The Troubled Journey

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19888, 18 May 1936, Page 4

The Troubled Journey

SERIAL STORY,

By MARGARET GLENN.

tYNOPBio. Joan Martin rannox “get on” wttn Janet, her stepmother. The other Martin children. Felicity and Jimmy, feel the sam?, but It is easier for them, as Felicity la married and living In London, and Jlinmy Is away at school. At la3t Joan revolts, and goes to live with Felicity. She attends a private commercial school owned by Derek Graham, a young widower, and later Is successful In obtaining a post as secretary to Georfrey Matthews, head or the vast commercial enterprise of Matthews and Wyatt. Meanwhile, avarice ha 3 bitten very deeply into Janet Martin’s mind. She hates her stepchildren, and plans to hurt them In every way she can. Felicity’s husband goes abroad to supervise an engineering job, and Felicity accompanies him. After seeing them oIT at Southampton, Joan is surprised to find Derek Graham waiting to run back to London. CHAPTER . VIII.— (Continued.) Joan uttered the single word almost breathlessly. She was utterly astonished. This was the last thing she had expected; and she could certainly understand why Dorothy ’’hoped" she wouldn’t like the news. ” But why?” she demanded, as soon as she had recovered from her surprise. “ I thought you were tvery happy there.” “ I was,” said Dorothy, and then obscurely; “If you take my advice, Joan, you’ll get another Job if you can fTnd one.” ” Why on earth should I?” demanded Joan, bewildered. Dorothy put her finger to her lips. ” I’ve said more than I should have done already,” she told Joan who was thoroughly puzzled by this time. “Just remember" to look round for another Job, but forget who told you.” “My chances aren’t very bright,” protested Joan. “Fd never had any experience before I joined Matthews and Wyatt.” “I know,” said Dorothy. “That’s why most of the others are Jealous of you. by the way. They all thought they should have had the job, and you came along straight from a commercial school and took it from under their noses.” Joan flushed to the roots of her hair. It was the first time she had looked on it like that. “Heavens!” gasped Dorothy, “don’t look as though you’ve stolen something. Geoffrey Matthews was wise not to have anyone from the rest of tho staff. Secretaries to men like that have to be able to keep a still tongue—and there aren't many there who’re capable of it?” “Aren’t there?” said Joan, more for the sake of saying something than meaning anything by It. All this, coming at once and without anv warning, staggered her. Of course" she could readily understand, now. why she hail difficulty 1n making friends with the others at the Strand iifilep. but she realised that jealousy yvniild have been caused by whoever had taken on the job. Hut what did Dorothy mean by advising her to try and find another situation. she was happy enough working' for Matthews, and she had thought Dorothy happy enough, too. She decided to ask. bluntly. “Why are you leaving?” she demanded. „/ “Because I thought It was wise, said Dorothy, quietly. “I’m sorry, .loan, but 1 can’t say any more than I ha\o done—you know that I would, If t could.” Joan nodded. She was buzzing with curiosity, but in the face of that •she could not press her companion for other Information. Before either of them spoke again, that little warning from Mrs Gregory proved a wise one. There was a noise somewhere beneath the bonnet of the car which puzzled both of them. Dorothy cooked a puzzled eye, and grimaced. Joan frowned. The car seemed to be going all right. “Listen!” said Dorothy, suddenly. Thev listened. Intently. Then both o' them burst out laughing, despite tlic seriousness of the situation. The ear was moving right enough, but the engine wasn’t going. They 1 1 ad boon on the crest of a long slope, and the car was travelling on its own weight. “Let it. run down,” advised Dorothy, .loan kept her hand on the brake, as they went down. Vs soon as the upward trend began, the car slowed down. The engine was giving an occasional little grunt, hut it. was not behaving as it should ... d ne. - 1 1 »n applied the brakes quickly, and pressed the self-starter, it didn’t help. “I didn’t expect It would,” said Dorothy. Joan looked rueful, and started to climb on to the road. “Nor did I,” she admitted, “but I always try that once. Now I wonder what’s happened. Do you know anything about cars?” “I know they should go without being pushed,” said Dorothy. “That’s very helpful.” said Joan, sarcastically. “But do you know what makes them go?” ”1 haven’t a notion." Dorothy admitted. peering Into the engine as Joan lifted the bonnet. They both sniffed, and asked each other, simultaneously, xvhat they were smelling. “Nothing unusual," said Joan. “Nor am 1,” said Dorothy. “Then why began Joan, and thm they both burst out laughing. There was something inexpressibly comical in the way that they had both sniffed -at. nothing. “I don't see anything that looks wrong.” said .Toan. when they had recovered their equanimity. “T never know whether they look right or wrong,” confessed Dorothy, who bad suddenly developed a desire | 0 be w iggtsh. Joan, feeling good tempered despite this hold-up, was up.re surprised than ever at the change which had overcome the usual serious woman. Was it possible that the new job which she had obtained b id caused this change in spirits? Dorothy suggested pulling the bonnet down and trying the selfstarter again. • l have beard,” she said, “that engines are tike horses—they need u rest now and again.” “What you've heard and what’s true doesn’t seem to have anything in «’om nion.” said Joan, “but we’ll try it.” ghi» climbed back into the car, and pr«s,.,l the self-startpp. To her complete astonishment the ear leapt 1 ‘‘Look out!” she screamed, at the top of her voice. Dorothy leapt sideways. a>* Ine cat pushed past her. Before Joan «\otld :ii,i• i\ the brakes, her friend was , v pds away, doubled up hi the middle of the road. was on her (V,q loan saw with relief, but she ■ Leaving tho car, Joan rushed hack.

When she saw Dorothy she stopded dead still, staring at the other girl in disgust. Dorothy was laughing helplessly. “It—wortced!” she gasped, as soon as she could speak. “Oh, Joan, your face when the car started was tWe funniest thing I’ve ever seen. 1 ” Joan started laughing, with her. It was several minutes before they recovered sufficiently to reach the car again. They climbed in, with Joan saying as they did' so: “If you "like, we’ll have a. bite to eat, now.” “We’ll be at my place In less than half an hour,” said Dorothy. “Don’t worry.” Joan nodded, and pressed the selfstarter again. Nothing happened. There was no sound, beyond the first buz as the propellor was given Its impetus. They stared at each other for a second, too full for words. By the time they had stopped laughing again, after Joan had given the first little giggle which had set them off, they discovered, this time, that the rest had done the engine no good. The car wouldn’t move. “We’d better have our lunch,” said Joan, as she started to unpack the case which Mrs Gregory had prepared for them. They were blessing that little woman as they ate the delicious sandwiches, and drank the tea which she had stored in the thermos flask. They were on a by-road, then, for Dorothy had been cor fldent that she knew the quickest route from Horsham to Glenham, the village for which they were heading. No car passed them until they had finished their meal, and were beginning to wonder whether they would have to walk back to Horsham for help. “We’ll toss up who goes and who’s to mind the car,” said Dorothy. Joan nodded, and took a coin from her purse. Before she had tossed it. however, they heard the hum of an engine coming towards them. “Put it back, quickly!” urged Dorothy. Joan complied, without knowing why. They loked to the crest of the hill which had helped them to get a little further on their Journey. The nose of a low-lying sports car came over, suddenly, and its engine snorted with a sudden burst of speed. The car roared towards them. “Road-hog,” grimaced Dorothy, as it seemed that the car would pass. The driver, a bare-headed young man in a suit of grey flannels cut on lines as rakish as his car, saw them just before he reached the stranded Morris, wrenched at his brakes and pulled the magnificent car up almost fn its own length. He stepped out quickly, and smiled at them. “Cun I help you?” he asked pleasantly. Dorothy nodded. Joan thought that this young man was one of the nicest she had met, but she admitted afterwards, that she was prejudiced because it seemed that he would be able to help them out of their difficulty. “We’re stuok,” she said, with a gesture towards the car. The young man nodded easily, and Strolled towards the Morris, which was a sparrow compared with a peacock when looked at In the same moment as the young man’s car, an Alvls. . He pulled up the bonnet. “We’ve done that, several times,” said Dorothy, who was irrepressible, that day. The man smiled, at her rather than with her. “I daresay you have,” he said, “but you haven’t the professional touch.” He frowned down at the engine for a moment, and then made one or two tentative movements with his fingers. Neither of the girls could see what was happening hut he seemed to be turning something. "limn!" he said, after a pause “Hmm!" He walked very seriously round the Morris, and then shook his head. Then he turned towards Dorothy, with a quiet smile. “If you caro to bring that—” be pointed towards the Alvls as he spoke, “we might do something.” Dorothy turned, mystified. She touched several tilings on the running board of the young man’s car until he said “That one, that’s right.” (To be continued.)