:
12
-CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS NUMBER.
HANSI
FRANK Tanner saw her first-
small, brisk figure, moving with rapid steps about the neglected garden on the other side of the hedge. She didn't see him. She Atudied the house from the side, the front, the back; broke off at twig of the big lime tree to be sure it was alive and prepared to bud in due course; sat, for a se- cond or so, on the rustic seat: got up and tugged at a dead vine against the wall, then went into the house again. Twenty minutes later he heard the sound of the ear and saw it disappear down the driveway that small, vital figure seated at the wheel, dress- ed in cap, scarf and coat of cup- 'per brown. And then, a few days latter, he saw her again, and this time she had a child with her. He suid nothing to anyone, being in the habit of keeping his thoughts to himself; but those glimpses of her had started whole series of alream." pictures, of wishfül visions...
A few years earlier, Mr. Gooch, a local builder, had bought four acres of woodland a mile from the village of Maddingly-pro- nounced by the Sussex people to rime with "sky"--and at oncę pro- eeeded to build four quite attrac- tive little houses on it, each stand- ing in its own acre of ground. Three of these were sold as soon as completed, but the fourth stood empty...
•
Blythewood was jointly owned by Mr. Charles.Speeder, a junior member of a firm of London law- yers, and his wife Vanessa, who wrote hovéls under the name of
Vanessa Crawford. They had two children, a boy and a girl. Daneshrook was the house of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lessingford, who had no children. Lessingford was a stock braker, and at that time not a very cheerful one. The Copse belonged to Mr. and Mrs. "Frank Tanner.. There was one child-a boy of eleven by Mrs. Tanner's first marriage. Mrs. Tanner admitted to being fifty. while Tanner was thirty-one. She was stout and gray-haired, very hospitable, and, as a rule, most amiable. Some people took exception to her occasional moments of frolicsomeness, but at other times she was dignified enough, and showed restraint, all things considered, in the matter of make-up. Frank Tanner was dark and slender, with a sleek head and a flawless figure. The "dancing floor was his spiritual home. Readers may and doubt-
papers such as The Film World and The Dancing Times, and one might have noticed that he would sit staring at photographs of Grétu Garbo or Jean Harlow, and that he would tosa the magazine
side with a yawn when Mrs. Tanner approached him. They gave such dinner parties as were given, "and, until some of Mrs. Tanner's investiments falled to bring in their usual dividends, kept open house for lunch every Sunday.
Lessingford was a heavy man who had once been an athlete and good-looking. He had a rendy laugh. Foved a musical show, was fond of dispensing hospitality. and would have been, in prosperous times; a genial host. Now he presented the sad and deflated spectacle of the good mixer with nothing to mix. Edna, his wife, was pretty, fair-haired woman of thirty-eight, who had cosistant trouble with servants and al- lowed domestic difficulties Lo get on her nerves. She could usually be made happy, however, by a daring novel or a kame, of contract bridge at sixpence A hundred.
ני
A
more
The Speeders were 'serious pair. Their house was sparsely furnished with "odern furniture and possessed most of the new labour-saving devices. They had a man and wife to keep house for them, and this couple had their own wireless set and the exclusive use of the Car one day a week, The Speeders often had week-end visitors, one or two at a time. and got up charedes and plays to which the neighbours were invited. Vanessa wrote for four or five hours a day and took strenuous exercise in the com pany of the children for tivo hours. Sometimes she left Blythewood and the children and Charles, and went off alone to pay visits Sometimes Charles- would be absent, alone, for a night or two.
called
The empty house was The Birches, being almost · Nur- rounded by a little wood of these fairy-like young trees. It-faced east, while the other houses faced south; nevertheless, its failure to find an occupant puzzled everyone. People had come often enough to look at it, but matters never went further, and it was now understood that Mr. Gooch was willing to accept
less will draw their own conclu-any reasonable offer. And then sions here, but it must be said in all fairness that the two seemed. to get on quite well together, and though Tanner was criticized for having no occupation beyond that. of chauffeur gardener, the boy, Julius, inclined to be silent and Matxcitement
seemed fond of him. Tan-
aloot in company. He took.in. and read a number of illustrated
one day, not long after Frank Tanner had turned away from the hedge that separated the two houses, with his head, full of dreams and visions, it became known to all the little world that The Birches was about to
be occupied by a lady.
Naturally this news caused among the neighbours, and the vans had
By Susan Ertz
hardly finished discharging their - loads before Vanessa Speeder and Mrs. Lessingford put on their hats, and went together to call. Their first "object was to see if they could be of any help --for the newcomer was, a foreigner as well-their second to satisfy a reasonable and live Ty curiosity."
By this May. The young birches wore trembling veils of transparent grech, and cuckoos were calling tu one another from the woods.
time it was almost
The first live creature that met the eyes of the two callers as they walked up the little drive- way was a small Persian kitten. which ran suddenly round the corner of the house and then stopped with arched back and startled tail at the sight of them, In pursuit of it came a fair- haired child of about three, of such
nremarkable loveliness. that the two women seized each other's arms and cried out "Oh!" And only great self-restraint kept them from a further cry of surprise when round the same corner of the house, in pursuit of child and kitten. eame the most marvellously lovely young woman either had ever set eyes, upon. She was as fair-haired the child, and was dressed in a pale green sleeveless sweater. and a short woollen skirt. Her legs were bare and her fest were thrust into bright red sandals which exposed her bare, toes. She was laughing, and at sight- of them. she, too, like the child and the kitten, came to a sudden stop. Then she picked up the child, swung her'on to her shoulder and came forward with extended hand.
"How do you do? We're your neighbours," said Yanessa. "We came to see if we could be of any use. I'm Mrs. Speeder from Blythewood, and this is Mrs. Lessingford from Danesbrook.”
So nice you are to come," said the girl, smiling. "I" am Mrs. Merrides, and this is my Elze...
Shake hands with the ladies, Else, that is a good girl.
Please," she said, tilting
her lovely head to one side, "I like you should not see the house yet, it is not looking very good; so maybe you come in the garden this nice afternoon, yes?"
"
soon tei will come. List!" she called, and Else climbed down from her lap and ran toward the house calling, "Lish! Lis!!" A tall woman. came to the back door, Naw what was wanted, nodded, and disappeared again.
"That is my Lisl," said Mrs. Merriden. "One she was my nurse, when I was a baby. When I grow up and agt for the films. she come, too, as maid. When I marry, she still come, as cook, and now. nurse tou. I could not live without my Lisl."
They told her she was for tunate, such devoted servants being somewhat rare nowadays.. Then Vanessa sait:
"So you're a film actress, How exciting! Perhaps we've actual- ly seen you on the films.". But she knew even as she spoke that had she seen that lovely creature- before, on the screen. or off it. she wouldn't have forgotten her.
"No, I don't think," said the girl, as I was not very long film "actress. My name is Hansi Probst, and I net always in Vienna. Then I marry an Eng- lishman and go to Paris, where he has business. I have no hus- band now. I get a divorce. For a while we are happy; then we quarrel, quarrel; we agree about. nothing. And that is not nice. So I say finish, and so we finish. It is best."
Both ladies murmured conver- tionally that it was sad, and a pity, but Mrs. Merriden said, with a little wave of the hand:. "No, no, that is life. You make mistake-though it was not all mistake, for I have my Else- then it is po good crying. If there is a part that is bad, cut it off. You think so too? No?" " **I think you're perfectly. right." said Vanessa warmly. "So many women. want to cling, to hold on, because they're afraid or can't bear the thought of change.”
"It isn't as simple as all that, Vanessa," said "Edna Lessing- ford, with a touch of sharpness in her voice. "If one loves, one loves. If one doesn't. it's easier, of course, but even then there are other considerations."
"Love should be happy, mutual, no?" said Mrs. Merri- den. "When it is not that, then, it is not love. Only habit, and.. "We'd love to," said. Mrs. - that is so dull, so ugly." Lessingford. "It's really too soon to pay calls," she apologiz- ed, "but we thought we might be of some help to you."
“I am lucky, then, I have good neighbours, said the girl, and led the way round into the gar den, the kitten scampering ahead. wildly, its tall hoisted like a littlemast. "I don't speak English very good yet,” she told them as they reached a group of chairs under the budding lime tree, "so please excuse many mistakes. Now we sit here and
"I do so agree with you, Mrs. Merriden," said Vanessa. "And now you're going to live here alone! How brave you are."
"Not for always. I don't say for always,” said" Hansi," with a smile. Now I tell you something. I tell Mr. Gooch, 'No, I don't buy that house I rent it. He says, “Very good, no matter. If I sell it, you go, when one year finish. If not, maybe you buy yourself!"1⁄2 So maybe I stay one year, may- be not so long.” <
(Continued on Page 18.)