1939-03-31 — Page 9

THE

CHINA MAIL

FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, MARCH 31,

THE house-boy pushed open the door of the waiting-room very gently and informed the dark young man that the matron would see him in a minute or two.

The dark young man, subdued by the propinquity of sickness, entered the room very softly and, putting his hat on the table, sat down on a chair in the corner.

His entrance had been very dis- ~ creet, and he doubted whether the old lady sitting on the horsehair soft, placed in front of the fire so as to prevent any of the heat es- caping her, noticed his entry. But, whether she did or not, she went on talking in an animated fashion to a young, fair, and pret- ty woman who, perched on the arm of an easy chair, interjected encouraging monosyllables at ap- propriate intervals.

At first the young man did not pay any attention to the old lady's ceaseless. conversation, and his eyes wandered round the room ap- praising the comfortable, if som- bre, furnishings and dwelling with some slight interest on the fair hair of the young

woman which appeared all the fairer by reason of its black background.

Then they fell upon the round table in the middle of the room, and his hand crept

out almost furtively to take a paper.. He was not good at waiting; and, though he turned over the leaves, looked at the pictures, and read the captions, the jokes conveyed nothing to him.

It had been a serious operation, this of Jacqueline's, and, though she had given instructions that he was to see her at the first pos- sible moment, that moment had been, to him, incredibly delayed.

Short Story

She had had an unhappy life, had Jacqueline, and the dark young man, who had crossed her orbit at the nadir of her spirits, had devoted himself to improving what he jocularly referred to as "the morale of the troops."

Even his worst enemy would have given him credit for some succèss, but just when he had healed Jacqueline's mind her body had gone wrong. The workings of a woman's inside were not mat- ters upon which he posed as an authority, and when she had told him that an operation was im- perative, he had accepted the fact without any great argument.

*

From the moment when it be came necessary he devoted himself again to preparing her to take with a stout heart all that the knife, might do, and she had faced the ordeal with courage and even with; humour, But his own ors deal, that of waiting for news, had imposed a severe strain on himself, and his white face showed that the previous few hours had not been a picnic fór mm.~

As he looked at the paper and - waited for the summons

matron the chatter of the two women impinged itself more clear- Ty шpon:histesra, and he could not help hearing the monologue of the older one, broken occasionally by

the monosyllabic interjections of the younger; but what she was saying conveyed nothing intelligi- ble to him until he caught the mention of the name Jacqueline.

Then his fingers tightened about

"That seems to me a very mod- erate word,” the old lady went on. "No sooner had Carlton been born, than he began to neglect her. Not that I knew at the time, because Jacqueline's- very proud

OVERHEARD

the flimsy paper he was holding and, raising it to his face, he peeped over the top at the older woman while he tried to hear what was being said.

"Of course, my dear," the old lady was saying in decisive tones, "I wanted her to have thus opera- tion before. There has always been trouble ever since the birth of the boy, but I must say that at that time there were various things against it. You see, she was so run down.”

"Naturally." The fair woman's

By Peter Traill

cool voice rose up like a rock in the middle of the evenly flowing stream.

"It was, of course, Gordon's going. That was what was at the bottom of the whole thing," the old woman continued as if there. had been no `interruption, and the dark young man noticed how untidy her grey hair was. Un- doubtedly she too had spent a very trying day.

་"

"As you know. I never liked Gordon," a vehemence was added to her tone and her voice rose a little, “I didn't want her to marry him-neither did her father. Of course, I know it's easy to be wise after the event, but John and I both felt that he had not enough experience of life. Young love is a very fine thing — and I but it is a very difficult thing to know you are happy, my dear→

keep going and I felt that Gor don wouldn't keep anything go- ing except himself.”

"He was selfish.” Again came the cool voice.

"Selfish! the old lady,repeated very emphatically, and the dark young man put his

down.

He wanted to see her more cularly,” but

much except a long stra and a somewhat?

cause only a quarter file was presented to him

and naturally she didn't want to own she had made a failure of the thing, but the child looked ill and worried."

"She became very nervy," the fair girl interjected sympatheti- cally, and the dark young man was aware that she was looking at him. Had she caught him listening? He flushed a little and raised the paper so as to hide his face.

"Gradually it all came out and Gordon didn't care how.fast he went so long as he did go. He gave her a divorce; not that she couldn't have got one

anyway.

But after that she crumpled up a bit and it was all that, worry which started her present trou- ble. Of course, we had her down. in the country.”

"I remember she looked very ill."

"But not for long, my dear. It is wonderful what the country air can do for a person. Plenty of that and plenty of cream, you know, from our own dairy; and our own chickens. We had her much better in no time."

"But surely she used to come up to town now and again?" The dark young man held the paper even closer to his face.

“Oh, of course, but the founda- tion of the whole thing was laid in the country.. I've never seen i girl take on a new lease of life. in such a remarkable way. She would never have stood up to this operation if she hadn't been. fundamentally fit."

The door opened and the dark young man looked at it expect- antly, but there was no message for him.

middle-aged man joined the two by the fire, and the old lady looked anxiously up at him.Well, doctor?",

"Extremely well.

need to worry. Mr. E with her at the moment an he's gone-you'll be able 1 her gain.” He says that she the whole operation remar wel

The doctor pulled out a ette and nested himself

-the-couch:

pro

tam

for that, you

She was incl

1939

“His fingers tightened about the paper he was' holding while he tried to hear what was be- ing said."

hut her blood's anything but that now. It's a wonderful thing, that Kampola; puts you right in time."

no

"I must try some," the fair girl said.

"There's nothing anaemic about you, young lady; but Jacqueline she was another kettle. of fish altogether. I've attended her for the last four or five years, you know. I brought Carlton into the world and all that." She was very down at one time, but she's a different person now thanks to her mother and without boasting-I think to me. She wants understanding; not that's she's temperamental, but she takes likes and dislikes to people very readily. Fortunately she liked Francis.".

They speak very highly of, him," the old lady said.

"He's very good indeed. Lucki- ly when he opened your daughter up he didn't find things nearly as bad as he thought; but he was the man for the job all right. Cheered her up all the time, you know. Didn't let her get down."

(Continued on Page 7) *

MENNEN BORATED POWDER