"Love That Endures"

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 72, 28 April 1930, Page 11

"Love That Endures"

By Mrs. VICTOR RICKARD

INTRIGUING^^

' The ! ( • | Strange I I j Adventares j I i of aLoyely i | i Mannepin i I

B Author oi "Tha Ligtt Above the Cros:;roads," "The Hous6 of Courage," 8 "Cathy RoBsiter," eto., eto.

OHAPTER XXII.— (Continued.) HPHE WHITE HART was a cheerful ^ little iilli with a swinging sign 011 a ' post outside, and a spreading green in front. The low line of Parad.yne Hill rose up to tlie west and the village lay in the liollow below. This was the' plaee to wliich IMallock had sent Nicholas ltawlisley, and as lie garaged his car in the cbilverted stable at the back of the hotel he swore at at liimeelf fiercely. He had begun to wonder if the letter he nad received was only a draw. Just something to throw dust in his eyes, and if eo what did it all niean ? He had not gone near Princess Adine since her engagement to Risborougli had been given out, and he did not want to see her. She would inevitably tell him something it liurfc and siekened him to liear, coiicerning Leo Hendred and Nance. , In a state of great dejireesion Nicholas Rawnsley went out to walk towards Paradyne Hill. He had a sort of dogged faith in the second sight of his old nurse, and believed in these strange visions of liers ever eince he was a cliild. The afternoon was sunny and bright and the first tender green of spring had begun to show in the trees. The world was turning back to life again after the cold and darkness of the long winter. A fresh wind blew up forni the West, and sad_ as he was, Nicholas felt a faint stirring of hope and happiness in him. He began to wliisile cheerfullv. The pendant was in his pocket and the letter. Tliere was 110 reason whv he should not do one thing which waited to be done, concel'ning the mystery attached to the diamonds. He could fiud the sliop belonging to the Armenian wlio liad bouglit the false jeivel froin Hendred, and force him to say wliether the stones were or not real. He could discover whether he had seen the orna inent befol-e. # * * IVJTCHOLAS SWTJNG ON down the ^ hill and up the Straggling main street of High llandon. Tliere was not a number of jewellers and he was very eoon directed to the narrow back street in which the jeweller's sliop was situated. The direction was accompanied by a curious Took at him. Wliy should a well-dressed daeliing young man who appeared to be extremely rich, want to find his way to a small strugglilig pawnbroker's? But the legend that the Armenian was a great judge of pictures and antique silver offered sufficient explasation. Nicholas found his way to the sliop, and to his surprise he saw a car standing. in the street outside the sliop, afid as he looked at the chauffeur he recognised him with a sudden flash of astoiiisliment. The man driving the car Was Princess Adine' s chauffeur. He Wall^ed on quickly. What was he to do? Go away and return when the coast was clfiaf, of go straight into tne shop as though tliere was nothing strange at all in finding her at High llandon. * He pauSed. . Mallock had sent him there. She was always right. After a momeiit's reflection he wheeled xound and strolled back. He was facing the driver of the car who touched his cap to Nicholas as he passed him, and the'n, as though the idea had only just. occurred to him, Nicholas strblled into the sliop. It was qulte empty, but in response to his knock 011 the counter, a door ojrened and a.girl stood there lobkiilg straight at hini in alnazenient. CHAPlfeR XXIII. | T WAS STRANGE to be back in , the little old room with its dingy wall-paper and oue window, which looked out into the yard at the back. Spring had given a touch of green to the sad looking creeper which climbed the smoke-blackened trellis, and the vine over the door had flung out a few tendrils. Nance saw it all and saw it tlirough tears. The night slie had returned drcssed in her draggled finery and conscious that she had only escaped from a liideous death, she had written lier whole soul out to Nicliplas Rawnsley and had wondered at hers'elf as she had done so. It liardly seemed pcssible that it was she who had written that letter, and tt would never have, heen sent if it had not been for Miss Green who had taken it from the writing table and posted it with her own hands. She suspected what the letter was about and made up her mind at once to take lio risks 5 with it. She adored Nicholas Rawnsley, and was in a state of tlie wildest excitement to thiiik that after all, her cherislied plan miglit come right. Quite as feverishly as Nance, she waited for something to happen. * * * CHE WAS ENCHANTED to liave Nance back, though the way in which she had arrived, startied her. Nance had been ohljged to wear a dress helopging to Miss Green, and for a day or two after the bnll, she was too ill to go out ot to think of doing auytliing except lie on her bed in a darkened room. At the end of that tiine she was better. She pulled herself together and made up her mind to face life. The letter was written and had been posted. There was 110 getting it back. But Nance had not given Nicholas Rawnsley any address. He would get her letter and perliaps — soae —day — he might come to Radnor Street and call at the dingy little house wherc Miss Green lived. At least that was what Miss Green hoped and looked for whenever the bell rang, and anyone came up the steps. She was longing to hear something from him, and surely he would go to look for Nahce at the old address? By the end of the mouth Nance had more or less lNecovered. She had been supplied with an outfit by Miss Green and had made up her mind to find work at once. Even if she had dared to ehow herself at Carrington's, it would, as she very well knew, he useless. Carrington would not- employ her without an undertaking from Princess Adine and that was, of course, hopelessly out of the questiou. ■^JANCE^SAT ON THE EDGE of her bed thinking the situation over. She must find work to do and she was without references- of any kind, which made it a matter of the very greatest diffieulty. Miss Green, still with her head full of dreams concerning tEe reappearance with Nicholas Rawnsley, was discouraging, and did not want Nance to go out. Stay Quietly here, Nance," she said, "and see what will happen."-^ But nothing happened. t Towards the end'of the week Nance had made up her mind. London offered

her nothing. There was nothing whatever to hope for in. any of the big shops and no one would' take her witbout a reference, and it was tlien that she bethouglit herself of White Fariu. Mrs Gentry had always toki her to come back if ever she were out of a job, and she would give her pleuty to do, for her keep. No' suoner had she fornrulated tlie plan than she broke it to Miss Green, who was entirely discouraging. She was all against Nance leuving London, for if she did, liow were she and Nicholas Rawiifiley to meet. She did not say this in so many words, but it was uppermost in her mind. ¥ * * A T LENGTH NANCE overcame the objections she made, and before tne days had elapscd, slie staited for White Farm. She was full with a strange sensation of niingled joy and pain as she returned to the well-known house with its deep thatclied roof and great oak beamed living room. The garden was beginning to glaze with early spring flowers and her heart felt more at peace as she knelt by the great big bed where she liad been used to sleep. She felt that at anv rate before she did anything else, she would liave a rest and let lier mind recover from the shocks she had experienced. She would havo to mould her life afresh and make it all quite, quite different. There was to- be no man in it. Leo Hendred, with his weak, vicious nature. had gone close to running lier, and Nicholas Rawnsley whom she lovecT. What of him. "What, ali, what of him ? Slie would steel her heart against all the whisperings which awoke at the thought of liis name and escape from tlie clinging liold of love. ♦ * * rjpHE NIGHT "WAS VERY STILL and clear and the sky full of briglit stars, as slie leaned out and looked upwards. The first white of pear blossom was out like a white snow-fall over the oreliard, and tliere was a vague unrest as the stirring of life awoke. She could see the faint glare of light which showed where High llandon lay, like a frail veil in the night, and tlie hill beliind — Paradyne Hill. It was not late, and she wondered whether slie wanted to sleep so soon, for she was still unused to country hours. Suppose that instead of going to bed and lying awake thinking, she were to put 011 her liat and coat and slip np the back path to the Paradynes?' She would liave to go tliere sooner or later and see the place whicli had marked tlie beginning of a new life for her, and why not get it done that very night of lier* arrival. in the well-remembered farm. It used to hurt her to think that Leo Hendred did not reckon lier good enough to know liis people, and now she was only too thankful that she could- pass them' in the street, unrecognised i (Tq be Continhed.)