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CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, 1931.
TWO CHRISTMAS
EVES.
(Continued from Page 6:)
1
sant and sympathetic memories of him hi policy was to make as favourable an im- pression as he could in the short time at his disposal, and to leave whilst ere was st time to do so with his fraud undetected. But he was determined to know her name before he left, and without delay set in train a plan to obtain it.
He looked up again from the paper, little lines of worry showing on his forehead.
"I'm afraid there's very little chance of
seeing Bob," he said gloomily. "It's on the cards tnat I'll have to leave London first Why couldn't thing to-morrow morning. the Waddon people have done without him Neverthe-to-night?
Margery's face was at once full of con-
cern.
"Bob will be terribly disappointed if he doesn't see you. Oh, I do hope you'll be able to stay to see him and spend Christmas Day with us.'
"
"But it may be. Of course, I'll write the telegram for you if you'll tell me what to say."
Oliver rose from his chair as the girl moved towards the writing-table, and join- ed her there. She took a telegraph blank- and pencil and looked inquiringly at him
"I'll think out the message while you ́ ́ write the address."
Over her shoulder he watched her write
"Morriston, The Aerodrome, Waddon." His jaw tensed involuntarily as he noted the name, then he dictated
"Sorry missed you to-night. Call for me to-morrow Grand Hotel. Trowbridge.”
She handed him the form, and queerly silent, staring at it thoughtfully, he return- ed to his armchair. Margery stayed behind tiding the writing-table.
into the chair with a blissfui sensation oi comfort. While the girl went to the win- dow to adjust the blind and curtains he looked dubiously and with a very guilty feeling at the note.. Certainly, it was not a sealed letter, and obviously, being only a folded sheet of paper without an envelope and with a name pencilled on it, it was in no respect a private document. less, it was not intended for him, and he found it difficult to reconcile the reading of it with his sense of decency and honour. But the only alternative was to own up to his imposture and leave the house like a whipped dog. His decision to smother his scruples and read the note was impelled finally by the vision which flashed before his mental retina of the glorious girl who had so charmingly welcomed him as her brother's friend watching him with scorn in her starry eyes as he slunk from the room.....................................................................//////////////////////////minded him of desert spaces, fear, thirst- and her presence. Anything rather than that. He resolved he would profit by the golden moments the gods had granted hin. to learn her name and talk with her awhile, and later, before her father's return made exposure imminent, if not certain, he would make some pretext for getting away, trust- ing that the future would provide an oppor- tunity of meeting her in more favourable circumstances, when perhaps he could afford to tell her the whole truth of his present adventure and claim her forgiveness for im- posing on her.
"Morriston Morriston," he repeated the name mentally several times. It arous- Oliver was looking at a small writing-ed vague, elusive memories which troubled Somehow, for what reason he could not tell, table which stood by the window, and felt him, but which he could not pin down. well satisfied to note that there were some
it was associated in his mind with acute dis- comfort pain. As he repeated it it re- telegraph blanks on it.
:
The superscription of the note was "Pat Trowbridge." He opened it and read:—
"Dear Pat. Have just had a hurry call from Waddon Aerodrome and may have to take a machine to France to-night. Dad is taking me to Waddon in his car, but 1 may will be back in a couple of hours. return with him. Anyhow, Margery will Can't wait entertain you till Dad arrives. another moment now. Looking forward to seeing you to-morrow and having a long talk. Hope you had a good voyage.—Bob."
Oliver looked up from the note to find Margery standing by the fireplace watching him. She gave him a friendly smile.
"Bob was very cut up at being called away. He'd been looking forward so much "If he'd known to seeing you," she said. just when you were arriving' in London
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS. Anita Page, M.-G.-M. player offers you her best wishes for a very Merry Christmas.
peril. He gave up the problem, thrust the telegraph-form in his pocket and was aware that the girl stood by his chair holding out a silver box of cigarettes.
Some of Bob's; I hope you'll like them." Oliver would have been very sorry to have permitted anyone to know exactly how grateful he was for the cigarette Margery lighted for him. But while inhaling the first few puffs of it his enjoyment was so very evident that Margery, the dead match still between her fingers, found herself watch- At the ing him
though fascinated. same moment she became aware for the first time that the face she had been looking at was a very drawn and weary one, pinched and with dark lines beneath the blue eyes Her face that looked laughingly up at her. took on a thoughtful expression.
as
"Do you know, I believe you're not only tired but nungry. You really look as if you hadn't slept or eaten for days." As she spoke she put the cigarette-box on the mari- tel shelf and pressed an electric bell-push.
Oliver sat upright hastily.
"Look here, Miss Morriston, you' mustn't worry yourself about me," he pro- tested earnestly. "I'll admit I just shoved my things in an hotel and came right away to see Bob, but I'll have a jolly good old supper when I get back, and it will be very curious if I don't sleep like a top to-night.
But his protest might as well have been
maid who answered her summons:
he would have met you. I'd given up ex-............................................................................................................|||||||unuttered, for Margery was speaking to the pecting you when your knock startled me. but I was so sure it was you that I wouldn't let the maid open the door."
"I consider myself very lucky to have got here at all to-day," was Oliver's reply. His eyes twinkled as he reflected on the ambiguity of his words, bringing a respon- sive smile to the girl's face. "This morning I'd have sworn that you would not see me to-night."
He made a pretence of again reading the note. He found the situation somewhat like jig-saw puzzle, requiring some' thoughtful study before the pieces could be correctly joined together.
a
statement
|
|
"Of course, I hope I shall," he said earnestly "very much," he added, looking at her with an intent directness that made
Then he
her hastily droop her lashes and flush slightly. "Perhaps I'm too much of a pes- simist, though," he went on cheerily, after a moment's pause. "At any rate, it will be a good plan to send Bob a telegram. I can send it off from Charing Cross post office presently, and if he doesn't return here to night he'll get it at Waddon first thing to morrow morning, or directly he gets back from France, if he's gone there. can come straight to my hotel, and if I'm Obviously Pat Trowbridge, the man he still there we can come on here together."
"That's a ripping idea," Margery ex- was supposed to be, had been expected to
she paused "it arrive in London that evening after a long claimed brightly, “but”
his (Oliver's)
doesn't mean that you'll have to hurry away journey, and as
now to send the telegram?” that he had been travelling_night_and
"Oh, no, most certainly not," Oliver re- day had passed muster it might be taken
The Charing for granted that Trowbridge was expected plied briskly and happily. from the Continent. That Trowbridge Cross office is open all night; I can leave the might arrive at any moment was a possi-telegram on my way to the hotel. bility to be taken into consideration, but der if you'd mind writing it for me now;
find that of late 1 can't write a line without Oliver quickly decided that it could now be regarded as an improbability with which he getting a horrible cramp in my hand.” . need not immediately concern himself. was clear that Margery did not know Trow- bridge, but the odds were that her father did, and it was most certain that if father and son returned together his unmasking | would be immediate and disgraceful. Plain- ly, if he were to leave the girl with plea- permanent.”
It
•
|
"Prepare a tray, Rose," she directed. "and I'll be out presently to get Mr. Trow- bridge something to eat.'
Then she turned again to Oliver and spoke with a charming imperiousness which her eyes betrayed as a mere assumption to cover the emotion which stirred her.
..
"It's not a bit of use objecting. If you don't let me have my way I'll insist on you Bob's going back to your hotel at once. hurry to get away upset our dinner ar rangements, and Dad and I were going to have supper together when he gets back, but I'm not going to see you sitting there hungry for another hour or more."
-
To make his protest more effective Oliver rose to his feet. He was firm in his purpose to leave without further profiting by his imposition, but unfortunately a sud- den dizziness made him so unsteady on his feet that his weakness could no longer be concealed.
“There, I knew,” cried Margery in self- Ieproach, while she put out a hand to steady him. Her eyes filled and her lips grew tre- mulous as he sank back into his chair. “I am a perfect beast to have been so thought- less. I'll have something ready for you be fore you've finished your cigarette."
I won-
"How dreadful! Don't you think you ought to see a doctor about it?" The girl's voice and eyes expressed such sincere sym- pathy that Oliver felt almost painfully re- morseful.
"I don't think it's anything serious or
Oliver threw up his hands in token of surrender as she turned on her way to the door and smiled at him. He no longer had (Continued on Page 10.)
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