Belt Valley times., 1925-05-21
CHAPTER v-COntinued

"Viola threw his dirty money In
his face" said Norheys. "and you
have thought that would have been
enough for him. But II wasn't When
he saw she waaa't going to be bribed
he took a high moral tone with her.
talked about TIIining the prospects of
a bright young life-mine. the beast
meant. not Sers. There'd have been
some sense In talking about getting
married running her prospects consid-
ering the way she dances. But what
was the good Of talking about ruin
ing me? All the same, that's what
he did, He told her all about that
Calypso girl and what a scoop 1t
would be for me to marry her. Now.
what do you think Of that, Uncle
Rtll2'
did she promise to give you upT
"0f course she didn't. And what
the devil good would 1t have been II
she had7 / wouldn't have given her
up. What / always say is this: If
a fellow won't give up girl. there's
no use the girls trying to give up the
fellow. especially II she happens to
be fond of him. You see what
mean, don't you, Uncle Bill7 Well,
after making Viola cry. which is
thing no man would do unless he was
an actual devil, that octopus took to
threatening her. He said that. being
a princess. the. Calypso girl could
marry me if she chose; only had to
say the word and there we were.
Viola doesn't know much about prin-
cesses. but she didn't believe that.
All the same. 1t made her more than
q bit uncomfortable"
1t seems, as I heard afterward, to
have reused Miss Temple to simple
but effective action. / do not know
whether she told Norheys what she
had done. II she did. he did not con-
fide In me.
$50 you can tell Uncle Ned" he
said. ito keep that disgusting Semlt-
ic toad of his chained up for the fu-
ture. If catch him fooIIng round Vlo-
la's fiat again there'll be murder
done"
I'm afraid" I said. that this Will
be a disappointment to your uncle.
He's rather set his heart on seeing
you king Of Lystria."
Il haven't the slightest objection to /
being king Of Lystria."
But you can't be If you won't mar
~ the princess.
''I'm net SO sure about that" said
Norheys After all, If a thing can't
be done In one way 1t generally can
In another. Just you try and make
that clear to Uncle Ned Tell him
I'm an uncommoniy dutifui nephew
and all that. as keen as nuts on buck
ing up the family and pouring oil all
over the good old empire; but there's
one thing / can't and won't do"
Marry the princess7'
s.No. I'll marry her II have TO.
but won't go back on Viola"
I never made all that clear to
Troyte. Indeed. ! never tried to. But
Norheys succeeded In explaining him
sell, more o. less 70 ais anede. and
I heard no more Of the matter for
some little time.
Another w0rry--a small, even a RI
diculous one-came to make my life
Ny sister Emily wrote to
me that she lost curate. She want
ed me 10 set the whole machinery Of
he British empire to work to find the
creature for her. He was not. II ap-
,eared. q particularly valuable curate.
Emily admitted that she did not Ike
lim. She went so far as 10 say that I.
le was not the sort Of man who ought /
o have been IA holy Orders. But he /
vas the only curate there was In /
EmiIy's parish and they could not I
'ee on without him because the rec
or. Canon Pyke had fallen suddenly t
II
The eurats had gone on on a hoI- i
day, which, according 20 Emily. he s
Id not deserve Almost Immediate c
: after his departure Canon Pyke &
ad broken down 4
Ali we've heard from hfm sInce be '
m is one postcard which came from c
leriIn and has a picture Of . mu-
cum On It. don't think. conaider- q