Mrs. Vanderstein's jewels

by Mrs. Charles Bryce

  CHAPTER XXVIII

  It was a few days before Joe Sidney was allowed to see Barbara. The newsof her friend's death had been broken to her by the doctor, and thoughher grief was profound she bore the shock better than they had fearedlikely, and continued to make good progress towards recovery.

  It was on the day following that on which she learnt the truth, orrather a bowdlerised version of it, that Sidney refused to be longerdenied, and practically forced his way into the private room at thehospital to which she had been moved.

  At sight of her sad, tear-stained face, framed in bandages, and wearingsuch a different aspect from when he had last looked on it, the littlespeech he had prepared to greet her with died on his lips, and he couldonly take her hand in silence and gaze at her without a word till thedoor had shut behind the nurse, who, dearly as she would have liked toremain, was luckily prevented from doing so by an urgent summons toattend on the house surgeon elsewhere.

  "Oh, my dear, I thought you were dead," he stammered.

  She was very weak still, and while the tenderness in his voice, stillmore than the words themselves, brought a feeble little smile of thepurest content to play a moment round the corners of her mouth, theyalso caused the blood to rush to her face in a hot, embarrassing wave,so that she turned her head away, and lay facing the wall with noconscious wish except to hide from him.

  Then the flush died away, leaving her very white and still and silent,with eyes tightly shut. She knew that if she opened them or tried tospeak she would not be able to help crying.

  Sidney did not understand her stillness. A dreadful fear came upon himthat she had fainted, and he looked round for the bell. It was just outof reach; but, when he tried to withdraw the hand which still held hers,her clasp gently tightened on it, and would not let him go.

  With a muffled exclamation he fell on his knees beside the pillow.

  "Barbara, Barbara," he cried, "will you always go hand in hand with menow?"

  And with face still averted she murmured: "Always, always!"

  It was half an hour later that he asked her about the unsigned telegramshe had sent him. What had she meant by saying good luck was coming hisway?

  She reluctantly confessed her determination to provide him with themoney he needed.

  "Of course I always knew you were clever and dear enough to manage eventhat," he said. "That's why I didn't bother unnecessarily over the messI'd got into."

  "Oh," cried Barbara, "how dare you say that! Why, you were desperate; Iwas terrified by the things you hinted at."

  "It was disgraceful of me to talk in that way," he admitted, ashamed."But you haven't told me how you intended to provide me with money. Asif I'd have taken it from you! I didn't know you were a millionaire."

  "You know Mr. Vanderstein left me L30,000, which I was to have if poorMrs. Vanderstein died? I shall get it now, I suppose," said Barbara, hereyes filling with tears.

  Joe stroked her hand in silent sympathy, and with a quaver in her voiceshe went on.

  "Well, I meant to borrow L10,000 on the strength of my prospects, andplace it anonymously to your credit at Cox's. So you see you would havehad to take it!" she concluded triumphantly. "You wouldn't have knownwho it was from."

  "I should have known perfectly well," he said. "Who else could good luckcome to me from if not from you? I knew you sent the telegram, you see."

  "You couldn't have proved it, and you'd have had to take the money,because there would have been no one to send it back to."

  "It was like you to think of it," Joe said, "but I don't believe youcould have raised the money anyhow. Aunt Ruth's life was nearly as goodas yours then, and you hadn't really any security to offer, you sillydarling."

  Barbara's face fell. "I didn't think of that, but surely I could havegot L10,000 when I would have offered L30,000 in exchange," she saidsadly. "But it doesn't matter now, does it?"

  He hastened to reassure and comfort her.

  "And you will never bet again?" she asked presently.

  "I have sworn that I never will," Joe answered. "I've had a lesson moresevere than even I needed, I think."

  "If ever you want to have a teeny tiny bet," she smiled, "I can do itfor you, perhaps, if you're good."

  "No, no," he said seriously, "you must give it up too. I shall want youto help me to stick to my resolutions. Promise!"

  "Very well," she said, seeing how grave he looked; "I promise faithfullynever to gamble again in any way, as long as I live."

  "Now we are safe!" he cried. "Indeed, I have used up all the luck oneman can scrape together in a lifetime in winning you, and I shall thinkof that, if I am ever again tempted to stake anything on the chance offurther kindness at the hands of Fortune."

  "Don't be foolish," Barbara urged; "there is heaps and heaps more luckin store for you."

  And so, in their serene confidence of the happy future which awaitsthem, we will leave these two young people, who, if any more dangers lieunsuspected in the path down which they are to travel through the years,will brave them no longer in solitary isolation, but strengthened andreinforced by an enduring love.

  THE END