1935-09-27 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1935

THE TEST

(Continued from Page 9.)

He signalled to the barmaid to refill his tankard, bestowing upon; her a ponderous wink; which, drawing nothing better in return than a stare of frosty hauteur, rather failed to bear out his can- tention.

"Well, what ought I to do?” moodily demanded the little man. not because he wanted to know. but because he felt the question was expected of him.

lighting a

"Just pull yourself_together.” the other told him, cigarette, "an realise that your health-good or bad-is in your own hands. It's never too late;! Ive seen worse wrecks than you do it. Don't coddle" yourself; take more exercise; get out into the fresh air an stick to plain food. In six months you may be like

"Heaven forbid?" breathed the little man fervently

"Can you touch your toes with out bending your knees?" asked the large man loudly, after a brief but pregnant silence.

"Don't want to." replied the other, his eye brightening under the influence of the whisky. “Na- ture has very kindly provided me with joints so that I can put my shoes and socks on in comfort That's good enough for me."

He pushed his glass across the bar for replenishment. The stimulant was doing him good, and the glow at the end of his thin nose was not entirely due to friction.

"You're hopeless." sneered the large man bitterly. "Utterly hope- less-an' useless. It beats me how you fellers fail to realise it. You'T go on an' on in the same old way, payin' doctors for bottles of coloured water until you fill an early grave."

"Possibly, possibly." The little man shrugged insignificant should- ers. "On the other hand, though, outlive you A creaking you know; and I've seen

I may

gate

big hearty chaps like you pop of suddenly. The trouble with 'em was that never having ailed any thing before they just curled up and died at the first headache. Kidded themselves to death with fright in fact."

*

“Nonsense!" bellowed the large man; “absolute nonsense! If we were both attacked by disease my chance of recovery would be a hundred percent. greater than yours. My health is perfect: every organ is sound.

"I could go ten hard rounds in the ring with anybody. I can still run a mile an leave a few of the young'uns behind: I can swim all day, walk all day, an' work all day without tiring. And I can still enjoy, meself-he held up his tankard to illustate his idea of pleasure

"without sufferin' for

it.M

He glanced with 'smug satisfac- tion at his reflection in the mirror) on the other side of the bar and in flated his massive chest.

"Supposin"," he said, patting the little man's shoulder, "suppose you an' me were faced with a crisis say we were together in a burnin' house--which of us would come off best; which would be most likely to get out? Why, me, of] course! One puff of smoke in your pany lungs and down you'd "go. Or perhaps you'd be paralysed with fear at the knowledge of your Own weakness. I should have to sling you across me should- er an carry you out like a baby. Not that it'd bother me much; I could do it, easy. I'm as strong as an ox; I've lungs of brass, and nerves of iron!**

He slammed his empty tankard violently down on to the bar to emphasise his boast, and the bar maid, jumping convulsively, broke the glass she was drying. Wide- eyed, she stared at her gashed wrist and the rhythmically pump- ing blood?

“Hey!” shouted the little man, in alarm, “you've cut, an artery!"!: He scrambled clumsily over the bar, and seizing a glass cloth, be- gan to improvise a tourniquet with a knife handle. "Lend" a hand, old man,” he called, over his shoulder.

re

But the large man ply. For a moment protruding eyes at

BY GOLLY-THE

ONLY THING THAT NOTICED ME WUZ

| A DOG AN’HE

TRIED TO BITE ME-

WHAT'S THAI?

Rosie's BEAU

BY

GEO.MCMANUS

MAGGIE IS RIGHT-ITS CLOTHES THAT MAKE THE MAN-ILL STROLL.. DOWN THE AVENUE-AN' CAUSE A SENSATION= AN? WON'T | SURPRISE

MAGGIE?

PARDON ME, SIR-BUT YOUR

SLEEVE IS RIPPED

THIS IS BETTER- "NOWIĘKIN WALK HOME WITHOUT BEIN' REMINDED, THAT ME COAT

IS RIPPED

NOW-LAM A HAPPY BOY- ROSIE AND I HAVE MADE UP AND IVE GOT A GOOD. JOB- NOW I CAN GO BACK. TO THE OFFICE WITH

A SMILE-

・

Bringing Up Father

ILL BET THIS (OUTFIT WILL

MAKE THEM ALL TAKE NOTICE-

NOW-LOOK AT THAT A BIG RIP IN THE SEAM- OH! WELL NO

ONE NOTICE IT-

SAY-BUDDY, DO YOU KNOW YOUR. COAT IS

RIPPED ?

STRANGE-NO ONE EVEN LOOKED AT ME NEW SUIT- BUT THE MINUTE I GOT A RIPNIT- THE WHOLE

CITY KNEW IT-

GEE THE BOSS INSISTED THAT I GIVE THIS NOTE TO THE PARTY TO WHOM IT IS ADDRESSED AND ITS ADDRESSED TO ROSIE,

SHE WILL HAVE TO

SEE ME THEN OUR

QUARREL WILL 7 BE OVER-

YES ROSIE-DON'T THANK -ME-1'M GLAD EVERYTHING TURNED OUT OK-NO- DON'T WORRY-ARCHIE WILL NEVER EVEN FIND

OUT I KNOW, YOU

HEY MISTER

YOUR COATS

TORN!

I WAS JUST GOING TO TELL YOU THAT- SIR

I SAW IT ARST-IT'S ON YOUR

SLEEVE-

BY GOLLY-ILE TAKE IT OFF-

I'M SICK OF BEIN TOLD ABOUT

IT-

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE SLEEVE OF

YOUR. COAT IS. RIPPED? WHY DONT: YOU GET SOME NEW CLOTHES LIKE I TOLD

YOUTO?

1933, King Framres Syndicate, Inc., Great Britain rights reserved.

ARCHIE

ROSIE- MY LOVE! DARLING-YOUVE

WELL WHER THE ANSWER

TO THAT ORDER?

BEEN A BIG BAD BOY-BUT-I'LL FORGIVE MY HANDSOME BASY-

GOSH-1 FORGOT,

TO GIVE THE LETTER TO ROSIE-

KNOW

IT-

INOTICED IT-TOO- DADDY- YOU SHOULD- NT HANG YOUR COATIN THE HALLS

IT'S THE GYPSY IN ME

I'M GOING NORTH- LITTLE BRIGHTE EYES-C

MY WAY

-NO-THANKS. JUST GIVE MY. REGARDS TO THE ESKIMOS

with down