| Show I W A SINNERS 3 in HEAVEN By CLIVE ARDEN Copyright by The Bobbs 1 Bobbs Merrill Co Oo I I PART FOUR FOUR Continued Continued 16 16 But fate destined otherwise With Increased sense of desolation and hopelessness she foresaw the trails trans l C looming In front of her the her the misery she m must st cause the lack of understanding she ehe must face alone Only the desire to reach Mrs Field had reconciled her herto herto herto to this return now that was crushed Bewildered with conflicting emotions emotions emo emo- with burning throat and aching head she crouched shivering in a corner corner corner cor cor- ner of the carriage while Hugh wrapped his traveling rug round her knees The train rushed through the wintry darkness An elderly clergyman n dozed in on one corner of the compartment two girls carried on a voiced low conversation conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion interspersed with bursts of laughter laugh laugh- ter er Hugh Hun discoursed upon all the little mundane happenings In during her absence and she was grateful grateful grateful grate grate- ful to him Thus amid prosaic surroundings s bidden hidden under unemotional e. e exteriors lifes life's tragedies and comedies work out their scenes The two girls absorbed now In their magazine stories were oblivious to the living drama full fun of of tragedy and bitter Irony being enacted but a few feet away When ever er Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara looked at Hugh the Ironic misery of f this false tion was Increased To him at present things seemed only vaguely unsatisfactory This he had accounted for tor In the tie obvious way therefore worrying was futile I snail soon know without being told Miss Davies had said And she did By the time she had extricated her Cher niece from the combined watery tendrils of Mrs Stockley and Martha and kissed her cold fa e she knew I IThe The girl greeted them all an with a certain certain certain tain quiet warmth lacking both effusion effusion sion and emotion which bore as little t resemblance to her old Impulsive ways as ns the forced smile and sunken en eyes toa toa to a n face distinguished by Its serenity Nobody returning to a longed-for longed home I and fiance would look upon them with those eyes yes of f haunted hopelessness I INo No Illness would leave those rigid lines r of pain around a mouth ever easily wreathed In smiles Something Something Some thing has happened the woman of the ther r world said to herself watching In si sit si- si I t- t lence What It might be she was left to conjecture Mrs Stockley after the poison polson dropped Into her mind the night before before be be- I fore regarded her daughters daughter's Island life Ufe as some terrible blot staining the clean pages of her existence which must not be lightly touched upon She feIt felt self conscious upon the subject shocked and apprehensive over o the girls girl's appearance As usual aI she took refuge in helpless tears It was Mar tha urged by Hugh who noticing the chattering t teeth and clammy hands bands suggested hot soup and bed at once With a ot at bottle she added A contraction caught Barbaras Barbara's throat preventing speech Everything was so familiar so 80 like home and jet yet so Intolerable She allowed herself herself herself her her- self to be led Into the the- well-known well dinIng dinIng dinIng din- din Ing room Somebody removed her coat and somebody her hat then Hughs Hugh's voice uttered an sa exclamation r Youre bobbed your hair I Bab I Why to Kneeling unsteadily before re the fire with hands stretched to the cheerful blaze she was struck by the strangeness strange strange- ness Dess of this question coming from rom him the the Indirect cause two years before It was better was better short she replied f shakily f I hope It will soon grow again now said cald her mother anxiously I dislike the craze for tor bobbed hair Its It's un- un femInine The meshes of the net which had loomed near with the advent adent of the theDe theDe theDe De appeared to the girls girl's distraught dis dis- mind to be closing stend steadily y round her Like one struggling in vain to elude them she staggered to her feet Mother Mother let let me go to bed I I f feel el too too Ill It Td was Hugh who cau caught ht her as aR she stumbled toward the door With Marsha Mar Mar- sha hn he half carried her up the stairs to her old room And all through the night as she tossed about with wide feverish eyes staring at Martha larth fussing near at nt hand where where hundreds hundreds of years ago It seemed she ahe he had blown out the candIe candie candle can can- dIe dle upon her old life home vision Ute vision after vision rose roe full of exquisite torture to to her mind A night of delirious delirious ous terror In a little vault like hut but A fearful vigil seated upon upturned suit cases waiting In Inthe f the tIle dark for tor the natives' natives attack n i Y A pair of scissors and a shock of dark hair from under which dear gray eyes t laughed up Into her face An n Ant t early dawn n with a 0 little tin Un key ring Golden hopes hope of motherhood dashed almost as soon loon as ns awakened Like a relentless panorama detail detail de de- tail taU after detail came vividly to life Ufe J again with ever eer present the buoyancy of a it mans man's strong personality carrying nil all before It it It She premed her lips Ups passionately to that that little circlet of 01 tin with a bitterness or grief too deep for far the relief 1 of tears Downstairs Mrs Stockley and her herr r r later Rister sat long Into the night talking F. F surmising arguing I Ever Eer and anon tn tae former damped the atmosphere With ber tears She Is so changed changed so so changed 1 I she repeated at Intervals If It pe people are already talking I dont don't know what they will say when they see her I She Is sure to tell you soon all nIl that happened consoled her sister Then we can cnn contradict any wron wrong suspicions I am sure she has bas been treated Ill moaned the other or why should she look ook so ill and miserable now nov she has come corne home I I. I dont don't nt believe she was even glad to see me her me-her her own mother I It seems so ungrateful But Bab always always al 01 al- al ways was thoughtless and Inconsiderate Inconsiderate ate over over oyer my feelings Why not ask her for the truth tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow to to- morrow suggested Miss Is DavIes her curiosity difficult to curb Or Orsban shall shallI I I am more used to girls In trouble trouble- No No Mary I said Mrs Stockley with quick anger at any Interference I will not have you Insinuate that she Is Isone Isone isone one of of-of of of your fallen gIrls like this 1 I If It she has suffered anything at at that that mans man's hands she will tell me herself I couldn't speak of It now Besides I wouldn't dream of or forcing her confidence confidence confidence dence I After all nIl It may be only the of her illness J result of Miss Davies glar glanced ced at dat dather at her her- rather sharply What was really the matter at Singapore do you suppose she asked Prostration And shock Dont Don't you remember Very ery natural I am sure Bure after such terrible times Miss DavIes drew In her lips In her usual way when considering discretion the better part of valor and made mad no nf reply III Ill Mrs Rochdale gave an nn annual local dinner party before Christmas every year over which she presided like a natured good hen hen clucking clucking with her Buff Orpington smile upon the chickens chickens chickens chick chick- ens pecking at the good things provided provided provided pro pro- vided for them Everybody who was anybody in the neighborhood received an Invitation so that the parties bore borea a singular similarity Fresh Interest was aroused d this year owing to Co the expected presence of Bar Bar- bara SQ far she had been seen by v. fe For a week a severe chill had kept her in bed invisible to the curIous curious curi curl ous eyes of those who who buzzed buzzed around Lake cottage The more pers persevering verIng after her arrival downstairs spread Interesting interesting interesting in In- reports of the extraordinary ch change wrought In her looks and behavior be be- havior ba To the girl weak In n health and tortured tortured tortured tor tor- in ml mind d everybody and everythIng everything everything every every- every every- thing seemed unbearable Perceiving the suspicious curiosity around her she slie Instinctively cloaked herself with reserve throwing no Intimate sidelights sidelights sidelights side side- lights upon the vital pout point causing so much conjecture News from De Bor Bor- was all aU she craved and she felt fresh anxiety concerning the lack of It Had Mrs Stockley's weak mind not been poisoned making natural talk upon the Island life Impossible to her things might have been vastly different for all As It was the topic became increasingly difficult of approach until It assumed the character of something something something some some- thing mysteriously tabu Only the wreck v and possible fate of Aunt Dolly were discussed Crofts Croft's name was never even mentioned between them Urgent business on Mr Rochdale's Devonshire property summoned Hugh thither before Barbara came down down- stairs Still therefore the full explanatIon explanation explanation ex ex- ex- ex she Intended to give him hung heavy on her mind assuming Increasing increasing increasing In in- creasing proportions the more she pondered pondered pondered pon pon- dered over over It His horizon had been so contentedly bounded by conventional conventional conventional conven conven- orthodox views that It might be difficult to make him understand the true case She shrank from hurting him from destroying his faith as she knew v she must do Mrs 1 Fields Field's letter Jetter full fun of the large- large hearted seeing far-seeing sympathy so 50 vital a n apart apart part of her ber nature bro brought a grain of comfort Full FuU of genuine grief and affection affection af nf- for her cousin which she took for granted was shared now by the girl there was wad w no discreet avoidance of the Ule matter Being his nearest relative relative rela rela- tive she was kept Informed of all proceedings proceedings pro pro- concerning the recovery of his body the lack lock of Information from the De norce us with their possible fate was she said causing renewed anxiety She urged Barbara to use the House on the Moor and Its library whenever she wished as usual Mrs Stockley never neer encouraged or or believed in In Invalidism n-Invalidism other than her own o Once downstairs her daughter vas US us expected to renew her lIer old did ld household household house- house hold bold duties and seek diligently to recover recon re re- cover con r parochial on ones s. s That she showed no m for either Increased the sen sen- of ot strain between them Her from company would give rise her mother dreaded to further talk It was therefore strongly con- con She found It Impossible as gs were to escape the ther ordeal of ot Mrs Rochdale's dinner party without hurting the h kind old couple by actual rude rud o ass ss Having decided that Hugh u h inu mU t 1 he told the truth before anyone else ahe he was obliged though shrinking In e every ery ry fiber of her being to dress dressIn In our ont of ot her old evening frocks and be fetched In the Rochdale's big car This had been one of her f t few rw w treats trenta In past years rears As she listlessly fi finished her toilet the poignant pain of It all struck her afresh The reflection of shadowy shadowy shadowy shad shad- sunken eyes and aureole of dark hair mocked at her In the large drawing room mirrors The unconscious unconscious unconscious un un- conscious Irony of or the conversation the kindliness of of f Hughs Hugh's parents and their delight over her his own affection affection affection tion were unbearable torture He had only returned that day ands and s she e spoke to him In desperation as as' they went In In Into to dinner together Hugh I she whispered I must se see you alone to tell you I know I 1 l he broke broke In In eagerly Im Pm m dying to hear everything I It was a 1 bea beastly nuisance having haTing to go away away Just then then then- but bur It Jt couldn't Could 1 t be help helped d. d Afraid we shant shan't get a chance tonight though iTo Tomorrow norro then the J- J I mos must see you alone tomorrow I There eras was wasa j ja a passionate urgency in her voice a tragic pleading g In Iq n her eF eyes eyes both both both signs which h he entirety entirely mis' mis misunderstood 7 A flush overspread his face and he pressed her bare arm to his side Bab darling I he whispered dont you think Im I'm Just longing to be alone with you I too I-I I I I counted the ho hours rs until I i goLback today I Barbara sat down at the table her heart henrt like lead She felt like a murderer murderer murderer mur mur- derer who about to drop poison Into rito the cup of a trusting friend talks and smiles smites upon hl him the while The The vicars vicar's enthusiasm over the missIonary missionary missionary mis mis- results of this providential visit to children of darkness having baving havinga a double meaning meaning- this phrase was consIdered considered considered con con- witty In broke loose almost In th the same breath wherein he concluded grace He was not among those whose Importunity had been crowned with success where seeing the Wandering sheep was co concerned I am so deeply Interested In your work among the natives he le began his clear clerical tones arresting ev every every- ryA ry- ry i I I l 5 it I U s sh 1 h A Severe Chill ChilI Had Kept Her In B Bed d. d body's attention I gathered from the papers that you obtained a wonderful Influence over them they awful creatures put in Hugh with kith a n grimace I wonder you weren't scared stiff Bab I 1 II I was at first she owned But I grew very fond of them Capital I I beamed the vicar Our brothers in spite of difference In color Doubtless they responded to your affectionate affectionate affectionate af af- overtures poor souls A vision of Alan's affectionate overtures overtures overtures over over- tures with electrified wire flashing eyes and fearful rhetoric until his brothers became responsive brought rought the shadow of a smile Into her white whiteface whiteface whiteface face which old Mr Rochdale saw saw and answered I Imagine Croft got em under more by bullying than affection didn't he he laughed That wireless stunt was vas wasa vasa a brainy notion 1 I suppose he had bad bad to whip up the lazy beggars pretty hard afterward to make em work No she sho replied aware of many eyes eyes upon her ber face at this open allu allu- sion slon They loved him and and obeyed him because her because her voice faltered faltered- because he had the personality to command obedience He Inspired them to work for their own good They learned cleanliness and we taught them Ulem to talk a little English English- English it Capital I J capital 1 The vicar beamed again at her through his piece pince How did they receive the Word Wonderfully quickly she answered answered an an- misunderstanding Some of them could talk quite fluently In a very short time time time- But the Word How did they receive receive receive re re- re- re the Gospel Oh I We did not attempt to dis disturb disturb dis- dis Is- Is their ther own religion The vicar gazed at her aghast as ns did most of those present You mean mean menn- he be began un you cant can't mean that you neglected nt the first opportunity f unity of ot giving them Ulem the rile Truth 7 Yes she said calmly If It you look upon It in that U hL We thought it unwise for tor many reasons For ono one thing we had to play pIny upon their superstitions superstItions superstitions super super- to Insure our own safety and obtain any Influence at all aU It It- needed great wariness But surely he remonstrated |
