1931-12-18 — Page 14

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CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, 1931.

Two Christmas Eves

A Story of a Strange Reunion.

by Francis Marlowe•

HRISTMAS Eve, a bleak, raw Christmas | roll and butter and a cup of tea, taken eight CHRISTMAS Eve, a bleak, raw Christmas roll and butter and a cup of tea, taken eight streets. No snow or breath of frost to give penny in the world. the festive season a seasonable aspect, but a sharp north wind driving a sleety rain be

fore it. A miserable Christmas Eve, except for those who had comfortable fire-warmed houses in which to spend it. For the home- less, aimless wanderers of the night, a cheerless, woeful Christmas Eve.

The house at which he knocked was one of a row of the solidly respectable type in a quiet street north of Cavendish Square. Its number, faded but just perceptible in the rapidly-falling dusk, was 13.

"An unlucky number," was Oliver's comment as he noted it, "but I've an idea He raised it's going to be lucky to me." his hand to repeat his attack with the knock- er, but a slight noise in the hall told him that response to his first knocking was at

hand.

A girl opened the door. She was really a girl, but Oliver, perhaps because of the dimness of the dying light, or may hap the possible light-headedness already suggested, mentally described her as an angel. She was just about five feet three, but, being slim She was no and graceful, looked taller. more than nineteen years of age; her eyes were a wonderful brown, and starry, and her nose had just the right tilt and perfect- ed an adorable mouth. Dark chestnut hair, charmingly untidy, fell low over her fore- head; her face was flushed, and this, with the soft dreaminess of her eyes, suggested that Oliver's knocking had aroused her from twilight musings by a cosy fireside.

Oliver Cresswell, bronzed and blue-eyed, shivering for lack of an overcoat, but smartly dressed in a

blue lounge suit and soft grey Hat, halted abrupt ly in his

Oxford progress towards Street, thrust his gloves and stick under his left arm, and came to a moment- ous decision.. Then he strode to the door of the house opposite which he had halted and knocked imperatively. Through no fault of his own, but because he had trusted another man too implicitly, he, a stranger in Lon- don, was homeless, at starvation-point and without a friend from whom he could hope to borrow the price of a meal and a bed. In desperation he had decided that instead o seeking a night's shelter in the porch of a church or some such place he would ask for it at the nearest house. The shape in which he would present his demand he would leave to be determined by the sex, quality and |

"Er · ah," said Oliver, and then, seem- attitude of the person who opened the door.

Oliver Cresswell was a very presentable ing to realise that if coherent speech were young man of excellent breeding and man-impossible definite action was imperative, ners, and usually could be depended upon to lifted his hat from his head and stenped for- do quite the right thing in the right way. ward into the hallway. Surprisingly, his That he had suddenly decided to run amok, movement was unopposed; it was, in fact, as it were, can most reasonably be explain- expected. ed by the suggestion that hunger had made him somewhat light-headed. Nothing in the shape of solid, nourishing food had passed his lips for five days, and his latest meal, a

THE GIRL WHO BOUGHT A SHIP.

(Continued from Page 4.)

Darbyshire," said Charles stiffly.

"

"Well, there's no reason why you should not know, Mr. Dennison, seeing that your people will audit our books in a month or So. Another chuckle. "The old Amazon Miss was sold yesterday to a young lady Forstallistair for the tidy little sum of half-a-million. Are you there?"

Charles

•

"Thanks good-bye," said thickly, and put up the receiver.

It left

It was a blow, a smashing one. not a hope alive. The girl who would do that for a man was not going to be drawn away by another. He was beaten. Jealousy of Colin blazed into hate, but never had he loved Norma as he did now. He was fain to injure the man, yet he could not do that with- out hurting the girl.

He wrote a note to her:

Very sorry. 'Phone message calls me to London. Don't want to make a fuss. Happy birthday, with all your desires. Charles."

He wrote a second note and, after some consideration, directed it to Colin.

Then he rang the bell.

A valet came in.

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"You are too late to catch Bob, Mr. Trowbridge," the girl said, stepping aside to "He and father way for him. make

waited for you till the last moment he could

marked on the corner. Can I depend on you?"

The man promised.

At eleven o'clock the elderly lovers were sitting in the holly-hung hall.

spare." She closed the door and switched on an electric light, then led the way to the "But he room she had left at his knock. left a message for you. Dad will be back in a couple of hours; he said I was to be sure to keep you until he returned."

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“You'll find it an easy matter to keep Oliver, who, while she me, Miss spoke, was following her in a sort of blind ecstasy, found his tongue was leading him into trouble. An improvised, stumble and a fumbling attempt to save his hat and stick from falling covered the abrupt halt in his

made necessary. speech which ignorance of the girl's name

She switched on a light in a room on the left of the hall and stood in its doorway smiling.

"I'm Bob's sister Margery," she ex-

plained.

"Of course, I guessed that, and I was just going to say, Miss Margery, that it will be very easy to keep me until your brother returns.. I'm so dog-tired that I feel I could lie down on the mat and sleep. Been tra- velling since yesterday afternoon, you -no sleep, you know when I'm travelling.".

know

never can sleep

"You poor man!" Margery's sympa- thetic concern made Oliver acutely remorse- ful for his deceit, but he felt that nothing. now could turn him from his determination to have a comfortable sleep, even if it was only for an hour in an armchair.

"Take this comfortable chair; I've veen sitting there watching the faces in the fire till I was nearly asleep. No, you must,” (as Oliver remonstrated); "I've got lots of I've been idling too long. things to do now. Here is the note Bob left for you.

Oliver, with the note in his hand. sank

(Continued on Page 8.)

She sat silent, downcast.

"It isn't possible," he said at inst. “I know it isn't, though if love could make it possible, mine would. Oh, Norma dear, why have you got all that money?"

The goost of a smile flickered at her "We've done what we can," said Mere-lips. Now she was not sorry he knew about dith. I've pleaded, but she won't give in. He must not know. Ah, pride, pride! And Colin has no more courage than I had. Weil, well, I shouldn't wonder if the wrong man gets her in the end. People say that a I don't woman can make a man propose. believe it.".

"You have a wretched memory. Bob," "H'm! You are the exceptional woman."

They looked at each other and laughed quietly. They had their own happiness, anyway, but, being generous, they were not satisfied.

From the dance-room came the two persons of whom they had been speaking, and crossed the hall.

At the door of the library a servant overtook the pair and gave Colin a note.

Colin asked permission to open the

letter.

"It's from Charles --and may explain." "Yes. I've been a little unhappy about Charles," she replied.

it.

for

"I am called away," said Charles, prof- "Please attend fering a treasury-note. carefully. First, let the butler know`im- --mediately that I shall not be present at din-red

ner. Second, order my car to be at the door immediately after dinner is served. Third, arrange that Miss Forstallistair has this note You understand as she goes in to dinner.

that I wish to avoid fuss. Finally, this note is to be given to Mr. Colin Hart at the hour

Colin extracted the sheet and unfoldedt Only two lines:

-

"Ask Norma why she paid half-a-million the Amazon!”

For a while Colin stared. Then the flooded his face, and ebbed, leaving him "What is the matter?" cried the girl. From his hand the paper fluttered. "How could Charles know?" she ex- claimed.

"Then it's true. But why

you?"

why did

the Amazon. Quietly she said: "I haven't ash money as I had yesterday, and, as if one really wishes. Mr. Mereth says about Christmas Eve

Oh, Coiin, don't be mean! Don't leave things happing

it all to me!"

and "Norma, Norma," sighed Colin this time he did not draw back.

*

*

Does anyone care to know what Norma did with the Amazon?

On the tray, with his early cup of tea, on Christmas morning, Mr. Meredith found a. note.

"Dear Mr. Meredith,

“You may not know it, but it was you who inspired the buying of the ship. Also you bade me be as rash as I could. And so I was, and you must take the consequences. Certain papers have been made. out in your name. The 'Amazon' is yours. If you don't like as a Christmas present, you cannot re- fuse it as a wedding one. A Happy Christmas to you from grateful

"Norma Fortallistair."

NOTHING NEW.

Salesman: "Have you seen the latest fountain pen, sir? An excellent gift for Christmas. Absolutely impossible for ink to escape from it anywhere."

Customer: "Yeah! I've tried to write with that sort for years!"

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