The Troubled Journey

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19883, 12 May 1936, Page 4

The Troubled Journey

SERIAL STORY

By MARGARET GLENN.

SVNOPSIS. Joan Martin cannot “get on" wilh Janet, her stepmother. The other Martin childl‘t’ll. l-‘eiicily and Jimmy, feel the some. but it is easier for them, as Felicity is nmri’iod and lirini: in London, and Jimmy is away at school. At last Juan revolts and sends a micprmn in Felicity, asking if she can live “'iili 1181‘. CHAPTER V. London again. ‘ Joan had been up to town several times since she had arrived at. Wim—bledon, but always with Felicity or Dick. For the first time she was alone; and for the first time she walked along; the length of the Strand. The vastness of the buildings, the multitudes of people, appalled her. She felt so small, so insignificant, un—til she realised that all the people about her were very much like her. All of them played some small part in the working of this great city. Even the maichscllers and the newshoys, the beggars who lined the pavements at regular intervals, all of them played a very definite part. She felt more confident, But her confidence oozed away when she entered the palatial offices of Messrs Matthews and \Vyatt. She had imagined that the firm would be a small one, with a tiny office and two or three typists and clerks. Instead, she entered one of the most imposing buildings which she had ever seen. Matthews and Wyatt be—lieved in doing things on a big scale. Their buildings, in the Strand, flvalled those of the big banks in size and magnificence. Uniformed commission—eires stood at the massive swing doors, and inside the building, great pillars of granite rose upwards to the ceiling which seemed so far away that it was invisible.

The ground floor, on either side of the wide, stone passage with its rub—ber covering, was literally filled with typisis and Clerks. The hum of machines, the murmur of voices, *the ringlng of telephone Dells, was inces—sant. Joan felt appalled. She would never be able to accustom herself to this.

She did notice, however, that the commissionaire seemed impressed when she asked for Mr Matthews; that Derek Graham‘s friend could be the Matthews of this great firm she could hardly credit, but it seemed as if it was. That opinion was confirmed very quickly. _ As though in a dream Joan was led along the passage, up a wide flight of stairs more suitable to a country mansion than a commercial building into a comfortably fltted lift, and whirred upwards, guided by a cheeky-faced lift—boy. On the fourth floor of the building the lift stopped. Another commissionaire was waiting to escort her to the private ofilce of Mr Matthews. Joan‘s knees felt very weak, but she contrived to maintain her composure, even when she reached the door which was marked: Geoffrey Matthews, Managing Director. The commissionairc opened the door and ushered Jean in. As she entered, she felt more tiny than ever. ‘ The room was tremendous, and it seemed even larger than it was be—cause of the fact that it was compara—tively empty. Only one large desk and one smaller one stood in 'the cen—ire of the room, although the walls, on two sides, were lined with steel filing cabinets. Two doors led from the omce, one marked: ” Private,“ and the other “ Secretary."

Geoffrey Matthews was a large man, florid-faced but genial to speak’ to and to look at. He had bright blue eyes which could be very hard but which were smiling pleasantly at that moment. Joan, who had dropped into the habit of noticing small things, saw that his very white teeth were false. She had an impression of a man‘ whose shoulders, clad in dark grey, were tremendously wide, and whose features were homely rather than impressive. He might almost have been called ugly. “Miss Martin?“ Matthews started the ball rolling. “Mr Graham asked you to come along and see me, I think.“ “ That‘s right,“ said Joan. She was surpi'ised‘thnt she managed to keep her voice steady, and she was even more surprised to find, now she was actually in the presence of the man who controlled this vast com< mereinl enterprise”, she did not feel wobbly. Geoffrey Matthews was favourably impressed. He was concerned with her manner rather than her appearance, but in his work he had found it necessary to have girls who were pleaSant to look at. Many people would have been surprised to know how much Geoffrey Matthews relied on the pleasantness of his staff in the fostering of his business interests “Sit down," he said, pointing to a ‘ehair which was placed opposite his idesk. ‘ As Joan sat down, she felt his eyes ion her. This gave her confidence. ‘She looked and felt completelyiet her tense as he said: i “You haven‘t had a great. deal of i commercial experience? " ‘ “I've none at. all." said Joan, frankly. i “Age? " asked Matthews. “ Twenty-one." i “Hmnil” Matthews frowned; that twns hardly old enough. And yet his lpresent serretury \vnsn't a great deal older; and she was leaving him, Very srmn. in fuel, she hurl told him 01‘ her comings: murriur—“e on the previous day. just. before ilcrel; Grnhuin luui telephoned him. On such small iihing‘s tihl the fortunes :uui iniSi‘or—ituuvs of Joan Mnrtiu depend. i llu uslied several other questions, [unit nmhh‘ll iinztlly, 4151 mm her in wait. lltu went thin the main iuurlmli privuie. innit .iuilll rouhl hour ‘lhv murmur 01' i runwrsulinu. A woman's \‘uh-e mingled with .\luiiiu'\\'s'. until thn (l|lill‘ inpnxtml :luuin :lllti .\l:lillli‘\\'s rout»— lu‘urmt. t'ulluwwl li_\' u unity—rind :xlul ‘umluulitutily pretty girl—or wuuiun, .tmu thought. She. was prulxuhly itu-‘uly-slx tll' seven. i “,\li.~.< Murmurs." suht Matthews i\\ith .l quivli ll'lti. “ Slit-‘5 linu'inr um iiu i\\n mnuihs‘ limo, til‘Slliit' I'w‘ryithiu." l mu mi." ‘ .|u.iu sluilwl. utut lll.|iil‘ snuh' I'oruiul ii‘i'lllilil'ili. She Iturlll)‘ rr‘ulisetl that ‘tlw lune \\.l< thing. .\[uiilll'\\s mun? iill.tiil\' lmuhrtl .lt his \\'.\irh, utter some ‘t\\l'ul,\' minutes ni runwrszitiuu \\iii|‘h. .tittlnltuhit!l.u|:iv'.llilll.iiill.\‘\\itltlHi.~i—um“, manual in il.l\\‘ little or nothing in sin \xith lhv prospect ut' “writ fur ,Iu ill, Mullah-“s ihulmt .!i his tn'wwn! Mm. “Mam :H it" will: " it! mull) iii!" I‘.l>' tuvtw, )li»\ Martin." Joan unaided, and looked at him.

hardly knowing what 'to say. She missed the quick nod which ‘Miss Mangers gave‘

“Come along Monday," said Mal—ihews, “ and let‘s try you out, will you? Say a fortnight's trial?“ Joan kept her head with difficulty. It seemed hardly credible that she should he a candidate for Miss Man—ders' position—secretary to A man so obviously rich as Geoffrey Matthews, But she was. i She left the building in a dream, but contact with the streams of people and trains soon brought her back to realities. But the glorious fact re—mained that she was going to start a Job, even though it was only on trial,l on the following Monday. ‘ She would have flushed with plea-i sure if she could have heard the eon- 1 versetlon in Geoffrey Matthews‘ ofllee‘ after she had left. , i “She seems like enough," said: Matthews, to Miss Menders. “ She'll be all right,“ said the latter. “She‘s capable, Mr Matthews, and I think she will pick up the job veryl well." “ if she’s half as useful as you'vel been," said Matthews, in a rare moment of expansiveness, “ she will Del very good indeed.” Miss Manders, who had worked for" Geoffrey Matthews for four years, and! who had never heard him utter 'i word of praise before, flushed ‘to the, roots of her hair. _ i It was only natural that Joan, in her i excitement, should call at the Grahami Commercial School before going toj Downs Road, that afternoon. Derek; Graham who was not workinsi at that. moment, was obviously‘ delighted that she was going to set, a trial for the Job of Matthews‘ sec-i retaryship. ‘ “\Vhet kind of a firm are they?“ Joan asked. She felt very much at home with this rather shy, and very serious young man. Derek'shrugged his shoulders. i “ It‘s difficult to say," he said. “At least, I suppose it‘s difficult to under—stand, for anyone 'whose previous experience ls—" “ Nil," Said Joan promptly. They both laughed. “Matthews and \Vi'att mix every,thing," went on Derek. “ They have a large insurance department, acci—i (lent, legal and marine, they‘re brokers, ‘eonnnlssion agents and shipping agents. They own one or two small factories, but for the most part they’re inter—ested in finance—the forming of companles and that kind of thing." Joan nodded. She did not fully understand all of it, but she gathered enough to understand that Matthews and Wyatt were not only big people, [in the commercial sense, but that their I activities covered a multitude of things. Strangely enough, she felt no fear of the outcome of her trial at the office. Her confidence helped her a great deal. ‘

Just three weeks after that first interview with Geoffrey Matthews, Joan burst into Park View, and raced along the passage towards Felicity, who was standing in the living-room. “I‘ve got itl" she cried. “he signed an agreement for a twelve months‘ job, with a month's notice either side. Felicity! isn't it wonderfui.” “You lucky little scoundreli“ laughed Felicity, hugging her sister- “ Why, thousands of girls would give their heads to have your chance. You can thank Derek Graham for that." “ I shall be seeing him this evening." said Joan, without noticing the smile on Felicity"s lips, or at least without realising what it meant. It was at half past ten, when she reached the front gate of Felicity’s house, that she suddenly remembered that smile, and had an inkling of its meaning. Derek Graham, who had been taking another class of pupils for evening study that night, had taken the opportunity to walk from the school to Downs Road with Joan. He had pooh—poohed the suggestion that she owed him anything for getting the job. “If you hadn’t been suitable," he said, “Matthews wouldn’t have taken you on, Miss Martin. I was only the intermediary.” “I wouldn‘t have had a ghost of a chance, without your help," said Joan, warmly. And then Derek, who was standing by the gate wth her, looked at. her Very straightly, and there was an ex—pression in his eyes which she had seen before, but which she had never understood. “1 hope I shall always be able to help you," he said. “if you’re ever in need, please come to me." The pressure oi” his hand, as he had said good-night, had stung her. He knew. suddenly, overwhelmingly. that ‘he was in love with her. In love! ‘ She stared after his retreating n - ure, and felt a. little tugging at her heart. Was it possible that she was in love with him? She wondered, and it was then that ‘she remembered Felicity‘s smile. She Ireminded herself, too. that it had become almost a habit with her to won—der what he would think about the various things she did. True. most of tier interests, at that time, were bound up in the school, and it was natural enough that he should be prominent in her thoughts, But ~—

Joan flusfierfland for once was very quiet that. night.

CHAPTER VI. It said a. great deal for Janet Mar—tin's clevm-ness that she had never quarrelled wilh 1101' husband. ’l‘o herself, she Pxplained it by saying that she 11ml married him for money. and as he hurl nm'nr slinlcd her, she had nothing to quarrel about. But only by lhc greatest self—repression llflll shn succcctlr‘d, run sovcml occasions, in repressing bltlm‘ words about. lhe children Flm had rofusr‘rl to look nn Joan as :1 young \Vonmn; she would have. likml to have kept. Jimmy at home, so lhul, hr' would hm‘n lmon nndnr hm‘ nnnll‘nl all the limrx ll was 11 slrunk nl‘ nlvslinuvy in hm' nulux‘u \\‘llll‘ll l'llllsl‘ll lllisl 91n- wnnlml lhr- l'llllIll'|‘llkh‘lll\ always wnllml llmm thus. whun talking: with hm- lmslmml—lu ulmy lll‘l' ilnplin‘llly. ulosllilv llll‘ furl, Ilanl shr' lmnw nl' [lll‘ll' lllslikn nl‘ ]l|‘l'. ll‘ llw 11-ulh \\‘;l.< lunm’n. sln» “up. jnnlnns: nl‘ lhr‘ msl. al' ”ll‘ll' mnlhvr. John‘s first \\'if(‘. NM'm‘lholoss, ll ‘\\'llS nnt unlil 71 mnon allm' .lnan 11ml lr'l'l, Dnnrhnslm' llml slu' luul lm‘ lll’sl rm] (lil'l'm‘vnl‘f‘ with John .lulm Marlin was as l‘lL‘Cpl)‘ immt‘r—>oll in his work as 4‘\'(‘l‘. I’l‘r'qur‘nlly lm \U'wlmrl unlil lht' ml‘l)‘ lmul‘s of lhr‘ nlHl'llimr. :lml .lnllf‘l mm‘ \m‘y lillln nl' him. .\.~' lmlh .lnnn and Jimmy \\|‘l‘l‘ .I\\.»l‘\'.hlll‘\\{lfi nhlr‘ in 110 Irxzu‘lly “hat

she wanted; eontmriiy, she wanted only to have Joan back at ihe house. It; was dimeult to define her filli—tude; but she felt that she had failed to control the girl; and Janet Marlin‘ was not used to failure. 1 One morning, at the time when Joan was starting the course of lessons under Derek Martin, Janet broached the subject. ”I haven't heard from Joan for over three weeks," she said. “When is she coming back, John?” Old John Martin's mild eyes flick—ered. “I' don't really know, my dear. She‘ll probably find something to do in London. She doesn't want to he tied down in a dusty old place like this for 'ever." Janet’s eyes sparkled, “I'm tied down long enough," she flashed. John nodded, and smiled, although Mary, in the old days, would have realised that his smile was not quite so guiieless as it had been a few min—utes before. “That‘s rather different," he said. “She's young, and she hasn‘t seen min-h of life. The change will do her good” “Are you suggesting," demanded Janet, “that I didn‘t do my duly by your daughter?" Old John, for nnrrx lainthml iii—"ilily, “Nuihing of Hip kind.“ ho zissurmi ilf‘l‘_ “it‘s just iiini. Joan iinsn‘i hm‘ii interested in the home." “She should have been." snapped Janet, “You rnn'l dirtnlv‘ [o imnporon'imil.“ said Old John. inkinr: oIT his .Elussr‘s and polishing: ihrni slowly. “lion'i worry about. her, my door. She‘ll he all right," lii‘ rrhlnrriii his linssos nnii nmiilmi himself in his rililill hut his wife “us not, ilnishi‘rl \\'iih ihr‘ sulrim't. Slit) had told hi‘rsi-It' ”liii liu \Vnsn'i inlr‘r--051m! in his I‘ililiii'l‘il; ihv ilisrm'ui-y iilzii. he \vns ni‘iutiiiy romloninu‘ Joan’s foolish roniilii‘i. ihnt ho \\'.i< iiuiiv ready in .‘iiilm' her to sin)" in London. if she visited, l‘lli‘ilL’i’Hl HH' minim" woman. i (To 1w ironiinumi.) I _\_—— ‘