HIDDEN GOLD.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20280, 24 August 1937, Page 10

HIDDEN GOLD.

By STANLEY PORTAL HYATT .

SERIAL STORY.

SYNOPBIB. John Seton says good-bye to Jocelyn Drake prior to his embarkation Tor Africa, where he, a 3 an engineer, Is to report on the prospects of the Mammoth copper mine. Various cryptic warnings are given to him before he sets out. There seems to be some mystery about Williamson, the man who should have reported on the mine. At Machado, a village near the mine, Seton meets a stranger named Parker, who, it appears, Is fully acquainted with the nature of Seton’s business. Eventually there is a scene in a saloon bar, where Seton thrashes Parker for assaulting an old man called “ Mad Daddy White.” Senhortta Eunice Louvela, daughter of the Commandant of Machado, is all powerful in the district. Her actions suggest that she Is In league with Parker. Seton soon discovers the mine to be worthless, and sends a cablegram to this etfect to England. A favourable message. luwever, is substituted in Its stead, as Seton learns some months later when In returns to Machado to find a letter rrom Mrs Drake. She has speculated with her daughter’s money, and' lost it all In Mammoth shares. As there Is no letter from Jocelyn, Seton thinks she has believed the fraudulent messages to have been his own. He meets Daddy White again who gives him information about the Mammoth mine which he says will make him rich. CHAPTER V. — (Continued.) “I’m glad you’re back safely, lad. There’s no one else I could trust, and there’s no time to be lost. I never thought they’d float that Mammoth, much less do any mining there, as I hear they’re going to do. That hound Parker got ahead of me when he pegged it out, though of course, he didn’t know the truth. I only came in last night and heard about it. I was going down by the train to-night to catch the Austrian steamer at Beira. Then this fever knocked me out. But there’s not a day to be lost, and you must go instead.”

Seton looked at him in amazement, then his eyes grew very soft. Clearly, the old fellow was wandering in his mind.

“Very well, I’ll go; but don’t you think you had better have a rest Just before you tell me about it? Drink some of this.” And he opened a small bottle of champagne he had procured from the bar. Daddy White smiled.

“I’m not 4elirlous, lad, and I’m not off my head, as these fools have always thought. I’ve been here so many years I couldn’t make up my mind to quit prospecting—that was all. Besides, there was that one thing I meant to have, the richest thing in Africa. Parker got ahead of me, as I said, five years ago now, and I’ve had to wait. But he doesn’t know the truth. No one else knew it, except old Joe Bowron, the Senhorita’s grandfather. We lost the place when the niggers chased us down to the coast, and for years I coul’ ’t And it again. Now, I’m going to tell you, and we’ll go half shares, or, if I die, you can have the lot. I’m going to trust you absolutely. Give me that little tin box?” When he saw the contents of that box, any doubts Seton might have had disappeared. Only once did he interrupt to ask a question. The latter was one which caused the old man to give a little nod of satisfaction. “I see you understand your work,” he said. “Well, for safety, I put all this in cypher, and —what’s that?” he broke off suddenly. “There’s someone listening outside.” Seton Jumped up quickly, but the latch of the door was a very primitive one, and it was some seconds before he could open it; still, he was in time to hear light footsteps hurrying away. The old prospector raised himself in bed and stared out through the open door. “She didn’t hear much of any value, after all. . . . Yes, it was a woman, i I- heard the swish of a skirt. Now, ' I’ll give you the key to the cypher. Bern* down.” He whispered a word in the other's ear, then chuckled feebly. “You’re not likely to forget that word, lad, so you w’on’t have to take the risk of writing it down. And now, you had better get your things down to the station.” For a moment, Seton was inclined to think the old man was wandering, after all. “But there’s no train for two days,” he protested. “There’s a goods train at three this morning,” Daddy retorted, “and you’ll just catch an Austrian steamer at the coast. If some of that gang have got wind of it—and something makes me think they have—you’ll have your work cut out to fight them. Do Just as I told you. . . . No, don’t you worry about me. I may die, but if I don’t. I’ll write to you.” When Seton, having roused the hotel-boys and sent them down to the station with his baggage, came back to fetch the precious tin box and say good-bye, he found the old man In a state of collapse; but Daddy refused to allow him to remain. “No, you must go,” he whispered, “I won’t let Parker and his crowd have it, at least without a fight. Good luck to you, lad. Remember that, if you succeed, I shall have made you one of the richest men in the Empire.” •CHAPTER Vl'. Jooetyn Asks a Question. “Those are all the letters for to-day, Miss Drake.” Lady Grigges, Jocelyn’s employer, made a rule of being severe with her private, secretaries. She changed them frequently. “May I request you wf!l be more punctual in the mornings in future? You were five minutes late to-day!” Jocelyn murmured an apology. She had been late because she had. endeavoured to save an omnibus fare—then she gathered her papers together wearily, and prepared to return to the dingy lodgings in Fulham which she and her mother had occupied since Mrs Drake’s wild gamble in Mammoth shares had compelled them to give up their Hat and sell their furniture. Oh, how she hated, it all! They did not live, they merely existed. There was no hope for the future, and only sad and bitter memories of the past, I whilst, the present seemed always to be filled with Mrs Drake’s ingratitude, selfishness, and unending complaints. I Reside these, the ways of the liard- | hearted, politician and philanthropist Lady Grigges. seemed to matter little. \t anv rate. Jocelyn had to endure those ways, because the salary she earned represented the sole means of livelihood for her mother and herself. It was a long way from the Grigges’ mansion in Mayfair to the apartment house in Fulham, yet often. .Tocclvn found herself sighing when she actually got home—if home it could he called. The estrangement between her mother and herself was too complete for even a greeting to pass boi lAvaeu them now,-

•‘There’s a gentleman upstairs wit Mrs Drake, miss,” the uncleanly litti servant announced as she opened th front door.

Jocelyn entered the sitting-room, which was furnished as such rooms usually are—horse-hair covered sofa, arm-ohairs with broken springs, redwool antimacassars, and china dogs on the mantel-piece—to And her mother deep in conversation with a short sal-low-faced nervous man, a oomplete stranger to her.

“Mr Dawson from 'East Africa—my daughter.” Mrs Drake made the introduction in languid style, as though Jocelyn did not count, an opinion which the man was far from sharing. •He had, come there on business, urgent business, and this tall, beautiful girl, with the honest eyes which seemed to look right through you, was a factor on which he had not reckoned. ,He stammered out an expression of pleasure at the meeting, stammered still more when, at, an impatient word from Mrs Drake, lie tried to resume the thread of his discourse. “As I was saying, yes, as I was saying, I am ready to buy your Mammoth shares. You see, Miss Drake—” “My daughter has nothing to do with the business. Mrs Drake cut him short curtly. The man flushed. “Very well, then. It’s this way—” A knock at the door interrupted him again, and the servant girl thrust in her tousled head. “Another gentleman, ma’am, T told him you were engaged, and he said he would come hack in a few minutes. Name of 'Gerald Parker, ma’am.” Mrs Drake frowned, hut Mr Dawson’s Jaw dropped, and Mr Dawson himself rose hurriedly. “Parker 1” he exolaimedi. “I must be going, at once, Mrs Drake. Remember what I have said, think it over, and I’ll call again to-morrow. My address? Oh, never mind that. I’ll call. And —er —perhaps you wouldn't mention to Parker that you’ve seen me.” He hastened downstairs, paused a moment on the front door steps, to take a oautious look around, then made a dart for a passing taxi-cab. As he drove away, he muttered to himself. “Parker 1 So Parker's on it now. That means I’ve no time to lose, ana that I’ll have to pay more. The old lady’ll be suspicious now. ... By Jove,” a frown crossed his face. (“I needn’t have told her not to mention me. Parker wouldn’t know my name. 1 suppose' I’m getting nervous.” Meanwhile, Mr Gerald Parker had returned to the house, and had been shown upstairs. He had improved greatly in appearance since' the day when he had stood with his back to the verandah, listening to Eunice Louveia’s thinly-veiled threats., Then he had be'en dressed in well-worn khaki, and had possessed a two days’ growth of beard, now he was clean shaven and clad in correct morning costume. “Mr Gerald Parker?” Mrs Drake had assumed her grandest manner. She glanced first at the card, then at the stranger. “I have come from Mr Lawson, the Managing Director of the Mammoth Company,” he answered. Mrs Drake 'boked, motioned him to a chair, then seemed to remember Jocelyn. “My daughter,” she said. Jocelyn vouchsafed the stranger what was little more than a nod, and picked up an old magazine from a rickety side-table. Parker sat down, a little awkwardly. As had been the case' with Dawson, he had come up against an unknown factor, or rather an unreckoned-on factor, in the form of this cold, scornful daughter. Her presence seemed to make it difficult for him to speak freely. “1 have come from Mr Lawson,” he' repeated his words. "He wished me to see you, and explain that, when you have calle'd at the office, he has been too busy t,o give you an Interview. Mr Lawson wants to know what your claim against the Company Is, so that there shall be no more,” he laughed a little nervously, “no more* scenes, in the office.” Mrs Drake drew herself up. “I am unaware that I have made a scene. I have' been swindled, yes, sir, swindled disgracefully, over this Mammoth Company. I have lost the whole of my capital over it, and have been compelled to work for my living.” Jocelyn may have been intent on her magazine, but the man, who happened to be watching her, saw he'r raise her eyebrows at the words. “And now I want my money back. What is Mr Lawson prepared to do?”

Parker shifted uneasily in his chair, lie had come prepared with a large number of lying platitudes, but, somehow, Jocelyn’s presence seemed to debar him from making use of these. “Well, I understand from Mr Lawson that the last calls on your shares have not yet been paid, and that, at the moment, you owe the Company some' twelve hundred pounds. The position Is a very serious one. Of course, the Company does not want to press you. in the circumstances, but what can the Board do?” “The shares would not fetch twelve hundred pounds now," Mrs Drake retorted. “The whole affair was a fraud, based on a lying report from your expert, John Seton.” Jocelyn had gone very white, and was turning over the leaves of her magazine rapidly. Gerald Parker made a helpless “What can the Company do? It put absolute faith in Mr Seton, and if he misled flie Board—” “Did he mislead the Board?” It was Jocelyn who spoke, suddenly, abruptly: then she got up and left the room, making her way down to the kitchen, where the landlady, Mrs Jones, a grimy, motherly old woman, who had spent her life in a desperate si niggle agaifTst tradesmen and lanriher best fo comfort her.* 1 " 19 “My dear, my dear,” she said. “All men are (lie same where woman are concerned. T have met so many, and Meanwhile, upstairs, Mrs Drake had begun In cross-examine her visitor. “What is your position in the Column v. Mr Parker?” “I was the vendor. T pegged out the mine.” he answered franklv. “But T left it to John Seton to sav what il was j'••.•!!.. T was a prosper for. not a min.(To he continued.)