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Show H PART FOUR 15 Broken Harmony I Miss Davles, Mrs. Ptnrkley's only remaining sister, placed a marker In her book ; then laid It down upon a small table. Her face assumed the complacent expression of one about to perform a pleasant duty In accordance witli her conscience. "I think," she observed decisively, "Hugh should he warned." Mrs. Stockley glanced up from the stole she was embroidering. "Abouf what?" she asked. "Barbara." Her sister made a gesture of annoyance, annoy-ance, which caused her to prick her finger; this Increased her Irritation. "I wish you would for once be explicit, ex-plicit, Mary! You have thrown out dark hints about Barbara ever since we heard of her rescue. Why should Hugh be warned?" "Are you so stupidly dense as you appear, Alice? Or are you wilfully blinding yourself?" "I am no more stupid than the rest of my family, I hope !" snapped Mrs. Stockley, with much meaning. "Well, then," continued her sister, Ignoring this' Improbability, "you must realize that Barbara will most likely return very changed. Indeed, from her one letter there seems no doubt about It. That was queer very queer!" Mrs. Stockley Impatiently hunted among bundles of colored silks. "Of course she will be changed. She Is two years older and has suffered ghastly ghast-ly experiences. She was very 111 at Singapore: you couldn't expect long chatty letters !" She spoke with unusual asperity. Two years of her sister's undiluted companionship had Increased an Inherent In-herent Instinct toward contradiction, while develotjlng a self-defensive alert ness. Both were necessary In the radius of two sharp eyes ever quizzing through their lorgnette, two ears which seemingly reached all over the house, and a caustic tongue ready to reduce other people's foibles or few ideas to shreds. Such gifts used at the expense of common acquaintances are a different dif-ferent matter, of course. . . . "Ah !" Miss Davles returned to the promptings of conscience with renewed relish. "You are as blind as Hugh, Alice. I saw him this afternoon, quite excited over meeting her tomorrow. He wants to have the wedding after Christmas ... of course It was not my business to say anything !" Whether this self-discipline could have been maintained had not other people been present, is open to question. ques-tion. . . . "You don't understand Bab as well as Hugh and I do, you see," returned her sister complacently. "No," she agreed, "but I understand Man !" Her lips closed with a snap, to give effect to the world of meaning In her words. "Don't you realize, Alice, that Barbara was attractive? And she has been flung, unchaperoned, for two years. Into the society of a man who well had extremely loose Ideas, and Bohemian ways a man whose Influence Influ-ence would be most questionable for any young girl." Mrs. Stockley flushed. "Are you Insinuating In-sinuating that Bab would be weak enough to allow him to influence her? After her careful upbringing, too? Why looseness of any sort would be abhorrent ab-horrent to her! Her surroundings have always been strictly moral." "I don't Insinuate anything; but I wouldn't trust that man far, In such circumstances ! We have yet to learn how he behaved." "She did not allude to him in her letter." "Xo. But she did her utmost to get taken back to search for his body! Surely her chief desire should have been to hurry home to Hugh?" Mrs. Stockley smiled impatiently. "You are making mountains from molehills, Mary ! She did that purely from humanitarian motives ; it was only right and natural. Hugh thought so. He liked Captain Croft." "Hugh is too trustful : that's why I am sorry for him. Frankly. Alice, I do not believe a man and woman could live in such Isolation without coming to grief. I have seen too much of human nature " "My dear Mary! what do you mean? You don't " Her sister held up a dignified hand to stop all Interruption, "l'ou must face it, Alice! Everybody is talking and wondering. Of course, it depends entirely upon the man. I don't imply that all men are beasts as some women wom-en would who had seen as much of the world as I have. If he had a strong spiritual nature a clergyman, perhaps. per-haps. But that man !" She pursed her Hps. Mrs. Stockley gazed at her. her own face paling, her finger twitching the forgotten stole. "'Coming to grief!'" sh? repeated, horrified. "Do you dare suggest my daughter would so disgrace her name and family as to allow My dear Mary ! it is preposterous ! I would disown dis-own such a child. But Barr-sra! Why, I would trust her alone with any man, for forty years! She wouldn't dream of such things. Besides, Captain Cap-tain Croft was Mrs. Field's cousin, of good family himself" Martha, the old sen-ant, hustled In at this moment with bedroom candles. She plumped them down upon the table, and her old face beamed at an excuse for carrulity over Barbara's return. re-turn. When, snubbed. he deoarted. By CLIVE ARDEN Copyright by Th Bobbs-MerrlU Co. .Mrs. Stockley faced her sister, candle In hand, with un air of outraged dignity. dig-nity. ''Mary" she said, "your conversation tonight has shocked me Inexpressibly! I Insist on your never breathing a word of your suspicions either to Hugh or Barbara. If she has any painful memories she will confide In me. Of course, I did not know Captain Cap-tain Croft well, nor like him; but poor child! Her sufferings may have been worse than I ever Imagined. Good night !" With unusual decision she opened the drawing room door, and went to bed. But she lay long awake thinking over her sister's remarks. One alone stood out clearly, gathering force with every minute: "Everybody Is talking and wondering." Everybody eagerly devoured all scraps of news; but the supply was scanty. After being brought to Singapore, Singa-pore, the heroine remained there, 111, unable to be moved for a time. . . . A certain reticence surrounded this Illness, Ill-ness, prostration being given as the natural cause. No trace of a white man's body was found by the expedition expedi-tion sent, post-haste, to search the Island. Only the chnrred remains of a hut, and a few dead natives, were discovered dis-covered In the north. In the south, a smnll tribe of furious, armed savages offered a wildly hostile reception, making mak-ing approach difficult, refusing any Information In-formation other than a poisoned arrow. ar-row. . . . Babooma had presumably presum-ably recovered and wreaked his vengeance ven-geance upon the body of his late antagonist. an-tagonist. . . . When well enough, the girl had Implored Im-plored frantically, as one distraught, for facilities to return, herself, to search. This awakened a new Interest, adding piquancy to the situation. But Impatience Was a Novelty. such quixotic madness could not be Indulged by level-headed authorities. What could a girl accomplish where hosts of men had failed? No! The island had been thoroughly explored. The hostile faction of the natives was In possession; her return would be mere suicide, or worse. She was sent to England as soon as practicable. But the De Borceau brothers, ever thirsting for adventure, understanding perhaps more of her sufferings and the true facts than they chose to publish, carried out to the end their oath to Croft. Only on the boat did they bid her farewell then they returned to their charts and their seaplane. Nothing Noth-ing save death, so they vowed to her. In their exuberant French fashion, should deter them from learning final news of the man whose personality had won their generous admiration. admira-tion. . . . The key to more Intimate, romantic drama was not forthcoming. Speculation Specula-tion flourished. What would be likely to happen in such circumstances? Would propinquity bring love In Its train? And, if so This entailed endless end-less discussion, heated arguments. What would be right, and what wrong? Which would need most courage: to resist or There were women who thought the reverse. The fact of the girl being already engaged shed a further glamor of the dramatic over the adventure, making the uncertainty all the greater. Perhaps Per-haps no problem had arisen after all. . . . But if It had? Did the two themselves have clear convictions on either side: and. above all, courage to be true to them? This was the vital point all longed to know. The pair became invested with romance. . . . Women laid their heads together and wondered. . . . Dark surmises were murmured concerning that Illness at Singapore. . . . Sentimental girls forgot their matinee or cinema idols and cut Croft's photograph out of newspapers, half-wishing half-wishing they themselves had been wrecked with him. . . . Meanwhile, through the darkness of winter nights and drabness of monot-onous monot-onous days, the ship plowed her wav to England which bore one from the closed gates of an "earthly paradise." with agonized eyes still dazzled by the lights she had left there, to trim the little lamps of her Darbury home. II The boat train was late. Little groups of people, wrapped In heavy coats and furs, stood about the platform at Charing Cross chatting together; to-gether; or promenaded slowly, eying their fellows with furtive Interest, or absorbed In their own reflections. Hugh became convinced that both the station clock and his wrist-watch had stopped; yet the watch appeared to be ticking when, every few moments, he exclaimed it. He sighed, turned on his heel, and for the twentieth time started to walk the length of the platform plat-form and back. Impatience was a novelty, also the state of excitement In which he found himself: he hardly knew how to cope with such sensations. sensa-tions. . . . Two years In his usual comfortable groove had changed Hugh very little. He managed his father's property, hunted, shot, played games, as of yore. If the tragic loss of Barbara had taken the keen edge from his enjoyment of life, malting him a little older and graver, it had not destroyed his Interests Inter-ests in the wholesome occupations which came his way. After the first ( shock had abated, he found himself a forlorn hero among his many friends, who took him to their hearts and filled his days so that brooding became Impossible. Im-possible. Perhaps more than mere sympathy lurked within the minds of mothers with marriageable daughters; but that suspicion never penetrated his brain. The girl who was part of his very life had gone: to none other did he give a moment's thought. And now tills Twentieth century miracle had happened ! After what seemed a dull dream he awoke just where he was, when, so to speak, he fell asleep. His feelings were absolutely abso-lutely unchanged, except, perhaps, that they were Intensified by loss. The possibility pos-sibility of any alteration in their relationship re-lationship never even occurred to him. As has been mentioned before, he was not blessed or cursed with Imagination. Imagina-tion. . . . When he had nearly reached the barrier, bar-rier, a sudden tension became apparent everywhere: conversations ceased, heads all turned one way, a flutter of expectancy passed over the scattered group3. ... Hugn turned quickly. The huge engine, en-gine, approaching, glided slowly alongside along-side the platform, followed by the train which brought far travelers home again from distant lands. . . . Within a few minutes all was bustle and hurry. The platform swarmed with excited passengers, harassed porters, por-ters, barrows, luggage. . . . He searched hither and thither for the figure he sought, anxiety slowly rising within him. As the crowd thinned, he took up his position just Inside the barrier, where she was bound to come. Peering through the murky light, he hastily scanned each face that passed, without success. When at last but a few stragglers remained, re-mained, he made his way further down the platform a dull feeling of disappointment disap-pointment adding to his anxiety. Casually his glance traveled over a thin figure In a dark coat and hat, seated upon a bench, a kindly, gray- haired porter standing near, suit-case In hand. ... As he passed by, a voice he had once thought never to hear again caused hlra to turn sharply, with a leap of the heart. "I shall be better In a minute. . I Thank you, porter. . . ." "Bab!" With probably the quickest movement of his life, Hugh reached the seat and seized the girl's tremb-bling tremb-bling hands In his own. . . . Then all other words of greeting faded upon his lips: he was conscious of a sense of shock, a nameless apprehension. The general features of the face quickly quick-ly raised were those he knew ; but that was all. This woman with the heavy, haunted-looking eyes, the strained set lips, the curious rigidity of expression, bore no resemblance to the sweet-faced. sweet-faced. Impulsive girl who had clung round his neck at parting, In the cabin of the airplane. He felt checked, curiously curi-ously embarrassed, as if with a stranger. stran-ger. Still clasping her hands, he gazed at her silently, noting with alarm the ashen hue spreading even to her lips Several times she essayed to speak and failed. The porter, scenting romance, ro-mance, discreetly moved a few steps W ... At last Hugh heard his name uttered, again and again In a voice so charged with misery that his apprehensions deepened, and a sudden mistiness enveloped the surrounding scene. For she was clinging to his hands like one In deep torment who for the first time amid a storm of fering, finds the anchor of an old riend. . And yet he reeehed the Impression of fear in her manner- she ratt meet rr puzzled; but an EngT horror of scenes, can be trusted to bridge over any threatening chasms Sending the porter for a taxi, he 'sat down by her side, still holding l " Come and have some tea- brandy or something, Bab" he y "There's just time." ""BSested. She shook her head. "But you you-dash It all t v donMoo fit t0 traveL w Jou wihhHn" bl a" rieht'" ehe breathed hThatasbaa,?. S Marseliles .nd'coB.TvU0" " lns ber hands. moDotony, able-day after d ay aU ,, Her tne people 0 ' J 1 !ter the platform. eye, roved w.ljl H er tl,enShrrF d is she in London. "I want Mrs. " or llt Darhuryr -Neither, fehe s m vulsively TheKirll aUl no .nor, It was together, and she .am p ap. relief to both when tl peared to lead them to taxi. y this sudden art ted overland, s evinced In publicity No uHo 'y a her arrival, b he ... bewiUlered ner, with throbbing neaa. by the noise aroun d It all PT X r Twhloh various going on for so tout, , spoke, rVts of her anatomy o PwM ate and slept dements ivln- blind and pain-stricken. In g"urdto put his anus about "end he took her hand once more almost al-most shvly. and leaned toward her. -Bab" he asked diffidently, "won't you iaren't vou going to kiss me? After aIShe1Sdrewraway quickly, sharply. For a moment she laid her hand upon lhe door, with the mad Instinct to escape es-cape which some trapped animal might ,eel on Its way to the zoo, Its hear ever away In the wilds with Its lost mnte , Then, drawing a long quivering breath, she leaned back snd looked up at him. In the light from passing vehicles, she saw the hurt wonder on his face. . . All at once the cold rigidity encompassing encom-passing her heart relaxed. With trembling trem-bling lips, and eyes swimming in sudden sud-den tears, she laid her free hand on his. "Hughie!" she muttered brokenly, "you must bear with me. So much has happened. I have to tell you. ... I I'm not I don't" The words quavered quav-ered away Into silence. How was it possible, at this first moment of meeting, meet-ing, to blurt out the bald statements which would shatter his pathetic happiness hap-piness and trust? She could not bear, yet, to allude to what had become a sacred memory full of poignant, exquisite ex-quisite pain. "I can't tell you everythinghere," every-thinghere," she continued. "Oh ! I can't speak of It all yet, Hugh I Don't ask me. It It is so unbearable " Again her voice died away. Hugh pressed the hands in his, and laid them against his cheek. "Darling old girl! Has It been as bad as all that?" He had, she knew, entirely misunderstood misun-derstood ; but she made no comment Explanations were Impossible, just then. This meeting, fraught with such Irony and tragedy, had bewildered her. Hugh's presence, with Its present strangeness and odd sense of familiarity, famil-iarity, brought with It a sense of shock, reducing her preconceived ideas of It to chaos. When they reached Waterloo, she nerved herself to put the question she scarcely dared to frame that which was her only Interest In life at present. "Has any news reached England yet from De Borceau?" Hugh looked grave and shook his head. "Of Croft, you mean? No. Poor fellow. ... I suppose I say Bab" "Yes?" "I suppose I've sometimes wonderedwas won-deredwas Croft quite decent to you, all the time?" A harsh caricature of a laugh Jarred on his ears. "Yes. Oh ! Quite decent !" Hugh knitted his brow at her tone "You are sure? He looked after you, I mean, and did all he could?" "Oh, yes, yes! He did all he possibly pos-sibly could." "It was a beastly position for you both. Especially as you didn't like him " "Here's the station!" she exclaimed, with a quick breath of relief. The taxi drew up at the pavement, and a porter opened the door. . . The train was rather full; but t'-a presence of others In their carriage was a boon to Barbara. Hugh had sunk so far Into the background that n her recent anguish, the consideration considera-tion of their position had held no place Robbed with such cruel suddenness of nd her future motherhood, there had been no room, In the bitter! ness of her heart, for thoughts of the empty years ahead. Every throb of cr! enB'w bringing her away increased in-creased the passionate craving f0 rl turn-to search every nook and corner of the island for remains of the man who meant more than ,i,e to he then to He down beside them and die, he" (TO BB CONTINUED.) |