1937-11-26 — Page 13

0

CHINA MAIL

FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT. NOVEMBER 26, 1937

her seventeenth birthday,

Hilary Strange fell help lessly and hopelessly in love..

His name was Rudy Challenor. He was tall, lean and muscular, with a slightly protruding lower jaw, and fine, wide eyes that were probably green or a light shade. of hazel. His hair was fair and thick, with the slightest sugges- tion of a curl in it, and had a way of falling over his right eye. brow, and swinging slightly as he walked.

"FALLEN STAR”

Road. He was a brick, really, but so gauche, so hopelessly awk ward! For all that, Hilary had a fairly accurate idea of his feel- ings towards her. At the mo- ment, he was obsessed with the idea of making her a county ten- nis player, like himself.

"You're good enough to get into the county side if you real-

her again and again. "But you've got to polish up that wretched backhand of yours. It's the worst on a tennis

g thẳng ever seen

court

His voice was soft, yet firm of pitch, his hands large, yet gentle looking. He was a fine car driver? I set your mind on it” he t and he loved dogs and horses. When he strode country roads, with a pipe clamped in one corn- er of his mouth (one of those heavy, curly, manly pipes that simply belch smoke), and his two beautiful, long-eared Alsatians trotting at his heels, he looked well like a god descended from the heights of Olympus. (Hillary had recently matriculated, with honours in Greek and Latiny. Above all, he danced perfectly, and played Chopin with just the right romantic touch.

Yes, the male star of the latest Excelsior Film Company's re- lease. "I Came to Conquer," was everything a real man ought to be. He was, indeed, rather more than any mortal being has 2 right to be though this aspect naturally did not strike Hilary. She realised only that Rudy had brought some fresh significance to her life, that from now on existence must have some richer, deeper and finer meaning.

And curiously, she was rath- miserable about it..

Until the evening, it had been a happy birthday for her-the happiest she could remember. She had come down to breakfast to receive parental kisses, and a gratifying number of

piled up on the sideboard. Being seventeen and, of course, thor- oughly grown up she had en- deavoured to conceal her excite ment.

3.

So that it was no surprise to her when Bob turnel up afte lunch, dragged her down to the hard court at the back of her house, and peppered her back- hand for a solid two hours.

Short Story

After tea, they had driven into Midden to see "the pictures."

would he hadn't ever done any thing like that. He hadn't got it in him.

Why,

only a few weeks before, Bob had gone up to Mr. Strange in the garden, and flushing tre- mendously, bawled out, in a voice loud enough to be heard fifty yards away.

Look here, sir, I think I marry Hilary, if you don't mind.” Mr. Strange looked up from his newspaper,

his eye

brows raised "Bit sudden, isn't it?” "What I mean is,” shouted Bob, "I just want to explain that -I mean to say I'll marry her.

"Of course, Bob,” added Mr. Strange, it's nice of you to come to me like this. Now about your income

By Howard Jones

"What I mean is, sir, FI marry

What a strange thing destiny fer when I've got through all my

was. Hilary reflected. For if Dad hadn't got the idea into his head that he wanted to see "some- thing funny-one of those Mic key Mouse “things” Rudy Chal- lenor might never have waked into her life, and she could never have fallen in love with him

Of course, she had not seen the real Rudy, merely his shadow.

But this scarcely mattered to her. She felt, definitely and finally, as she had never felt anything be fore, that no other man would ever matter to her.

It wasn't fair, she told her self, to compare Bob with Rudy. But somehow she couldn't help it. In one scene of the film about. three minutes before the end, Rudy had taken the heroine în his arms, and slowly tilted her chin upwards with the forefinger of his right hand. Bob had titter- ed that part. Of course he

Thanks, Mums, she said, un- covering a pink silk evening frock, with satin slippers to match--the first she had ever had And: "Oh, thanks, Dad”- coming to half a dozen recent best-selling novels, and a moroceat

co-bound volume of the Chopin waltzes.

Then with a real squeal of pleasure, as she discovered a beautiful white tennis racket, light as a feather in her hand: "Oh look what that ass Bob has brought me! Whew, what s beauty1 Must have cost him three guineas at least.”

Later in the morni takes Bunty off for through the meadows to Black- dows Woods, and back again by way of Topsdown Hill. Bunty was Hilary's dog, a hopeless mor grel who chewed up anything from beef bones to Dad's

out with the gentlest yellow.

comical

walk alary that as

Bob

medical exams in four years' time, or it may be three and a bit years if I'm lucky, I'll marry her then, if you don't mind. wanted to explain, to tell you, that I shall have enough money to keep her, perhaps

Car

if Pm lucky, and erer think we'll be happy, and all that

Mr. Strange smiled slowly. "Thanks for the compliment, old man. But, you know, having a car doesn't mean you'll happy."

Bob was hopping about though he had corns.

"Good lor, no, sir! What I mean to say it.

"Have you spoken to the young lady?”

Well, not exactly," said Bob. “That is, I haven't said anything 10, I haven't spoken to her vet. But, all the same, I think I'm pretty sure from one thing and another, she'd like to. You see,

aves

Hilary, stretched out behand the rose bushes, with Bun

book, heard every word

sation. She didn't drop as a rule, but now sh she had a right to. Besides, she really couldn't have helped hear ing Bob, even if she'd ran up to her bedroom. Presently, Mr Strange remarked-

"Well, Hilary's feelings are more important than mine,

Bob You can sound her on the su ject, if you like, though think it's advisable _gaged just yet.”

"Good lor, no, as though it we in the world

Bob

"Wait till yo re doctor, and then see Meanwhile come here as oft you like. It's nice to know you'reer, interested in her:

To which Bob answere "Oh, yes, sir. By all Thanks very much

And of course, he hadn't

a word. He was too shy, ward. But such a brick! now, Hilary supposed, she woul have to hurt him Stre

quite miserable when si

about him. She

too, when she Tooked

and found herself a fine upstandinge Rudy

Life kind, m serable

be muserable ai humd

satisfy

she became a thinking and living alwa others, it might help

And she would

of Bob. That would be the

the da

ing her birthda long, beautifully miserable walk by herself, and whe

round in the evening, she tended she had a headache, and went early to bed.

The early stages of her love

(Continued on Page

some-

They say that the early bird catches thing or other, but whatever it is, your favourite shop MAIZEE'S has certainly caught “it” in their early

autumn arrivals. It is an exquisite

centres

clientele, women who see!

that great fas

personal

famous for correct

lection created

Designed by

of style these frocks

all the best features accepted by

the right things for the

that their fitti

materials

And

quality of their st

MAIZEE'S

Alexandra Bldg.

beguts tennis

along Midden