THE CHINA MAIL SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 19, 1940.
IT is a mistake for people to have birthdays within a week or two of Christmas. Relatives, gen- erally speaking, do not mind giv- ing two presents a year at decent intervals, but when the two oc- casions are separated only by a few days one of two things is bound to happen. -
The kind uncle or aunt says, "Well, dear, as your birthday and Christmas are so close together I am going to buy you a very nice present to do for both."*
And the present costs just about the same as the ordinary Christ-
· mas or birthday present would have cost. The only difference is that in the course of the year thev weigh out once instead of twice. This is all very well for the uncle and aunt but very unfortunate for the nephew er niece.
1[
was J
1 knew somebody girl of course who got over the difficulty by declaring to all who were concerned, that, since she was so unfortunate as to be born on a Boxing Day, she intended to keep her birthday on the 26th of June. This gave everybody time to recover from having given one present before being called upon 10 make the next.
Stella Linklater had not thought of this, for in many ways she was a simple girl. That is to say, fair- ly simple and at least not grasp ing. Probably she did not notice her misfortune; at kast it was not pointed out to her by those who made one present do for two.
But when she had just turned the corner of twenty and a young man fell seriously in love with her, he noticed the embarrassing circumstances if she didn't.
The young Talland one which goes with a swing, and the owner thereof may be expected to perform all those deeds of chivalry and daring which are to be seen ntly on the pictures. But a name like that wants a lot of living up
When You're
underpaid elerk, with no pretentions to good looks, rather shy and all that, and inclined to freckle, you have a job to live up to a name like Norman Talland.
14.
man was
Norman of those names
ATI
CLANN LOMU
The
Escritoire
She said that she had hated him ou sight-but you knew what she meant. Prople did Inot take to him. Through no intritusic fault he was a lonely soul.
Dull? Of course he was dull. Directly a man hears or feels that he is dull he gets worse and worse.
Yet dull people fall in love, just like
everybody else, and suffer inuch more because they feel to the very beginning that they have break.
hot on the road to Heart-
envi
So it was when the Whisper first came to Norman. He heard it then 011
a spring evening and was wildly happy for an hour. The came the inevitable attack of de- pression, How could the loveliest creature in the world look twice at an object like himself? Most of us poor creatures called inert have felt like that
Then again, if the miracle hap- Our Norman Talland was to penod and she deigned more than young to have served in the war, merely to notice his existence, wretchedly poor at all gomes ex- how could he possibly afford to cept chess, as plain as a home- marry” His salary was very small, made pie, of sound but not out- his prospects vague and unpro- standing intelligence, and at hear mising. However romanticnily es romantic as all your handsome man may fall in love he has to Jellows.
consider such little matters ** His people were dead. He had food and shelter. And who wants no living relative but
a bind to marry a girl and give her Junt who rather exaggerated when life of poverty and anxiety? He
was not in one of those "safe" jobs in which a man's salary increases every year until he retires on pen- sion. The "safe" job may not ap- peal to the spirit of adventure, but no man with responsibilities can be happy in the thought that the next month's end may see him adrift on the becalmed sea of unemployment.
For Stella he was a most un- suitable suitor. Her parents liked him will enough as
a man, But Concerning him they had used that last word many times, and always gave it that phasis which deserves the capital letter.
em.
But, of course, Stella fell in love with him. She was the sort of girl who would-as if she did it for the sheer pleasure of annoying her people.
A.M. BURRAGE
Norman had put himself through ☐ course of semi-starvation he had scruped only sufficient. With this he bought a manicure set, in re- turn for which he intended to ex- tract one half-penny from Stella. For they say that you must never "give" things which cut, in case the gift cuts friendship. That was all right for the Christmas pre- sent, but what about the birthday gift??
And then he noticed the escri- toire in the window of the second- hand furniture dealers. It was a the old piece of highly-polished oak, and even on that dull morn- ing little focuses of light gleamed on its surface. What made him stop and look twice at a piece of furniture he could not afford to buy is one of those everyday my- steries of life.
There Was the usual family The thought came to him that if Tumpus. Norman, like the man he he could only buy it Stella would was, went straightforwardly to have it in her own room and think Papa and told him. Papa was stern of him every time she sat down and non-committal. No engage-
to write her letters. Utterly be- ment, of course, until, as he vague- yond his wildest dreams of fin- ly expressed Il "matters im- ance. of course, but the Good proved." He was not born yester. Fairy, straight out of one of the day and he know the folly of for- old tales, happened to be passing bidding the young man, the house, unseen and flicked thereby investing hin with the friend with her wand. romantic glamour he seemed to Mack
our young
Inspired by the magic touch he walked in anet inquired the price No, he was welcome as a friend, in the large manner of one who but-he lingered tovingly over this enn afford to be careless about use little word--no engagement, money, The long-nosed dealer eyed at hast not for the present. The him superciliously. situation as old as the hills, as
"Twenty-five pounds," he said. you see, and a new as the latest "Thats a very time piece. Came edition of any evening paper to out of the sale of effects of the vach such pathetic pair of lovers. late Sir Oswald Brending, the
Christmas came. but although shipping magnate."
Norman just saved himself from laughing aloud. Then the Good Fairy touched him again with the wand which worlcs miracles.
**Look here,” he said, "I haven't got 125, but I'd like that escri-. toire...What about 10s, down 'and: 105. a week until the payments. end? I can give you the usual re- ferences."
The dealer scratched his head. He had had that, escritoire on his hands for longer that he cared to think. Driven to bargain he would have taken £10 for it and been coratent with only a small protit.
"All right," he said, "I'll take that. I've seen you about here » lot. I know your address and I know who you are. I'll get you to sign a form and I'll give you a receipt for your first 10s. The man will be back in a few minutes, and I send it round at once."
Norman followed the man at a distance, saw hirm deposit the piece of furniture at its destina- On tion, sighed and went back. his way he took out a cigaretto, Then he thought twice, sighed again, and put it back in the pac-
ket. Couldn't afford to be rash with cigarettes now. He would smoke another in two hours' time, make it last 20 minutes-he had found that he could do that!—and start another one two hours after- wards
On the Christmas night he was bidden to a party at the Link- Luters. The parents could have dune without him and not suffer- ed in consequence, but had to ask him for Stella's sake. It was only for Stella's sake that he went.
She came out into the hall while
he
was taking off his coat, and frowned at him.
"You're a very bad lad!" she said,
"I know," he answered lightly. That's what makes me so attrac- tive. These very good men are all but they're awfully dull. No ging- very well in their way, I suppose,
er."
"You know what I'm talking about."
"I don't as usual." "That writing-desk_thing." "Oh that? Sorry
If you don't
"Oh, darling, it was too sweet of you. But I'm angry because you couldn't possibly afford i!"
"Been in my farmily for years. George IV gave it to my great- great-grandfather, who happened to be one of his favourites."
She laughed and then frowned. "Do you know what happens to wicked men who-er-don't tell (Continued on Page 23.)
秒
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"Say!
This milk
Do you folks keep a cow?"
powdered
milk."
"No, sir! My
mother makes
out
of
KLIM
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Yourself
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