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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1938-10-26, Page 2THE BRUSSELS POST WHONESDAY, OCTOBER ; 9th ENTITLED Pi Giri Adrift CHAPTER II, 13v Peter Munday �} The 'Other Woman. One hot June night, when a white 1 .noon shed silver light over a sleep- ing world, Pam hung over her bed- room window -sill, drinking in the soft night sounds, and the scents which came from the garden below. le was almost too hot to sleep, and the past hour she had gbeen seated in ber window, looking out over the Common, Somewhere In the house a clock chimed midnight, softly. As the last stroke died, Pam thought of another midnight nine months previously, when. she had stood upon Vauxhall Bridge, and contemplated the river as a way out of her difficulties. Nine months ago! A Pensive ex- pression crept into her eyes as she went back over the period which had elapsed, and thought of the many things that had happened. She was vastly diflerent from the white -Paced, haunted girl Terence Grant had picked up in Lamfeth Road. In her tailored dressing gown, and her hair all tumrfled like a sleepy child's, she looked absurdly boyish. The glow of health was In her cheeks, and her eves had lost that hostile expreesion which had marred her beauty at the time. She had not been long with Miss Grant when she discovered her em- ployer spoke no less than the tail when she had said the job was no sinecure. Pam earned her salary, and more, The work was hard, but not un - 'pleasant, and she had the added satisfaction of knowing that not only was she doing it well, but that she was proving the help Miss Grant Riad anticipated. 'Phe Job was a dear one, In which she could take a pride, and her fear it had been made for her was quite unfounded. Terence—whose mother was Irish, so Miss Grant informed her, thus accounting for the combination of 'names which had intrigued her— was a playwright, she discovered. His successful comedy, 'Sunshine After Rain', was entering upon its sixth succesful month at the Orpheum. He did a great deal of his work in the large house on the Comon, wheer he had a study re- served for his use. He and Pam had become good friends, if such a relationship can he said to exist between two per- sons w'ho have met under such Pe- culiar circutnstan.ces, Never by hint or otherwise, however, did he refer to it, and for that Pam was grateful. Her brow clouded as she thought about him, For the life of her she could not Prevent herself from wondering, and she knew Mise Grant was wor- ried about the same thing. On his visits to Wimbledon, Ter- ence usually came alone, but occas- ionally when he was not working, he would bring with him a perfect- ly groomed girl, who dressed in the lastest fashion. She was Viola Mannering, the leading lady in. Sunshine After Rain and Pam had taken an Instinctive 1 dislike to her on their first meeting. She put, her down as hard and calcu- lating, two traits for which Pam had a hearty contempt, .l11ss Grant was more direct, She referred to the actress as "that woman," much to Pam's secret Joy. Pam would have given a great deal to know 'what lay behind the friendship existing between Ter- ence and his leading lady; Viola's proprietorial air frequently annoy- ing her. At such times, she would tell herself it was not her business, said try to dismiss the matter from her mind. She frowned as she thought of the little scene that had occurred that afternoon, Terence had been in difficulties with his new play. Some of his manuscript had been returned in- correctly typed, and Pam had offer- ed to help with the revision work. He had accepted thanithrlly, and with Miss Grant's permission, Pam had been spending an average of two to three hours' a night in the booklined study, hard at work. It had been a chasening experi- ence. Terence was wrapped up in his work. His mind seemed incap- able of realising Pam was, even in the room, and yet, 'whenever she made a suggestion, he would seize upon it, and then throw himself back into the difficult task of revis- ion. Without either of them realising how much she was doing, Pam was shaping the thoughs of the charac- ters in the play, Perhaps it was because she telt herself able to understand the character of Helen, Quotations of Ontario Lady M.P., 0 At'V °:cc. t l }x --Atli at �N <R,attte E gout y5'S l"utY w to 5 na\b. t \-..011'1`of X,e. Mini; st .9'5'1'' ala•. ita�' cues yU > -p.yl Yeve sco ,e4 + be ststc6 a ee Sao sve t°' 1:' %ee Sat So wQeXvs• Pbe4utoeot the 10 sem tuft palet pot 5e y a,11 '5' the5Copitit Qeg15 aoa diet t'lieto pie. „the -e SD, thez. -plot the ties•• 5aev,SYu4�1uge ac oye tvieo45,2'4 nils- sat, the ,craw, . yt'°e sty ao epte este .es, 5ie0- roti of t at ° 'aG+7 sets, aoi'oY>• e c o t the sop• S�4t p� the t s e.tea chs feat yp1t1e5� at75,c t5ee, 2'0,1\6 e'su a` eot>� of sett the 4 ere to the '°'1.2' b -leYg ,, s t5e 34 e tile. - a NI °fey 'Ile 5T0 of . xxo' Vole. .est a. of 54 b ^to ,;ep�q�S ao4tsleO•0 et , tot t eleti a�tet4 l els pu`o beet tote t"ae -WO 15P Xi olgeielax iopg sell by tb .a ,vas cop die ate Seo ta'c'%t oNaly O l Y'eW1'A. ...A Local Newspaper is A Messenger in Your Community The Brussels Post Will Keep You Posted 1 and 'how she herself would aot in similar circumstances,. On this particular occasion she ha dgone into the study as usual with a pile of corrected manuscript. Terence had been seated at his desk his eyes fixed in a blank stare on the opposite wall. Paan had ventured to ask whether the cast had been chosen for the new play. It was to be produced in the autumn, and time was getting short, "Yes'," he said, coming back to the matter in. hand, "Sartori& has just made up his list, Why?" "I wondered uho was to Play Helen," said Pam, sharpening her pencil. "Helen. --oh, 11 see. Er—Miss Mannering will play the part," re- marked Terence absently, scanning the sheets Pam had placed In front of him, and making pencil notes for stage directions. "Miss' Mannering? Oh—" Pam pursed her lips and bent her head over her work, Something in her tone caused Terence to glance sharply in her direction, "What's wrong with that?" he enquired irritably. Pam shrugged. "It's as such your business as +epIled, "It's as much pour business as mine," he snapped, tapping the sur- face of the desk with a pencil. 'Half the play's yours, if it comes to that. I'm not blind 'to all you've done for me—" "Please don't!" Pam looked up, "Whatever I have done, it doesn't give me the right to criticise the cast. I presume Mr. Sartoris knows what he is doing." "All right, have it your way." He sighed. "What's your objection to Miss Mannering?" "I have no objection' to her, It— it's only that I don't think she is suited to the part Miss Tracy—" "Sybil Tracy? H'm!" He paused as if considering the matter. 'Yes— she would make a good Helen, I admit. But—" He picked up his papers as if indicating that the decision was at an end. "I'm afraid it's out of the ques- tion," he added, curtly. "Miss Man- nering will play the part." Snubbed, Paan turned back to her work. He need not have been so abrupt about it, she thought re- senteutly, int didn't matter to her who played Helen, but. he might have given her credit for thinking of the play. She half -hoped he would refer to the matter again when at the end of an hour of concentrated work she rose to go, but beyond a curt "Good- night," he said nothing further. Paan sighed, and rising, put out the light and climbed into bed. But sleep refused to come. Try as she would, it seemed she was doomed to spend a sleepless night and eventually she gave up the attempt to sleep, and lay back on her pillows, allowing. her thoughts to drift where they willed. When she came down to breakfast the next morning, Miss Brant gave her a sharp look. "H'm!" she said. "You look What her employer would say if she Couldn't you sleep?" "It was too hot Pam seated herself at the table. She did not feel like eating, but made a Pre- tence of having a meal, afraid of what her emmloler would say if she did not. Miss Gnant looked up from her correspondence, lhich she habitual- ly scanned at breakfast time, "You haven't forgotten to -night, have you?" site asked, "No," Paan smiled. `q haven't forgotten.', Pam liked her employer as an in. dividual. The two women, tote one elderly, and the other young, were drawn together by an inex,plirahle bond, and there was between them more than the mere tie whidh binds a loyal employee to a generous em- ployer. Tltey were friends as well. Miss Grant referred to a dinner party site was giving tlhat. night, 10 which Pam was flocking ,forward with mixed feelings. Evers) so often Mies Grant would entertain a selert few, and although no one could accuse ]ter of lion hunting, she managed to surround heresele with peoPJe Who had done something worth while. Ammng these was John Wilber- force, an explorer, Pant had met )rim some months Previous/1y, and as he had been In charge of the work of excavation superintended by iter father, their friendship had developed rapidly, After that first meeting, he had called several times at the [tense, ostensibly to Ole Mien Grant, who was an old friend, but Pam knew 11 was she who was the attraction. There was 110 rooan in her make up for false modesty. Without conceit as she was, she knew Wilberforce was in love with her. And the knowledge frightened her. die was a thickset man, with a rugged face and dark, wavy hair, There was soanething about him that repelled and at the same time fascinated Pam; something of the savage, and she realised that be- neath his veneer of good mannerd he was extremely primitive. That he would propose at the first oportunity, she also knew, It had only been by the exercise of the greatest tact that she had staved off a proposal the last occasion upon which he had seen her, And he was to be one of the guests that night. She looked up to see 'Miss Grant watching her shrewdly, "Thinking of what you're going to say to John?" she asked abruptly. The colour flamed in Pam's cheeks. "I—+what do you mean?" she stammered. Miss Grant laughed, "You know he is head over heels in love with you," she challenged, her eyes twinkling. "Are you with him?" "No, I'd not," said Pam. "I—I wish he wasn't—" "I see." Miss Grant hesitated, and then giving her a sympathetic glance said— "John's all right. Don't let him starpede you, that's all. Would you rather not attend to-niglit," Paan would have given a great deal to say "Yes'," but she shook her head. "Perhaps you are mistaken," she said, closing the subject. "Didn't you want me to go to town for you this morning?" "Yes. The List of the things I want to get is on my desk. When you've finished your coffee we'll go through it—" Pa,m's morning In town was not to be without incident, however. She was in a shop in Oxford Street, scanning her list to make sure that she had ordered every- thing, when she heard .her name spoken, and looked up to see Viola Mannering bearing down upon her exuding a wave of expensive Per- fume. "Good morning!" cried the ac- cess effusively, "How strange I should meet you here!" Pam didn't think it strange, but refrained from saying so. Instead she replied to the other's greeting, and asked her politely how she was. 'You .must come back with me and have lunch,' Viola went on with scarcely a pause. "I never have a chance to talk to you when I come to Wimbledon." Pant had difficulty in preventing her lip from curling. In view of the fact that Viola slarcely deigned to 11) r RpOS GAMS Why let all that space in your basement go to waste? Let us show you how little it costs to turn it into a game room offering fun and relaxa- tion for young and old. Weil do the job quickly and with- out disturbance to the house- hold routine. And, best of all, it's another of those jobs you can finance, if necessary, under the Home Improve- ment Plan. LOCAL ADVERTISER'S NAME HERE PIPE T 91:ACCO 1()q i t :.t r,LtOKE • notice her when site Visited Mise Grant In company with[ Terence, it was not surprising, She 'thought, She eyed the .actrees warily, wond- ering what this extreme cordiality betokened. Womanlike, site knew Viola was fully aware of what she thought about her. In which case - the invitation to lunch bad been given a definite ,pbject. Viola wanted something. The question was—what,? (To Be Continued.) Anybody can break a good habit,. but it takes a he -anon to break a had one. HAROLD W. 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