THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SU
OCTOBER
1937
2 THE COME-BACK"
THE long bar in the French
Club was certainly the most cosmopolitan spot in the Islands -possibly it was the most cosmo- politan social centre in the whole of the world.
For there, over long glasses of whiskey (straight), gin (pink), • lager or Pilsener, there met and mingled French, Germans, Dutch, Dagoes, Britishers, Yanks, Lithu anians, Stars, Chinese, Japs, and a weird and heterogenous collection of half-castes and mixed-breeds. They had just two things in com- mon-they were mostly thirsty, and they were all connected with the sea in some way or another
There, on a certain day in May, a big, red, beefy-looking individ ual, in an expensive Shantung suit, with silk shirt and bright scarlet: cummerbund, stood and surveyed, over the rim of his upraised lag- er glass, his companion, with a slightly contemptuous expression in his small, deep-set and beady looking brown eyes.
"That's what beats me about. you fellers?" he remarked, with a of his head, as he lowered
My glass:
*What fellers 2" queried his companion, a small, skinny little man, dressed in immaculate ducks.
on God-dam Yanks!”
راشي
**Yeah? And what is it beats you about us, brother?”
All this family-stuff," said the big man. "I mean you get mar- ried, and you have kids and from that time on you become just bally slaves. Work yourselves to death live work, think work, eat work and bally well dream work. And for what? Just to keep your wife and kids in
·luxury? And what d'you get back for it? Just nothing! Do they think any more of you--they do not! They reckon it's a privilege for you to work yourself to death just to supply them with silk frocks, jewels, motor-care and what not and if they think of you with any sort of feeling at all, it's the sort of feeling one has for 2 poor imbecile in which, for once, they're right?”
The American shrugged:
"I guess it's the way we're made!"
"Bilge!" said Beefy, and spat contemptuously on the floor. "It's not natural: What do the animals do? They bring up their young until they're old enough to fend for themselves and then kick Tem out to do it! A cat has a kitten. It teaches it to wash its own face, drink milk, and mice and then it gives it a sma across the nose, and sends it to fend for itself. Quite right, too! Look at me, now! I'm rich man as we go in the Old Country. I got three kids two boys and a girl-all grown up. What have I done for 'em? Given Zem a sound education, had taught a trade and sing 'em out to follow it And that's all Im going to do for 'em! 'Cos why? 1" tell you they've got just as much respect for me as if I kept
for.
And
em
perhaps
milies.
with it there kids- nothin The
to protest agains before he could do
wrong! Wrong-
Beefy swung and surveyed the with a keen and glance from his eyes. What he to make him take tion kindly.
The individ once migh
clear, but bloodshot, skin, a
stubble on a chin
tive enough.
ough, provoca-
the
who
had described himself as a mas- ter-mariner hesitated for amo-
a certain determination (or ag- gressiveness), and long, lank, un- tidy hair. He was dressed in an old suit of soiled and frayed dum-ment, and then, with a muttered. garees, with a badgeless cutter cap
his head
suggested that his calling that of the s
Short Story
“And who the devil might you be, and what has our conver tion to do with you, Beefy asked, coldly.
"Name of Tann-
er at your service," was the re- ply. butted in because well, you see, I happen to have a daughter of my own at home. She's grown
And 1 wrong, be all her life
up-
I let her
say
damned ba
cuset: Let missus-down so
Just never had the pluc
and face em Is
word of
called for
The
By William J. Elliott
"I thought as hearing a m snigger, tuned the poluiet he jerk of the hea of the ma
Ca story. piled his
he
tied
Tet
bell
given
America
In a small
one
conte
stwo Tuen
them
thin
the
bot-: make
The
hundred
half-
sul never long as
Tran sneeTE:
on sever will
going now?" he asked.
Tann looked at him, and it was plain that the whiskey was do
its work one
put
able
slowly. can send that
leaned
e pile of
20-
Not buckshee
Cold
to
was time
ing a halfe tied bottle of whisker. Said the shifty-eyed man
Good
was star
fine
She
that
"It's easy, Skipper. Your tic- ket's clear again now—you
craft
(Continued on Rage 1)
letter and I got a reply from the kid. Did she blame me? Did she turn on me as she had every right to? No, she didn't! wrote me a letter-well,
They say that the early bird pake
thing or other, but whatever
MATZEE'S has certainly
autumn arrivals. It is an
in that great fashion centre
Hollywood,
MAIZEE'S clientele, women who seek perfection
art of personal presentation
famous for correctness of style these
all the best features accepted
the right things for the autumn
that their fitting-room smart their materials match the quality
MAIZEE'S
the