaking Keith stood silent, frowning a little.

“Of course, it’s' all nonsense,” said Eve presently. ■> “I don’t think so," Keith said. “Tar- * ver could hardly put up a bluff like ' that. You have to remember that he ! is in a tight place. True, no one saw ’ him heave Kemp overboard, but your ■ evidence will make things very awk- ■ ward for him.” “I see,” said Eve slowly. “And I see something else,” Keith answered. "Which is that I shall have to take this story to the Captain.” Eve’s eyes widened. “Why? Surely there’s no hurry. They can’t hold any inquiry until we reach England.” “But Tarver is aboard—and free.' Eve looked up quickly. “You don’t think ” she stopped. “No, it’s too silly.” “Nothing silly about it, Eve.” If she noticed that he had used her Christian name Eve did not show it. “A man who has committed one murder won’t stick at a second to save his neck. I'm taking you back, to the Kingscotes,

then I’m seeing the skipper.” Eve did not see Keith again till dinner, or hear what he had done until some time later. It was not until they were alone that he told her. "It’s all right. Tarver is in his cabin and is to stay there—that is except for half an hour's exercise night and morning. And then, of course, he’ll be under guard.” Eve shivered slightly. "He’ll know it’s my doing,” she said. “And think how he'll be hating me!” “That’s the last thing I'd worry about, ’ Keith said. "Now let’s talk about something nicer.” “Your work,” suggested Eve. "I want to know how you catch wild beasts.” Eve could not have hit on a happier subject. Even the most modest of men will talk about his hobby, and Keith loved the wilds and their inhabitants, and had an amazing knowledge of his subject.

Eve was entranced. She had known vaguely that the capture of wild animals was a risky business, but it nad never occurred to her, for instance, how difficult and dangerous it was to get a tiger out of a pit trap into a cage or to handle ten feet of living death in the shape of a king cobra. Time slipped by without either noticing, until Eve suddenly woke to the fact that the decks were deserted. She got up quickly. “I must go down. It’s not fair to

keep Mrs Kingscote awake. But I’ve enjoyed every minute of our talk.” Keith laughed. “Our talk! Seems to me I’ve been doing all the talking.” “That’s what I wanted,” Eve declared. “I could never have told anything half so interesting.”

"I’m not so sure of that,” Keith said, and something in his voice' gave Eve an odd thrill. As he spoke two men came pacing past. They were Tarver and the Quartermaster detailed to guard him. Light coming from a window of the smoking room fell upon his face which looked yellow and unwholesome. He turned as he passed and fixed his greenish eyes on Eve and Keith felt the girl shiver. He pressed her arm. “It’s all right,” he said quietly. “He can’t hurt you.” Eve drew a quick breath. “Not now, perhaps, but he will. You too, if he can, Keith.” CHAPTER V. Eve lay flat on her deck chair, too limp to move. All the way up the Red Sea it had been getting hotter and hotter. The deck outside the awnings burned the feet, the faint breeze coming off the Arabian Desert felt like tne breath of a furnace.

Eve, young and vigorous as she was, found it very trying, and Keith, who had been through the Red Sea half a dozen times, admitted that the heat was unusual.

“But cheer up.” he said. “We'll be in the Canal tonight, and you’ll find a big drop in temperature once we’re past Port Said.” The sweltering day seemed a week long. At five they entered the Canal, but it was no cooler. After dinner Keith joined Eve on deck. During the past week they two had seen much of one another. It was the first time that Keith, in all his rather lonely life, had met a girl he definitely wanted to marry. It wasn’t only her looks, and Eve with her lovely complexion, slim figure, fair hair and dark blue eyes, had real beauty. It was the girl’s personality that attracted him. As for Eve. she had never met anyone at all like Keith. She was tremendously attracted by him, but was not sure that she was in love with him. That was largely Keith’s own fault. Keith Hedley was a man’s man and did not in the least understand women. If he had he could easily have swept Eve off her feet.

“Glass is falling,” he remarked. “Skipper thinks there’s wind coming.” ‘Wind!” repeated Eve. “How splendid!” Keith shook his head. "Not the wind we’re likely to get here. Eve. Remember, there is desert on both sides of us." They sat and chatted. “How long are you staying in England?” Keith asked. “I haven’t any idea," Eve confessed. “As long as Miss Lynd wants me, I suppose.” “You don’t seem io know a lot about your Miss Lynd." “Not much,” Eve agreed. “Still she must be a good sort or she wouldn't have sent me the invitation and the money to come." "She might—” began Keith, and just then a weird swishing, wailing sound which seemed to come out of the sky cut his words short. He jumped up "Quick!” he exclaimed. "We must get under cover.” “What’s the matter?” demanded Eve, startled. (To be Continued).