THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1935
Dead Reckoning
(Continued from Page 9.).
Doris was preparing the meal. But turned as I entered. - Never before had I seen the look that'l saw in her face at that moment -- fear battling with resolve.
"Who is that boy I asked her. "I have already told you, father." she answered: "he is a young man named Thorpe-Edward Thorpe."
“Ah," said L, momentarily at a loss,
young man named Thorpe. here?"
And why does he tome!
"We love one another," she told me, looking-full-into my eyes with no hint of timidity: “we are en- gaged to be married.”
I could not speak I could not even protest when, at no invitation of mine, this youth had the effron- tery to come in to supper. world-my twin worlds-rocked under my feet:
The
L
It was 1 terrible meal. speechless, at one end of the table. my daughter, pale but courteous. at the other, and this clown set -between us, regaling na, as he no doubt thought, with anecdotes of life down South.
And this was not enough, but he must come into the kitchen after- wards and help to wash up. He said it made him feel more at home. Now, it has been my custom. ever | since leaving a civilisation that I abhor and finding comfort in this far corner of the earth, to help wash up when I am at home.
The thing is part of the routine of life, and as such demands pro- A nice adjust- per management
ment of the water's temperature is Decessary, for if too hot it way crack glass and china and ruin knife bandles; and if too cold, in spite of a certain amount of soda. it fails to remove grease.
Then, too, it is my invariable habit at the end to turn the wash- bowl upside down to drain, and spread the dishcloth upon it to dry. It occurs to me that these may appear small matters to some, but is not life composed of such, and do they not often tam out to be the greater? And our uninvited quest disorganised the entire rou- tine by pathetic exorts at buy- foonery such as tying one of Doris's aprons about his waist making a napkin-ring climb his finger by a cirentar motion of the hand, and laughing openly at whet he evidently regarded as our fads.
The spreading of the dishcloth on the washbowl appeared to amuse him most of sil
"I suppose you always do that,"
he said.
"It is the custom in this house." said I.
"And when you come to think of it, why not?" he reflected with His handsome scad at an angle.
""There are many things one has to come to think of -before one knows anything," said L
And at that he laughed good- naturedly.
At length he went : From my easy chair in the living-room heard the last "Good night” and his assured football on the veran- dah steps. Doris came straight to me. I knew she would Perching herself on the arm of my chair; as "She used to when a child, she en- circled my shoulder with her azn. Do you hate him, father?” she ask ed_me.
I answered her question with an- other.
"Do you fear terris ? For the look in her face that evening had shocked me.
ased to sometimes," she said.
"but not now...
"And what has worked the
formation 77
trans-
She leaned over and whispered in
my ear.
I held her from me and stadied her as though for the first time. She}] "was young, beautiful, fragile, yet she
was stronger than L. I am no fool.) I knew that nothing I could do or say would have one particle of weight with her now. She loved, and was
loved.
“Then I have nothing to say.” said
“Nothing?" she questioned me, and again presently, nothing that
And at last I heard, myself; mat tering the absurd formula of wishes for their happiness
was bound to come some time. It had come, that was all, and I made the best of it. Of an evening that boy would sit with us and make suEKTS- tions for the betterment of the busia-}
business. He pointed out new blood was needed his blood. By heavens, how he talked and there is an insidious power for morda
ter them aften enough, with youtalai
enthusiasm behind them, and
zescire themselves into "deada.
I cannot explain wen in zynek.
came about, but this
to take my ketch to
she would
the
BY GOLLY-"IT'S TWO O'CLOCK AN'I PROMISED DINFY I'D CALL.
HIM UP-
MRS.JIGGS-I MUST CALL'UP THE BUTCHER BEFORE HE CLOSES UP HIS SHOP-
I WANT THEM
ALL RIGHT ON THIS DESK-
NOW-I'M GONNA CALL UPEVERYONE I KNOW-AND EVERY ONE I DON'T WANT
TO KNOW==
©1935, King Festas Syndicats, Inc,
Cesat. Butain rights merved.
Rosie's BEAU
BY
GED MCMANUS
Registered U. 2. Patent Office.
I'M GOING TOHAVE AVANILLA
SUNDAE-
CAN'T YOU
SEE IMA WAITING
TO USE THE 'PHONE?
Bringing Up Father
HURRY UP- ¡HAVE AN IMPORTANT: *PHONE CALL TO MAKE-
MA MAC
YOU'RE GONNA,
HEAR A LOT OVER FOUR
'PHONES-
?
JCANTM W DO
ECTUS WE RDER.
OPIAM
WHAT DO YOU THINK
I'M STANDING-
FOR?IM GO
USE
HELLO-YEA-O.K~.
ALL RIGHT, MR- JIGGS-THE PHONES ARE ALL WORKIN-
SEND OVER A LEG OF LAMB- AND HAVE YOU
PKG'S FEET?NO LDONÍT MEAN
PLEASE 85 QUE
CAN
HEAR
EN
ca
ON
ON
NOR
ALL-
ALL-RIGHTILL
TAKE YOU TO THE DOOR-
I'M CALLING FOR MRS. 18 MRS PHIL ADELFIA IN?
| OF COURSE I'M
NOT SAYING
ANYTHING-
BUT I HEARD
SHE
IMLIST TALK ROSIE OUT
ROSE-MY PET- MY
OF GOING TO THE MOVIES|| EYES, HURT TONIGHT. TONIGHT- I'VE ONLY GOT||ICANT LOOK AT ANY
FIFTY CENTS- MOVIES LET'S GET
TO MY NAME-
SOME SODAS IT'S JUST
ENOLISH FOR
SODAS-
I'M GOING
VANTE
•HO
12-1
HELLO GRI
DOWN AND VON
USINA SODA
HE NEW
THAT
I'M HAVING MADE
I KNOW “THERE'S A PHONE IN THE LIBRARY OF MY HOUSE-BUTK WANT. FOUR FOR MY
·OWN USE IN MY ROOM-
ND RIGHT AWAY-
MESE
MAN HT
O-HE
THE
"PHONES IN IMMED
SO LONG-F THEY. GTOUTOF ORDER- "UL SEND FOR YOU
HELLO-EDDY YES-I'M GOING TO THE DANCE
HURSDAY-
TA-TA-
HELLO-IS THIS THE
EPHONE COMPANY? WELL THIS 15 MRJIGGS- GO RIGHT OUT TO MY HOUSE AND TAKE ALL
HOMES OUT OF
MY ROOM-
RIGHT-
IT'S THE GYPSY IN ME
BE N
WE CAN. TALK-
IT?
YEA!
WET
PAINT