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THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, JANUARY 24, 1941.
SHORT STORY
THE CABINET
ELI Watkins is the local carpenter and cabinet-maker, at little bow-legged man with a wart on his nose.
One evening he is walking along the street in the direction of the Ewe and Lamb when somebody draws his attention by tapping on the front-room window. Eli stops, and a moment later a door opens and Sally Perkins comes out on the pavement,
Sally is a buxom, red-headed girl about twenty-five, the daugh- ter of old. Josh Perkins, who is the nearby check-weighman at pit, Joe Burton has been courting Sally for nearly a year, and some are saying that it will not be long before they are setting up a home of their own. Joe, as Eli knows, is a good steady lad with a regular job at the iron foundry.
"Good evening. Mr. Walkins," Sally says. "I've been waiting half an hour for you to come up the
street."
Eli's eyes twinkle and he cocks his head on one side. "It's a tidy
any wench
for me, but, a bit younger.
while since
half an hour
you, if I was
he says.
waited mind
do a trick like that on you? I give the order and I'm relyng on you to do the job. Only there's one or to I want you two alterations make," she says,
"Alterations? What do you want altered?" he asks.
Sally giggles. "Well, between me and you, Mr. Watkins, I told Joe about the cabinet, and he told me as I was to tell you as you was to make a real good job of it and he'd pay you for it," she says
Eli pulls the ends of his mou- tache. "I see,” he says.
bother about
as all that.
"So you needn't making it as cheap Make a good job of it, like Joe told me to tell you. You could make it a bit bigger, for one thing." She about twice as waves her hands far apart as when she previously "You the measurements. know-about that high, about that deep, and about that far across,'
gave
she says.
Eli rubs his chin. "That'll make it a tidy piece of furniture. You'll want a thing that size to look a bit o' summat like. I could put some Queen Anne legs on it and a hit ofancy work round the sides and along the top," he says.
"And I'd like some fancy knobs on the doors, and you could put some velvet on the shelves, blue I'd like, 'cos then it'd match the half tea service as Joe give me for my birthday. Joe'd like that."
Eli thinks for a while, "What you want to set it off proper is the glass doors leaded. It'd cost a bit, mind you," he says.
Sally clasps her hands together. That'd make it a treat, "Oo! wouldn't it! You do that for me, Mr. Watkins. You make the glass
By Leslie Halward
doors as they're leaded. Joe won't thinks she looks mind about the price. He told me something. as I was to tell you to make a real good job of it," she says.
Eli becomes enthusiastic and half closes his eyes. "I'll make it out o' mecogany and put catches on the doors," he says,
ball
"I'll leave that to you. I'll leave it to you to make a real smart job of it. You can send the bill in to Joe as soon as it's done. You know where he lives, don't you?"
she asks.
"I know Fays.
where he lives,"
he
One evening, early in the fol- is surprised to lowing week, Eli see Sally walking up the yard to his shop. She is hurrying, and he
THE LETTER
IT must be conceded that Absa-
RS
He
low Yates (better known Ab) was a trifle simple. He would not hurt a fly if he could help it, Sally giggles. "You're as bad as but he was certainly slow mov- ever you was, Mr. Watkins," sheing and Farmer Snape didn't he says, and I don't suppose you'll | sitate to tell him about it.
path. ever get any better now." Then cursed Ab over field and seriously: "I want you to do a bit but Ab just pottered along at his
Tha's nobbut tw of a job for me. Mr. Walkins." she
own speed.
the farmer, "slow speeds," said Say
and stop." If Ab had been wit ty enough he might have said that he did as much as he got paid for. But Ab was not witty, and the he just stared helplessly at farmer until he quietened down, and then he went on with work at the same speed. "It's a to waste o' good breath talkin'
And it thee," said the farmer.
"A bit of a job?" he asks.
"I want you to make me a bit cabinet," she says. "You of a know, to keep a few crocks and I don't want you to things in. make any fuss of it, I want you to do it as cheap as you can. It's only to keep # few crocks and things in. You know the idea,"
she says.
"I know the sort of thing you mean. Have you got any mea- surements? I mean, how big do you want this here cabinet?" he asks.
was.
his
"It ways said on Ab's return. tak's thee ell of a time to do u Ab didn't mind toothri arrands."
got what the farmer said. He what he expected.
One Thursday afternoon the don't post-mistress sald, "You come from these parts, Mr. Yates," and Ab said, "Naw," with a blush considered worthy of at being
"Do you like round conversation. here?" added Nancy. "It's o' reet," said Ab.
agitated about_w
"Have
that you got
cabinet done yet?" she asks, as soon as she enters the shop.
"Now, look here, I told you as I was stacked out with work, and you told me as you wasn't in no hurry for it," he says.
"I know, but do you think you could get it done for this week- end without fail?" she asks.
Eli scratches his head and looks round his shop. "Well, I dare say 1 could if it was all that urgent," he says.
"It is urgent. I want you to get it done as soon as ever you can and send the bill in to Joe." She giggles and leans forward and "Between whispers into his ear. me and you, Mr. Watkins, we had row last night, and I'm going to chuck him a-Sunday," she says.
♫
By T. Thompson
dows here, if tha follows me. Tha doesn't think Ah'm bein' simple, dost?"
"I'm always glad to see Mr. Yales," said Nancy.
you,
"Ah con tell that," said "Or else Ah shouldna come. They han me for th' foo' up yon. not nice."
Ab.
It's
"Come in when you like. "You don't mix much with the Yates," said Nancy. villagers?" she said.
"It must be lonely in the fields all day," said Nancy.
Mr.
"Ah didn't think tha wor," said Ab apologetically, "but there's no harm in axin'."
"Not a bit," said Nancy.
"Ah'll be in again next Thurs- day," said Ab.
He turned away again.
"You're forgetting your letter,” said Nancy, picking it up from the counter.
"Ah'm none mich wi' com- pany," said Ab.
me
"Every Thursday when Ah post letter," said Ab. "Ah shouldn't like folks to talk."
Ab. "By Gow," said
"Ah'd forget me head if it wor loase."
"Haven't you made a mistake "Never mind 'em," said Nancy here?" said Nancy. "It's address-
ed to yourself." with a laugh.
his
"Tha'rt not said Ab.
laughin' at me?"
"So it Ab's ears turned red. is," he said. "Ne'er mind. It'll ha' to do now. Ah haven't time "Not I," said Nancy indignantly, to awter it."
he
Nobody talked to Ab much. He
Ab found himself confronted was slow of speech and slower in
with the job of analysing thinking, so that in general conver-
doing sation he was always left behind. position and incapable of
at Nancy with About the farm he was regarded it. He stared as the "mug." Everybody tried wide opened eyes, and then to take a rise out of him. If he said, "Ah don't know.” was oversensitive he certainly did
"It'd be better with somebody. not show it, except that he never Bought the companionship of his to talk to," said Nancy.
Give him a lonely
"I ain't got no measurements. I don't want it very big," she says, 1 She gives him a very rough idea work nates.
about.
high and about that deep and about that far across," she says.
of the size by waying her hands job in the fields and he was well The flapping scarecrow "You know--about that content.
on the ridge was good enough At least the companion for him. scarecrow left him alone. "They're bosom pals," affirmed the farm- "Tha con hardly tell th' one fro other." He laughed until
tears came
eyes. into his "Ah've never seen nowt to touch him," he added as he put his big red handkerchief into his pocket.
Eli chuckles. "It's as clear as mud what you want, but I'll do it for you. You ain't in a rush for a week or two, are you? 'Cos I'm proper stacked out with work," he says.
"No, I ain't in no rush for a week or two. I'll leave it to you. But you'll do it as cheap as you can, won't you?" she says.
"I don't suppose I shall hurt you," he says.
A fortnight passes, and, again on the way to the Ewe and Lamb, Eli is stopped by Sally,
"I suppose you ain't got that cabinet done yet?" she asks.
"No, I ain't. I told you I was stacked out with work, I ain't had a chance to get on to it yet," he says.
"That's a good job," she says. "Now, look here, you, ain't go- ing to tell me as you've took the order off me, are you?" he asks.
"No, I ain't that You don't suppose
er.
the
"Ah don't know," repeated Ab.
"Surely it would," said Nancy.
"Ah'm none lonely in th' fields," sald Ab. "Ah'm lonely in com- pany".
"I should be lonely out there all day," said Nancy.
"Not if tha wor browt, up to it," said Ab. "There's o' soarts in th' meadows
birds
an' trces,
an' sichlike. Ab Every Thursday afternoon
There's allus summat fresh 'up- asked if he might go down to the
penin' in th' meadows. village. The farmer invariably replied that it made no difference Ah'm never lonely in th' mea- dows not like Ah am in com- whether he went or not, but he
Dany
things is matey in always managed to find enough: the meadows errands to load Ab like a stallion lows one.... tha doesn't get any donkey on his return. Ab might back talk."
be slow, but he was willing. When.
he had done his errands he would:
་ ་ ་
*
if tha fol-
"Farmer Snape's not too good
dump his load outside the vil to work for," said Nancy. lage post office, and after waiting:
So
until the shop was empty he "Ah don't know," said Ab, "It would slink inside sheepishly. Ah worn't doin' for him Ah should The post office was one of those be doin' for somebody else,
could it's as broad as long." village affairs where you buy anything from shoelaces to butter, when there was any but-. When you opened the door: ter. the bell jangled raucously, and Ab always felt that he would like to run out again as soon as it began to peal.
I
"He's a tight un,” said Nancy.
"Aye," admitted Ab. "He win- not part wi' a penny wheer hawpenny'll do."
He turned towards the door. When the bell rang he closed, it The postmistress, Nancy Ince, again and returned to the coun- was the only person who ever ter. "called him Mr. Yates. "That's
right, Mr. Yates," she would say, "Ah like comin' 'in. here,' as she handed over the
stamp, said. "It's 'omely." Writing -home again?" General- ly Ab would mutter "Aye" and Nancy smiled: shuffle out of the shop with Nan- cy'a smile warming his Fsmart : 211 tell you the way back to the farm, """Tha'a
go and I taken the time" the former pany
" he
"Ah don't feel lonely in here," he added, "like "An do in com- “It'sɛlike: ball? kthimØRS
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