CHINA MAIL
FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT MARCH
JANNICE had tried office life
the necessity for earn-
ing her living had first become ur- gent. At the end of eight months she had written that down 25. a failure. She had never really mastered the intricacies of typ- ing. Shorthand, when an excited boss gabbled hard, left her be wildered; spelling and punctua tion were confusing. Jannice had written office life of her list at Easter when she had gone to stay for the week-end with Aunt Edith, her sole remaining relative.
"Come and companion me în- stead, dear," said Aunt Edith.
Aunt Edith lived at Frinton. It was the sort of place that Jannice had always envied. She believed she would meet nice people, and have a good time. Nothing was said about salary, but did that matter too much? Aunt Edith was not the mean sort.
Jannice returned to London to pack her few modest belongings, and to finish up at her diggings. "I'm in luck's way," she told her. self.
Just before she left for Frinton the adventure happened. It hap- pered on a soaking wet day, one e of those soaking days you do get in the Spring, when the mud squelched up from 'buses, and the heavens inconveniently descended on your head. Scuttling across a road without an umbrella, Jannice found herself on an island bump- ing into a young man. The young man was partially hidden by a most enormous umbrella.
"I'm sorry," she gasped. "Here, have some of mine," said he.
There seemed no reason why she shouldn't. He looked to be a very nice young man, with dark eyes and a brown "skin, and she was getting distally wet. The traffic poured by, in one long line to the right, in another long line to the left
“A thoroughly rotten day," said. he, “it would happen now, just when I am going to the sea for the rest of the summer.. Gives you a wrong idea of the sea."
"I'm going to the sea for the. rest of my natural,” said she.
“What ever for?"
“A job." She was so thrilled. she had to tell someone. “It is
with my aunt a
aunt at Frinton."
"I'm going to my sister's at Frinton."
Still, the traffic streamed by, quite regardless of the enormous adventure of two young people under one umbrelin, on en-island.
“Perhaps we'll see one another," he said, “my sister's name Mathews, and she lives in the flat over the grocer's.”
“My aunt's name is James, Miss James, and she lives at a little bungalow on the sea front."
"I hope we meet.
“I hope, we do.”
The policeman hold up his hand, and they crossed the road demure
ly side by side.
Let me see you under.
brella to the bus?"
"It's very nice of you."
Yet in the
ing of zaid
LOCKED OUT
they had liked each other had now an added desire Frinton.
to herself,
she repeated a very lucky girl
In a week's time she had rather changed her ideas Frinton was ideal of course. Long stretch of greensward, and beneath it golden sand. The sex, rippling and en- chanting, and she with a new white woollen bathing dress tuck- ed into her trunk. Young people who played beach games with en- thusiasm, or wore very effective tennis kit and went off to the tennis
club, but for Jannice nothing of this. Aunt Edith had her own views, and her views had stopped dead with the coronation ceremony twenty-five years ago.
Aunt Edith did not think mod- ern young people were nice, and when she had asked Jannice to "companion" her, a very occupy- ing job she had intended it to be. Jannice was to help dust and to keep the flowers nice, and to mend Aunt Edith's undies, and to do this, that and the rest of it. The office had been a sickening life, but it had shut up at six and t you could be quite sure that it did not start again until nine the next moming. Aunt Edith's job was never finished. And, what was much worse, she disapproved of modern young people. She had always held bathing to be highly dangerous, and she thought that the modern sea-suit was disgust- ing. She did not believe that peo- ple needed so much pleasure, or that they were any better for it, and she was not anxious that her
Short Story
niece should go out and about and have the summer.. of her young life.
Jannice thought perhaps when her Aunt became more used to her "she might be reasonable, but there she was wrong. When Aunt Edith became used to her, she was
more dogmatic than ever. She laid down the law with a heavy hand. She was not hav- ing her bungalow upset by any young folks gallivantings, she said.
That was that.
Jarnice saw the young man the street one afternoon when she was- Bezil-O most surprisingly alone to fetch some strawberry jam. Just as she came out of the shop into Connaught Avenue there he
“Why, you!” he gasped, and then
have you been
He said, "E arent is more "I may walk you, mayn't
jove! There you
Little
"Not up to the door.
You couldn't
a long lost cou No, I could
very defin-
itely, and then, know anything about you.
"Oh, that's easy. I'm a writer. I write books very modest books, you know, though I daresay your aunt would not like them. My name is Ralph Shaw. And yours?”
"Jannice Grey."
That's a lovely name." He glanced again at her admiringly. Jannice with her soft fair hair, and her grey eyes. Just what he would have expected her to be. "Now look here,” said he, “slip out and come round to my sister's for tea on Sunday."
"How can IM.
"You can say my sister is an old friend from the office You met her this afternoon and she ask you and you said you would ask your aunt. You could
They were already withm of the house. They were al in sight of the garden рго bably Aunt Edith was sma herself among the aubretia and alyssum. You don't understand, my amt has been such a dear in taking me
"And orking you to death. Fre met those dears before. Now shall
on Sunday
He shipped off and on to the greensward, she watched him walking away in long easy strides.
By Ursula
Bloom
She wante dreadfuliy, about it? Edith at
friend" she said,
ed at the off.
asked me to tea on Sa
"Oh," said Aunt Edith, course she asked me too?
Ralph's don't be a yourself up. self. Have your you come bathing
"VERBOTE
"Why not ship out at night? We have a party every night at eleven and it is the greatest fun Hot coffee after in the huts. I am sure your aunt goes to bed early. I am sure it could be managed.
“I will think about it, honestly
- Ralph saw her home. She was glad she had put on the little lay- ender frock
of
Jannice felt as though she were paralysed She join had never thought thing like
never supposed for
ment that Am
gest such a thing
a moment
of apologies
talk over that would not inter her au
her aunt would want to go. In the end to her amazement she got her own way. You can go if you like," said Aunt Edith, though: it is not what I would wish for you,” which made it so delightful--
dorta
mice went to the fat and only when
did the entiraly mit-
remember
clipped
ad been a sheer the necklace of ch had gone 80
Had th Jook trouble
her