CHAPTER IX
BETTY
"THAT'S more hopeful," ejaculated Flight sub-lieutenant Barcroft. "Ihear footsteps."
For perhaps half a minute he listened intently. He was not mistakenin his surmise, but there was still the haunting doubt that thebenighted wayfarer might be proceeding in a different direction. Butno; the footsteps came nearer and nearer. It was not the firm treadof a man, nor the clatter of a pair of Lancashire clogs.
"A woman, by Jove!" muttered Billy. "I'll have to be jolly carefulnot to give her a fright. Rummy idea having to hail a craft of thatsort at this time of the morning. Wonder what brings her out in thisisolated spot?"
In his anxiety not to unduly alarm the approaching woman, theflight-sub began to walk in her direction. It was, he decided, abetter course than to stand back until she passed.
"Excuse me," he said touching his cap, "but can you direct me toTarleigh?"
"Yes, I am going part of the way," was the reply in a decidedlyclear and pleasant voice, which spoke with perfect composure. "Ifyou like I'll go with you as far as Two Elms. It is then a straightroad."
"Thank you," said Barcroft, falling into step with his unknownbenefactor. "You see, I'm quite a stranger here."
"Hang it all!" he mused. "That voice seems familiar. A trim littlecraft, too, I should imagine, although I can't see her face. Wonderwho she is?"
"You are a naval officer, I see," remarked the girl.
"Yes," admitted Billy. "On leave and going to a home I've neverseen. This raid affair made me late."
"And so it did me," added his companion. "By the bye, where was yourhome before?"
"At Alderdene in Kent," replied Barcroft, somewhattaken aback at the question. "Why do you ask?"
"I thought so," was the composed reply. "And your name isBarcroft--Billy Barcroft."
"By Jove!" exclaimed the young officer. "How on earth do you knowthat? I'm afraid I don't recognise you."
"You always had a bad memory for certain things, Mr. Barcroft," thegirl laughingly reminded him. "I felt almost positive it was youdirectly you spoke. You see, the uniform and you have a mostcharacteristic helped me, manner of speaking."
"Have I?" asked Billy, still mystified. "And you have a good memory,I presume?"
"Fairly reliable," admitted the girl.
"Then let us hope that your recollections of me are of a favourablecharacter," continued the flight-sub. "Now, tell me; what is yourname?"
"There is no immediate hurry for that," she protested. "Before Ireveal my identity suppose I remind you of some of your girl friendsat Alderdene--Ada Forrester, for instance."
Yes, Billy remembered Ada Forrester very well--a short, podgy kid,he reflected, who by no possible chance could have developed intothe tall, graceful girl by his side.
"And Betty Deringhame," continued his inquisitor. "One of the noblearmy of flappers. Rather a shallow-headed kid and a bit of a tomboy,wasn't she?"
"A tomboy--yes," agreed the flight-sub, "but I cannot admit theother. We used to be good pals, but that was three years ago. I wasin my Third Term at Dartmouth when her people left Alderdene."
"You taught her to signal in Morse, I think," pursued the girl. "Youused to exchange messages until that little pig, Pat o'Hara, thevicar's son, learnt it too and told tales to her mother."
They walked in silence for some moments. Barcroft had almostforgotten his surroundings. His thoughts had taken him back to thosefar off, pre-war days in sunny Kent.
"Yes," he said at length in his deep manly voice. "It is absolutelygreat to be with Betty Deringhame again."
"So you've guessed at last," said Betty. "It's a strange world,isn't it?"
"And a mighty pleasant one, barring the Huns and others of thatcrowd," added Billy. "Now, tell me, what are you doing here?"
"Walking with an old acquaintance upon a long road that leads to TwoElms and Tarleigh."
"Obvious--we will not dispute the fact," rejoined the young officer."To put the question in more exact terms: where are you living, andwhat brought you to this part of England?"
"I think I said I was living at Two Elms. To be more precise, atMill View. That doesn't sound particularly cheerful, does it? Wecame here to live after we left Alderdene, shortly after war brokeout. I am now employed in a munitions works."
"Munitions works! Whatever are you doing that for?" asked Billysurprised beyond measure. It seemed incredible that the slim,light-hearted girl of his boyhood days should be toiling in thismanner.
"Because I had to do something," replied Betty simply. "We lostalmost everything. Besides, it was an opportunity to do somethingpractical for the war. People of all social grades do, you know."
"I'm sorry about your financial misfortune," said Barcroftsympathetically.
"And so am I--very," added the girl frankly. "But it is unnecessaryto enter into details. This is my home."
They came to a standstill in front of a row of two-storeyed houses.Owing to the darkness it was impossible for the flight-sub to forman accurate idea of the pretensions of the place; but at any rate itwas a pitiful contrast to "The Old Rectory," the Deringhames' houseat Alderdene.
"The works were nearly hit by the bombs," continued Betty. "We hadjust started the night-shifts, but the girls were sent off after theraid was over. One of them was so frightened that I had to take herhome. That's why I was late."
"Fortunately for me," declared Billy earnestly.
"Yes, a stranger would have some difficulty to find his way on anight like this," said Betty inconsequently. "You are on a straightroad now, until you come to a railway arch. Just beyond you'llnotice a line of overhead wires if you keep your eyes open. Justbeyond is a path on the left. That will take you past LadybirdFold."
"I'll call in the morning," said Barcroft.
"We--that is, mother and I, will be pleased to see you," replied thegirl. "Goodnight--Billy."
For the rest of the distance the flight-sub trod literally on airuntil he reached the path that Betty had mentioned. Tripping over aslab of stone he came to earth in a double sense.
"Dash it all!" he exclaimed as he picked himself up. "Has thegovernor defended Lady bird Fold with entanglements and pitfalls? ByJove, this is a night!"
Groping his way Billy ascended the steeply sloping cinder pathacross the meadow. Another stile and a broad stretch of ruggedground had to be negotiated before he saw a dark mass looming up infront. By this time he was feeling particularly stiff, hungry andcold. The keen air of the hillside made him regret the absence ofhis airman's leather coat.
"Wonder if this is the show?" he mused as he surveyed the isolatedand apparently deserted building.
He stopped and listened intently. Voices were heard within, behindthe thickly-curtained window. He recognised one of the speakers.
"That's the governor, right enough," he exclaimed, all traces ofannoyance vanishing at the pleasurable discovery.
The outer door was unlocked. Billy threw it open and burst into thewell-lighted study.
"Cheer-o, pater!" he exclaimed. "Sorry I'm late. Some night, eh,what?"