SERIAL STORY The Troubled Journey

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19901, 2 June 1936, Page 4

SERIAL STORY The Troubled Journey

CHAPTER XIX. ‘ Jimmy Martin, meanwhile, was staging a different battle. He had always been older in manner and habit than his age, chiefly due to the blow he had suffered when his mother had died. He thought and acted like a man in the early twenties; and he set himself to watch over Joan. He had accepted the money which Janet had given him as much for Joan as himself; it gave him the power which he wanted to make inquiries; without money he would have been handicapped, or so he thought. lie did not believe that his step—mother had given him the money because his father had wished it. He was rather inclined to think that Janet had thought to Solve her conscience with the gift. Jimmy wanted to know why. He had a. shrewd idea, but for a while he had been unable to make up his mind to act on it. AS soon as he discovered his sister was in need, how—ever, he decided that it was time to not. ‘ lie saw a solicitor near his school. ‘and did exactly. as Felicity had sugigrsted to Joan—told the man exactly iwhat he thought had happened. The seriousness of the youth made the sol—iiclior give real attention to the sugv i gestion. i He was a middle-aged man, who timew ihnt Jim was a good specimen of young English manhood; Jim’s reputation for Sport had reached the ears of many people outside the school, and he was known. also, as a lad who could be trusted. Jim liked the solicitor, and felt quite at home in the comfortably furnished office. “ You really think there is a Will of a later date?" the lawyer said. “ l‘m practically certain there is, Mr Williams," said Jim. quietly. “I know it's rather a serious thing to suggest. and 1m telling you in confidence, of course. But i believe my father made the second Will and that it was delib—eraely hidden—~or destroyed.“ ' } Mr \\‘iliiams pursed his lips. " it‘s possible," he said. "What do iyou want me to do? Make a deilnite iacousaiion. or—“ ‘ “Nothing like that!" exclaimed Jim. “I thought you might be able to handle it some way in which there's ino rcul acruxdion, but the meaning is obvious." The lawyer laughed. "You'd (In \vrll in -in.\' profession." he said. “i illink I know what you nic:ln—-—" The man broke off. and wrote rapidly on a pad in front of him. Then he showed .lim what he had written. 'ihc lad nodded with satisfaction. " That‘s just what i had in mind," he said, ”only i shouldn't have been able in put it like that, of course." Mr Williams eyed the lad thoughtfully. “ l‘m not so Sure." he said. Janet Martin's; ronscience had not troubled her. but she was afraid that Ibr swrr‘i miitht lt-nk out. Silo had inkr‘n the \\'ill. of rout-se. but she had inoi drrlrnyrd ii. She realised that ii. iwns just ]iil<>iltli‘ muneonc would ;l\nn\\. delimit-l}: that ii hail oxislril. ;it' sin-h :i r-itliniioli should develop, :slio kin-w \\lii"l‘l' tlit‘ “in was, and it !\\Ulllii hr ntlillili‘ rnougli for hrr to Iproduct:- it, whitv making out that it had boon discovered by accident. Ai’irr --i\ months, however, she had felt svrurc. , Sim had been wise enough to guess _ ihai Jim's education must be iinishcd. i o' Joan and FE‘llCity would have started making inquiries. ii Jimmy was happy in his schools and colleges, however. Ishe doubled whether the others would 3i:ii;e the trouble to investigate the {question of Old John's \V‘ill. it was a shock which turned her deathly pain when she received the lciicr from Jim's solicitor. There was lnothing suggestive in the wording, but .iunet knew what the letter meant. it tread: “My client, Mr James Martin, advises me that he believes a “in is in existence by which he. and his relatives, should beneilt. it is be—lieved to be dated about twelve months ago. The “flu is that 01' his iathor, your late husband. it would be appreciated if you rouid afford an early opportunity for a thorough search of the late Mr John Martin‘s personal effects." Janet realised. at the back of her mind, that a great deal of this letter was bluff. She wished that she could have summoned the courage to say that all Uld John’s personal eflects had been examined immediately after his death, and that only the one Will had been discovered. only the nagging fear that somewhere in the world there was proof that he had made the other prevented her. Two days later Mr \\‘illiams visited Danchester on Jim's behalf. He was courtesy itself, and he assured Janet that he was reluctant to make the search, but his client had been very insistent. Janet contrived to keep her itemper. ‘ Mr Williams discovered that vital document in the drawer of a small desk which Old John had used in his laboratory. The laboratory had long since been dismantled. but it was quite conceivable that the \\'ill had been overlooked. where it had rested. If the solicitor had his own ideas about the reason for the delay in tinding it, he said nothing; nor did Jim Martin. ‘ But ihe latter was overjoyed at the discovery. it meant that Joan could have whatever she wanted. it meant that he had an excellent start in life—Mrs Gregory. good—natured and gen—erous, received the wire which came for Juan, following Jim's discovery, and felt that she must nprnit. Joan haul been at Chelsea for nearly a work, nursing Ralph, and Mrs Gregory would rather anything hnpprncd than .loam should get still more bad news. The wording of the iris-gram stagv: gored her; shu could not, credit it. at first. it was very short and sweet. 1 “ '\V'iil iound. You're worlhl three thousand. Jim." .\frs iircgnry cried, out of shear! pleasure. And then she hurried into‘ her hat and roat and made for illici-1 sea. The sooner Joan received ihist hows the better. and Mrs Urchin-rt would not trust anyone also with thoi drlivcry of ii. ' Joan \\‘ii.~l looking: down at tho ling< gard fari- of the man Slii‘, lovrd. lirr mm eyes were blond-shot and tired. llor hands and arms achml‘ nnd ,ilpt felt tlmi she could not last, “mum. day. 7"le “Pr" losing iho right with penumnnia. Old l'ieoffrr} mm“ mm» “1,. room. and put his hand on her arm, very gently. "3““ n “hilt‘f' ho amiscd licr. "\\‘n can do nothins morn Joan. and vou‘” only harm yourself." ‘ Joan sighed. wearily.

By MALGARET GLENN.

“I can‘t rest," she said. “I must watch him, I must. Don‘t you see?" The man who had once employed and liked her, and who had since learned to love her, nodded, and drew away. The crisis was then on. They couldd see the redness of Ralph‘s face, they could see him struggling for breath; and gradually he sank into a state of coma. It seemed that the end was approaching. Joan whispered urgently to Geoffrey. “The doct'or—Jhe must come. Get him . . . . " Geoffrey nodded and turned to the door, although he had very little hope. now. As he opened it, he almost ban-g—----ed into the figure of Mrs. Gregory. Iwho hand was actually raised to knock. The older women took the situation in at a glance. “What is it?" she asked Geoffrey. in a fierce whisper. ”Pneumonia?" l "The—the crisis," muttered Goof!— rey. He felt weary, almost broken, at ‘the moment. I Mrs. Gregory seemed to give him new life. however. She crossed to lJoan, and urged the girl on to a couch. n'l‘hen she sent Geoffrey on his mission, 'and his words hummed to the music if her words. I “I think the crisis has passed," she ' said, “hut I‘m not sure. Better get [the doctor—and don‘t worry about *money.“ l Joan‘s eyes, heavy with sleep, flick—jered. . | “You really think it's over. Hell l’get well?" . Mrs Gregory nodded,and she smiled {as the girl's eyes flooded with tears. ! CHAPTER XX.. I It was on the following day. I Mrs. Gregory was very wise. She had not broken the news of the wire. for a shock. following Joan's ,week of nervous tension, might have caused a collapse. But Joan had rested for twelve hours, and Ralph was breath—yong more easily, with the crisis pass—ed. The terrible anxiety was over. I "The funny thing is," said Mrs. tGregoi-y, “that I‘d no idea at all ]whether the crisis had passed or not, ,hut i had to get that awful hopeless— Jness out of your eyes, Joan. $0 1 took ‘2l chance. And it succeeded. 1 Joan laughed lightly. She still took—led tirtd. but she was fresher by far {than she had been on the previous ‘day, and her wearlness had a kind ol‘ ‘rosiness. llaiph was sleeping; natur—ially in the other room; what more did ‘she want? “I don‘t know what we’d have done {without you,“ she told the other Iwoman. “ You’ve been wonderful. in ‘-more ways than one. But 1 can't think iwhat brought you here." i Mrs Gregory smiled. She was en!joying her secret. g “I had a telegram for you," she tsaid," “ and I thought I’d bring it iover to you, although i'd not idea .things were as bad as I found them, ;of course." ; “A telegram?" Joan‘s voice was anxious. " Did you open it for me?” Mrs “roam-y nodded, Her smile rc—usfiurcd John. who hull t'clt \‘Cl',\’ wor—ricd for n moment: once trouble slut-19d llu-rc was no knowing where il would cud. l .lonn look the buff form, and road It. For n moment she could not be—ilioyc that it was true. "Will found. lYou‘re worth ihrcc thousand. Jim." I She looked up, and saw Mrs Gregory [smiling at her still. I "I couldn't believe it, at first," said her i‘ricnd, "but it‘s true enough. And there was a letter for you when I reached home this morning—" Mrs ljregory had stayed overnight until it ‘\\'as certain that Ralph was on the way [in recovery—" in your brother's writ.mg“ ‘ 1 Joan took the letter quickly. With 4:: murmured apology to the others, |she opened it and read it. l It told her Just what had happened, land Jim‘s Jubilaiion at the success of ihls eil‘ort was obvious. His last para.lgraph read: i “So Janet‘s got to fork out, and . we ‘chlldren' get a third each of ; half Dad’s fortune. It might be a ‘.' t‘ew hundred more or less, but' three i thousand pounds is about the figure. 3 I didn‘t think Dad would forget us. I Bless him. Bless you. I do hope I’ you're hallm’. l Joan‘s smile was a little tremulous. , She was happy. The silver lining lliad turned out very quickly, after all. There was nothing to worry about, financially; there was nothing to worry :ahout where Ralph and Derek were ; concerned—— l Yes. she was happy. And her {friends were happy. 1 Derek and Dorothy would be married !soon. Jim was huoyantly confident of ’his future. Felicity and Dick were do,ing what they had wanted to for years, 1 ers Gregory was more than pleased ‘at the change of fortune, and Geoffrey ‘Matthews, relieved more than words? ,would ever express at his son's es—:cape from death, was contented. He ‘was happier now, than he had been} ,when he had tried to juggle with the‘ :vast sums of money which passed ;through his hands, and when he had Etrled to remedy the mistakes his partgner had started. 3 And there was Ralph—- : llnlph could hardly be called happy lat that moment, but he would he, soon. I‘\\'hrn the last traces of his llincss had ,gone. and he was about again, theyl ‘would laugh together over the “ lllm slur." although their memories of that iiitlc episode would always be lingrd with sadness. They would remember that day wth they had first met, and, for the first lime in their lives, they would he iugrthrr without any worries inf any kind. It Juan Martin smiled through her tears at Mrs Gregory and Geoffrey. ;’l'hrn, uuirlly. she wont inlo iiiilpli's ‘i‘oom. and rested her chock against his. . (THE END).