CHINA
FRIDAY MAY 5, 1939-
HERE was a deep silence in
the house
silence which seemed to absorb every particle of light, so that an - impression of utter darkness was created.
In the large, beautifully furnish- ed study, Noel Warner sat discon- solately, glancing now and then......... towards Thomas Deering, the family solicitor; almost as though he hoped for his confidence. At last he exclaimed in desperation:
"Have you any idea why my father should have wanted this →→ this woman to be present when his will was read?"
Thomas Deering shook his head. He had been the Warner's solicitor for a generation and more and he had no intention of abusing the trust imposed in him.
"I've already told you,” he said patiently. "I am merely obeying instructions. Your father wished his will to be read only in the pre- sence of yourself and Miss Pene- lope Summers, She should be
here at any moment, now."
Noel lapsed into silence. The death of his father had been a ter- rible blow to him.
Suddenly the door of the room opened. For the first time Noel roused himself..
"Miss Summers," said the mau- servant, and withdrew..
Penelope Summers paused al- most suspiciously on the threshold.
Short Story
She looked from face to face as if expecting an immediate explana- tion why her presence here was desired, Noel noticed that she was very young; that fact alone starti- ed him: he could not have said why he imagined that she would be middle-aged. ...There was about her a charm that somehow matched her name; she had dignity, poise.
Thomas Deering introduced himself. She inclined her head. She said swiftly. :
"I don't understand all this. Mr. Deering. Your letter amazed me. Mr. Warner was a complete stran- ger to me," she looked sympathe- tically in Noel's direction as she spoke. "I cannot possibly conceive why he should wish me to be pre- sent at the reading of his will.”.
Noel interrupted rather sharply. "We are all at a loss to under- stand my father's motives. Per haps it would save a great deal of conjecturing if Mr. Deering pro- ceeded with the matter.”
:
To Noel, in that moment, there was something so utterly unreal about the situation that he found it difficult to take it seriously.
The death of his father had come with such tragie suddenness that he felt almost incapable of grasping the. fact sufficiently to realise just how deep his sorrow was. He knew only that the presence of Penelope Summers seemed almost sacrilege; she didn't belong there. No one save those who were very near and dear should have been in that old house at such a time. He resented her. Noel was not interested in women: he was absorbed complete- ly in his medical career, which had demanded years of study and hard work.
SUPPLEME
'PATTERN
Thomas Deering seated himself at the magnificently carved oak desk and began. He read the usual “preliminaries, paused # little
dramatically, then continued:
"To my son, Noel Warner I leave the sum of forty thousand pounds. The Manor house and its contents, provided he marries Miss Penelope Summers on the first June 12th following my death.
Such marriage to be res garded seriously, the parties liv-. ing together as man and wife in the true sense of the word. Pro vided also, that their honeymoon shall be spent at the Linton Hotel, Broadway, Warwickshire and that they occupy a room which has been reserved there in the name of Warner from June 12th to June 19th for the past fifteen . years. I leave to Penelope Summers the sum of twenty thousand pounds on the condition that she marries my son.”
There was a heavy silence as the old solicitor uttered the last word; silence in which sheer in- credulity was manifest.
a
Penelope was the first to speak. "But but," she faltered, "why should. Mr. Warner leave me his money? Why ever should he want
By Pamela Wray
me to
"Exactly!" said Noel grimly, "Why?" He turned to Thomas Deering. "Do you know the mo- tive for this -'this amazing re- quest?" he asked almost fiercely.
"No," said the old man, "but I have a letter to give to you im- mediately after your your mar- riage. That may enlighten you." Noel glanced at Penelope in amazement.
"I've never even heard my father mention you," he said, add- ing hastily: "Please don't think I resent his leaving you the money, but "
She gave him a steady, calculat- ing stare;
"But you rebent having to marry me,' she said, : "I understand. It all seems too utterly fantastic, like something one reads about and never believes could possibly happen."
Noel looked uncomfortable; there was something unnerving in her unnatural calm, "He glanced at Thomas Deering and said, trifle impatiently;"
"Are you certain there is no possible loop-hole in that will---no escape?"
Thomas Deering adjusted his glass, wiped his forehead, and said
phatically:
"None. You have just under a month in which to make up your mind. It is now May 14th: you must be married on June 12th or the money goes to a distant ro- Iative who already has more than she can spend.”""
· Noel's heart was thumping pain-
OF
LIFE'
He glanced around the room lovingly.
The book-lined walls seemed to gaze down at him with a special friendliness, touched with compas- sion. He loved those books; each one represented in milestone in his career. He had read them, studied them, in that very room, with a golden-shaded lamp ́ spill- ing a little pool of light over their well-worn pages. There was peace, a tranquility, a sense of well-being about the whole house that was so full of memories for him.
a
He had grown up there, taken his first steps in that room across the - hall. Childhood! Carefree, an utterly beautiful re- membrance. His twenty-first birthday celebrations with fairy lights twinking in the old trees that stood sentinel around the matured grounds; his father's hand-shake when the evening was over, and the light in his eyes as he had said:
:
"Well, old boy? Fulfil your pectations?"
And his answer:
CX-
"It seems to me, father, that everything in my life is too good. to be true. I'm waiting for some- thing to happen to awaken me. Do you know that feeling?"
Well, that "something” had hap- pened, now. His gaze travelled once more around the familiar room, How could he endure to watch the place pass into other hands? To watch strangers walk, ing its floors, stamping their për- sonality on it, dissipating the old charm, perhaps modernising it- hideously. Stripping the grounds for tennis courts, or bathing pools?.... And to be forced to give up his medical studies. Yet the only alternative was to marry the girl now sitting op posite him, her face pale as a cameo, her eyes burning with : a strange glow that he was at a loss to understand. He said, avoiding her eyes:
"The reference to Broadway only increases the mystery." He turned to Thomas Deering. "I sup pose you know nothing of that, either," he said.
•
"Nothing," was the reply. "Ex- cept that I know your father al- ways paid for a room there every year for one week from June 12th ot the 19th.".
Noel shook his head as though the whole thing were beyond him. Then he said "abruptly, looking at Penelope:
"What are your feelings in the matter?"
Penélope's hands were clenched. Not once during those few seconds did she think of the financial as- pect. She gave him her answer. slowly, deliberately:
"I am quite ready to be your wife if you w
wish it," she said. Noel's face was grim as he said to Thomas Deering:
"Make all the necessary arrange- ments for the marriage."
After that the tension in creased; the decision seemed have brought to him a fierce controllable anger He
Penelope a harsh, critical fiance •·
think it would be as well if seen togeth in public Although
es much as possible.
་་
heaven knows it will be hard en- ough to play the hypocrite.",
After that day, at their next meeting, Noel had softened to- wards the girl who was.80 soon to share his life-even if only tem porarily. He found that she was cultured, well-read, intelligent and interested, sincerely, in his carcer, Sometimes he found himself talk- ing to her as though she were friend; as though there were nothing unusual in their associa- tion, and then, suddenly, as he re called the facts, he would with- draw himself from her and the barrier between them would be as distinct as it was indefinable.
a
And so they were married. After the ceremony" the old solicitor handed Noel the letter his father had left for him, with the instruc- tions that it was to be opened ́im- mediately they reached their de- stination.
They motored up to Warwick- shire. Penelope sat very still in the low, shining car and twisted the slender platinum band on her finger thoughtfully. Now and then she glanced furtively at Nõel; his face was set, his whole concentra- tion apparently on the road ahead. Then suddenly, abruptly he
all this,
said:
"Don't worry about Penelope. I spoke to Deering this morning and he Bays that there is nothing to prevent our our being divorced later on.”
"Divorced?" There was a sud- den pain in her heart,
"I realise how-how impossible all this must bet from your point of view," be said swiftly. “Pro bably you were already thinking of marrying someone else and-"
"You think that I would have thrown away love in order to gain twenty thousand,” she said.
•
"I I oh what does it mat- ter," he said unevenly. Then, in a different tone: "But seeing that-it-is-all-so inevitable, don't you think that we might make. the best of it? Try to-to care for each other as much as possible and he broke off, sudden pity stiring within him as he saw the expression on her face. - He added impulsively,_*____"I'll be good to you, Penelope and later on, I'll give you your freedom, I know that my '(Continued on Page 7)*
I MEAN ITI 1 WANT THE BABY POWDER THAT FIGHTS GERMS
MENNEN