PAID IN FULL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21206, 31 August 1940, Page 12 (Supplement)

PAID IN FULL

1 NEW SERIAL STORY =

by H. S. Sarbert

7?Mmiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimr. CHAPTER IV (Continued) Ten minutes later she and Harry left the house together and got into the car. When David called for his son the landlady told him that Mr Harry had gone out. “Gone out?” cried the boy’s father. “Alone?” “No, sir. Miss Limas called.” “And they went together?” “Yes, sir, in her car,” the landlady replied. “And I couldn’t help thinking what a fine pair they made, and what a lovely smart car she had. But I’m not so sure that I’d like to see a son or daughter o’ mine going off joy-riding on the Sabbath—although I know that sort of thing is done now. But there, I mustn’t stop here gossiping, must I? Your son left a note for you. Here it is—on the hall-stand.” “Thank you,” David said. He took the note, and raised his hat to her. At the comer of the road he stopped to open the envelope and read what Harry had written. “Dear Dad, I’m awfully sorry to have let you down about today, but I couldn’t very well help myself. Carrie has come round. She has not been at all well, and the doctor has ordered her to get as much sunshine as possible. So we are spending the day out of doors. I’m sure you will understand. “I’ll see you early in the week. Please tell your friends that I shall be only too pleased to give them full particulars about the proI perty they wish to buy, and to arrange for them to go down and examine the site. Maybe I’ll look round tomorrow. “Best love from Carrie and myself. Harry.” David folded the note up and put it back into his pocket. He was deep in thought as he walked on. Harry and Carrie sent their love! His boy coupled his name with hers. Even in a letter to his father he had to bring in this girl’s name. It was

fresh proof of the power that this girl had over him. Harry had not thought twice about letting his father down. So David had to go to the mission hall alone. After the service, he explained to the minister and his sister what had happened. He made excuses for his boy—he always did where others others were concerned. Harry was in love, what could one do about it? A quick glance passed between Hilda and her brother. “So you’ll be alone for the rest of the day, Mr Preston?” James said. “Yes, it looks like it,” was Mr Preston’s reply. “Then why not come along and have some dinner with us?” James suggested. “I’ve got a meeting this afternoon and this evening, but there are plenty of books and papers at home that would interest you during the afternoon, and you might like to come to the service this evening.” “It is very good of you,” David said, “but I don’t like to intrude on you in this way. I mean—” he paused, and it was Hilda who put in: “You won’t be intruding, I can assure you. I shall be only too glad to have you. Please say you’ll come, Mr Preston!” David smiled. “I couldn’t very well refuse now, could I?” he replied; and knew in his own heart that he did not want to refuse; that these folk greatly appeal to him: that he was looking forward to spending a few hours with the Holdens. Not Ambitious! Once the town was left behind, Carrie Lucas’s spirits improved considerably. “I just want to show you what this little bus can do, darling,” she said to Harry. “I’ve got a real good stretch of straight road now, so i just watch her!” I The speed increased to thirty, j forty, fifty miles an hour; they • touched the sixty—and then sixtyfive. Hedges and trees and telegraph poles simply flew past. Just a touch of the hooter, and Carrie flashed past other cars on the road. She did not always give them a great deal of room, and several angry shouts came after her—but she only laughed “Old-fashioned people!” she declared, as she slowed down a bit on turning a corner. “Have you noticed them, Harry? There are some folk who can’t drive a car sufficiently well —or haven’t the right sort of car—to pass anything else, and yet always hate anyone else to pass them. And that’s rather like life, when you

come to think ox it.” “How?” Harry asked. “You get folk like that—men and women. They haven’t the ambition to get beyond a certain point themselves—and they simply hate anyone else to do it. You know, Harry darling.”—Carrie swung round another comer with just a few inches to spare—“l don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I can’t help thinking your father is like that.” “Carrie ” “No, wait a minute! Just let me explain what I mean. He’s good in his own way ” • “He’s good in every way,” Harry said. “They think the world of him in Shalford.” Carrie gave that tinkling little laugh. “Of course they do, Harry—and that’s just my point. Shalford isn’t the world.” i “It’s just a little village that has ! got on a bit, and wants to be a small town,” Carrie went on. “And minor part of the world. Your Dad would have had you stay there, wouldn’t have had you go beyond i that point. He would have kept ; you there—and you would never i have done anything big and real, Harry boy. It was when I came along that that was made clear to you, wasn’t it? And now you’re mak- , ing really good progress. You’re going to make the name of Preston well known in places which really i matter. There’s something I’ve ! done for you—you can’t deny it, can 1 you?” (To be continued daily)