1940-10-04 — Page 2

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, OCTOBER 4, 1940.

SHORT STORY

A Lucifo Match by Arthur Morrison

ERSONS with a choice of sev~ new idea of the shopkeeper

eral names are not tommon Johnson considered pockets, ac hav outside the peerage; but some of cording, to ideas of his own; them wholly unconnected with ing a natural, human preference any peer-are to be discovered for the easiest pocket in the most in London crowds, though discov;-| sumptuous habiliment. cry is not what they are there for. Crowds, in fact, "attract them, from the circumstance that whatever the number of Individ- uals in a crowd, there are sure to be several times that number of pockets, mostly with some thing in them; and a pickpocket, who has once beer convicted finds a change of name a wise precaution. So we arrive at

Johnson.

He felt himself much drawn to ward a man In an "immensikoff"

a fur-lined overcoat which was quite the most” mugnißleent gar: ment in the crowd.

the The large side-pocket of "immensikoff” gaped invitingly and, though outside overcoat-poc- kéts were barren as a rule, this was so very easy that it were wasting a chance not to try it. So Johnson placed himself against the pocket and tried, with unex- pected success.

of

For indeed, at the bottom that pocket-reposed a purse-not at all what one might expect to find. there. In an instant that purse was transferred to the out-confronted by the man in the fur- side pocket, so closely adjacent, lined coat.

He felt in the opposite pocket needlessly, for he clearly remem- bered working with his right hand, and with his right side-poc- ket against the left pocket of the immensikoff". There was noth- ing now in either of his side-poc-

he raked them through with anxious Angers. He stood in a small crowd inl And then everything inside him Oxford Street, as I have said, and bounced at the sudden touch of while the small crowd stared at a hand on his shoulder. He shrank the shop window because of some and turned, and found himself

onvicti ch?

the name Jenk

Johnson obediently to the dark opening, Twasn't exactly a conviction, slammed behind. sit. I assure you," protested the and a sharp click. It was sweating pickpocket. "The judge's blacker than ever, but at mistake entirely quite a misun was alone for a space, and m derstanding, and the commonest collect his faculties. He reached watch you ever see; not worth at about him, and had no dificult

·bqb!""

In finding the walls of his prison, for in fact they were scarce a yard apart in any direction,~~- It seemed that he was in a wooden cupboard, with a ledge for a seat. He sat on the ledge and wondered.

"And what did you year?"

Bot?

A

"No, sir-nothing of the kind, It's a wicked slander, sir, when anybody says it was a year. Not a day more than nine months, I give you my solemn word!"

"After a dozen previous con- victions?"

Imprisonment was not wholly a' novelty, though this was certain- ly the darkest cell he had ever inhabited, and the smallest. There was to be an hour's respite, it seemed, but he was mighty un- easy as to what would happen at the end of the hour. He thought. again of that horrible beetle, and the clothes tingled on his skin at the recollection, till he began to rub himself all over. Heavens! if there were more of them in this place!

himself and stamped, and then He jumped to his feet, shook

He found it and spilt it, stooped for it hurriedly, butted his head into one side of the cupboard, and his opposite end into the other, End came to the floor in a heap.

“Now then, keep qulet in there!" The voice was a strange one-

certainly not that of the dark man

strike it on.

no

It chanced that Johnson stood

"No, sir-that's another sland- in quite a small crowd-perhaps

er anybody as told you that' of twenty-that stared at a shop.

13 trying to take my character away. window. in Oxford Street. He had

There wasn't more tlion seven, only been Johnson for a week,

sir, or eight at the very most. It's poor fellow, since emerging from

'ard to be scandalised like that, some months' retirement, and as

sir!" yet the name did not sit easily.

"Shocking!" The stranger had He had to keep it continually in of Johnson's light overcoat; and The man was grinning at him slipped his purse away and now mind, lest in some

unforeseen then Johnson paused for a mo with sardonic politeness, and had his hand on Johnson's should- emergency he might call himself ment, ostentatiously scratching his Johnson did not like him at all. er, with anger and thumb taking Jones, or Barker,

or Jenkinson, cheek with the guilty hand, and He was tall and broad and dark, a good nip of his coat-collar. "Only bethought him of his match-box. any one of which was dangerous, staring with rapt eyes at the win-while Johnson was small and seven or eight convictions! Poor and had been discarded in its dow; till he judged it expedient narrow and pale. The stranger's chap! you shall have another at turn for that reason; always after to edge gently away and evapor- black moustache was waxed into once, Come along!”, just such another holiday as that ate from the little crowd.

long spikes, which pointed to "No, Indeed, sir let me alone! he had lately disenjoyed..

He strolled easily to the next

ward, the outward edges of the On my solemn davy, sir, it was Johnson was a mild person →→ turning turned up it with quicker flat brim of a very tall hat, and all a mistake! I dunno how the not at all the sort of man whom steps, and so into a quieter cross gave a touch of the unearthly, to purse got there! And it sur- one might, suppose to be a pick-street. Here he paused, plunged his gain; and in his hand he ex-prised Johnson to find himself pocket which was fortunate, of his hand into his side-pocket, and tended toward Johnson a a metal offering an excuse with such course, for Johnson. He was a found it empty.

box-Johnson's own tobacco-box, deal of truth in it

and it came from where? No- meck, rather timid body, whose

His chin fell, and he stood in truth, which he now remember-The stranger's grin relaxed from somewhere above, though- where about him, but apparently tastes would have been domestic amazed. There was no doubt of ed to have left in that same side little, and his voice grew more even of this he was not certain. if he had been a family man, and it-this was the pocket into which coat-pocket.

Business like. “Very well," " : "he he would have been a family man he had dropped the purse, and

"How de do?" said the sardonic said. "Come with me for an hour that he could be watched In this Surely there was no Possibility if it were not for the expense. He now there was nothing there. stranger. "Were you feeling in and I won't charge you.. But was temperate, thrifty, and inoffen-

your pocket for this?" sive; he shrank with horror front

don't you displease me, my vi unspeakable darkness! He grop- Johnson's panic impulse was totuous friend!” The grin flicker-co painfully, found a match, grop- the idea of anything violent, such

deny his tobacco-box utterly, but ed up again. "Don't you displease ed again, and found the box to as burglary, or work; he had no

the stranger's black eyes were me, or you'll go back to as long vices, no particular abilities, and

piercing his very brain, and he a dose of gaol as I can get you, The light was a great relief, for only one small talent: he could

felt it useless. He took the box mind that! You shall buy your if revealed the fact that at least pick a pocket very well indeed.

that was forced on him, and release on my terms. Coine along! the place was free from visible in- Altogether, Johnson was an un-kets, though

gasped unintelligibly he was ex- but first stuff those pockets insects. He could see now that his usually virtuous thief.

tremely obliged, and didn't know again.”

cell was

wooden-top, bottom, he had dropped it; but he never Johnson obeyed, and walked by and sides, and then came burn-. remembered what he did say. the side of his persecutor In a ec fingers and sudden darkness. "I believe some sneaking thief maze of sickening bewilderment. He lit another match, and satis- picked your pocket," said the Could he be really awake? The fied himself that there was stranger, his grin growing fiercer: whole thing was uncommonly like cranny, nor even a keyhole, "Open it and see if anything's a hideous nightmare, down to the through which peeping was missing.".

very beetle. He had the most possible, then he lit another to Johnson began a mumble' that distinct recollection of his shock pick up those remaining, and- it was all right and of no con- of surprise at finding his coat another after that. sequence and didn't matter, but pockets empty; yet he had

put the eyes and the satanic grin com- the purse there, and pelled him, and he sprang the lid. proved to be after all.

Instantly there arose from with- The thing was the more like a in a gigantic creature with horns, dream, because his efforts to re- which ran across his hand on member made it all seem like horrid clawed legs, and made for something that had occurred his sleeve, Johnson squeaked like long time ago. And he would a rat, and flung box and Insect to doubtless hove believed it, a the ground together. He had a nightmare and made some des- feminine horror of crawling perate effort to wake himself. The prisoner said no more, but things and had never sean a star-were it not for the fact that the waited. Strange noises reached beetle before.

gloating stranger most palpably his ear from some far-away part The stranger snatched the box had him by the arm as they walk of the building, and a little nearer afell, and, brushing roughly ed through the back streets, and there were suodued creakings. He against Johnson skilfully scooped now and again put a question of began to remember stories of up the insect from the pavement, such a puigent and penetrating mysterious rooms that closed up "What?" he said. "Do you | nature that demanded all John- und crushed men Imprisoned in mean to say it wasn't yours at son's waking wits to meet it. them; of weighted ceilings that all? And yet you wanted to take Such wits as Johnson had were fell; of chambers slowly filled it? Is there anything else i barely sufficient for the needs of with poisonous gas. those pockets, of yours that does his trade, and now they were op- As he sat he began tu tremble: n't belong to you? Show mel" pressed by a feeling that he was and as the minutes passed he felt "No, sir! Nothing at all, sir. being "got at" in some unfathom-¡ himself growing desperate with upon my solemn day!" wailed able manner; for indeed the sat- icur. He wished he had allowed Johnson in terror. For the eyes rnic stranger chuckled gaily to himself to be handed to the police, and the grin were flercer than himself as the torment went on. for at least he knew what that ever. "Nothing at all, sir" pro- Their way led through numer-ineant. But now he could not tested Johnson, pulling out the ous back streets, which Johnson endure much longer. He had nocket-linings. And there, as the was too disconcerted to recognise. nade up his mind, come what right-hand pocket camo inside even if he knew them; and at last | might, to shout his loudest for cut, emerged the stranger's purse, they stopped before a very blank help; when, as he stood feeling "Lar!" crled live dark man, and secret-looking door in a tall the hundredth time for the door- "Thief! That is my purse!"

building that had no more thar fastening, he was suddenly flung He snatched it away and open-two other openings in it, and those backward and down, confusedly cd it, while Johnson stood helpless windows, small and high.

realising that the cupboard in amazement; with his pockets

shooting up bodily. Was the thing protruding on each side.

a lift?

GRAND GIN THIS!"

YES ISN'T IT! ALWAYS DRINK IT AND IT'S ONLY FIVE BUCKS

A BOTTLE

The Best of Gin

Yet compare the price!

100

per bottle

FINDLAYERS

DRY GIN

Findlater's

DRY GIN

Gilman

WINES &

SPIRIT Da

there it

The stranger opened the door with a latchkey, never looking at the key, but always at Johnson. with that embarrassing grinˇun- citered, unless it were now a lit tle less flerce and a little more whimsical. The door revealed nothing but a dark passage, into, which Johnson was pushed with out ceremony.

"Now then!" came the voice: again. "Leave off strikin' them matches!"

Johnson stopped, bumped his head again, and scrambled to his seat. Then he found courage to speak. "I say " he began. **

"You stow that. row, 'year? Shut up.

18

*

was

It stopped with a jerk, and the prisoner, recovering his legs, was aware of a loud and now familier. voice. There was a tap at the door, and a click; and instantly it flew open, and Johnson was blind- ed by a flood of light and deafen- ed by a roar of sound.

"Seel" pursued the stranger, thrusting the open purse under his 11030. "My purse, with my money in it! What about that?”

Instinct brought a jumbled de- tence to Johnson's lips. - "Quite a inistake wouldn't think of such

thing, being a gentlémän him Self. Accident that might hap- The pince smelt dump, and on Hundreds of faces stared at him pen to anybody—a lot of trouble the whole strikingly like a coil from a great hall, as many voices in the family lately"—and so on. in a police station, a fact which shouted a delighted greeting, and "What's your name?" "snapped save the prisoner's terrors # more twice as many hands clapped loud the stranger. It disconcerted definite turn. The door closed applause. The cupboard stood Johnson more than anything else ochind them and left them wholly open on a brilliantly lighted stage, to, sed "that this fiendish person in the dark; and Johnson, seized and by it stood the sardonic stran- was grinning, more than ever, oy the arm, was thrust st ger in evening dress, with a black while his unavoidable eyes seem. ing and staggering along the pas- wand in his hand; while Johnson. ed to divine mora about Johnson ugo till he omerged on a spot gasping, and dishevelled, • blinked than even Jeungon "ever... Ichow. | only 'u degree less obscure, where and cowered helplessly. "What's your name??' he demand, nothing was discernible, but some lies, and gentlemen,” edz

vast construction of aquare Jones!!! spluttered the thief, in that vanished into (61) —no, Jenkinson above. Here the stranger

ed, ond groping in the gloom among the beams, flung open an- Gd ether door. Akro

Get in thoro,.

and alt

down." I shan't Want you for an:

the

cried honour

atias

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