1940-12-06 — Page 58

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THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 6, 1940.

SHORT STORY

It Is Easier For A Camel By URSULA BLOOM

IT is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven," read the parson A trifle pompously. He wasn't a rich man. Ho could gloat over the misfortunes of rich men, although covetously-minded to- wards their comforts.

In her pew, Gay watched him. She wasn't rich either, which was also comforting. Yesterday she had gene mad. Yesterday she had had a comfortable little nest egg in the bank, something which, she had scraped and saved for, for her whole twenty-four years of life, All her luxuries. scooped up and set Inside little brown bank book yielding two and a half per cent. "And,” as she told herself, "a fat lot of good two and a half per cent is to anyone!"

So she had gone mad. She did not know what had happened, but the sunshine of a mad May morn- ing had gone to her head. Or was it the poster outside Charing Cross station? A poster of a ruined Colonnade with a wistaria droop- ing about it, and a volcano in the distance. See Naples and die! In her case, See Naples and go bust! Gloriously bust.

Naples, and then go bust!

up

spruce

Next day was Sunday,

started for the holiday, Mr. James but he thought that the cruise to was becoming, and the jade sash She informed the family at lunch. sent for her to his office. He was Naples was the most glamorous-about her hips was a vigorous con- They were the old-fashioned large and opulent. He was un- and glorious thing that had ever trast to it. She knew that she family who always had roast beef doubtedly the rich man. Not a bad happened to him.

looked her best. She would try to and Yorkshire, followed by fruit sort, of course, always' very kind

He helped her with the suit put the return to England out of and custard or an apple charlotte. to the girls, but pompous. He ex case up the gangway to the ship. her mind, she would try only to Mum and Dad had very nice plained to Gay quite calmly what A great white ship, with her ste remember that this was her holi minds, and they had started the had happened, they were cutting wards lined

along

day, the one wild holiday of ner post office savings account on the down staff and they were making decks, and an eager air of ex-

life and that nothing mattered be- side it. day that they had carried Gay to several changes.

pectancy about her, and of appre- her christening. They, balieved in Gay was one of the changes, hension. Crowds surged up the Babbacombe and the Cornish When that sort of thing happens,

gangway. They chattered and Riviera and the East coast. They you realise in one fell swoop how complained, or chattered and thought all kinds

of peculiar wise are the parents who start you laughed, things happened abroad, never in life with a bank balance, and appreciating that Guy was aching how utterly feckless are the chil- for something to happen, just dren who throw the whole lot anything.

away on one glorious blind in the hopes that something will turn up. She must have been quite dotty. "I'm sorry" said Mr. James, and he, looked to be genuinely sorry abolit it. "I would not have had it for the world, but my hands gre tied. I will do everything to get you another job, a good job, You may rely on me."

She broke it to them with the apple charlotte.

"But it is madness," said Fattier. "Your whole savings? What will yott do

for a trousseau?" asked Mother.

"I'm not engaged. Before I get the trousseat, I have got to get the man. Like this I might eveti get the man."

boomed

"Husband-huntlhg?" father, bitterly Hurt at the sug- gestion.

After that nobody had any ap- petite for the apple charlotte, and It was returned to the kitchen; whereupon the cook turned sulky and said she did not know what some people DID want.

And all the time she wanted to cry. She wanted to confess that, she had behaved crazily and that she did not know what to do next. She dare not tell them at home. Mother would button up her mouth and become reserved. It is a very short step from

Father would have no compunc- Charing Cross to Cockspur Street,

tion in saying, "I told you so." and in the shipping offices there

When she started from Victoria there are suave young men with In ten days Gay would be sail- the next day in her new blus patent leather hair and unctuous ing for the Mediterranean. It cruising outfit, with the little white manners. Before she had realised would mean a chance. It would cap stuck jauntily on golden curls the truth of her intention, she had mean opportunity, and she could and the white handbag to match committed herself. Instead of the spend the few pounds that she had with three flags in the form of a usual holiday to Babbacombe, to over from her savings on a trous signal in the corner (what sort of the Cornish Riviera in flush years, seau. Lunch hours became wild a signal she had no idea!) she felt or the East Coast in less opulent searches in shops. Father and seasons, she was going to the mother grew cold with apprehen- Mediterranean. She was going to, sion, and then two days before she

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'moulay,

"I went to Madeira last year. All those toboggans and things, you can't sit down afterwards. Hon- estly, you can't. So awkward."

"I went to the Fjords Inst time. Wonderful, oh yes, quite wonder- ful, and I met a man who said.

They had the same old text in the service held in the dining saloon. "It is easier for a camel.” When you came to think about it, it was rather a foolish text, and Gay felt that she was sorry for Mr. James. Mr. James was ob- viously the rich man, who would find it a little awkward getting through the Heavenly turnstile. And he had such good qualities. "It was an awful cruise. The All through the Bay she played stewards were frightful and the Quoits and Deck Tennis, and Bull- officers lousy. I went to bed every ball, and forgot that there was night at nine. Not my idea of a such a thing as being jobless. In successful cruise. Never again. I Gibraltar Mr. James took her always say never again, and yet ashore. He knew Gibraltar. here I am."

He

helped her into a carozzi and they And at the very top of the gang- trotted up the Main strect with a way was a large fattish man, with jangle of bells. They walked in the money written all over him. He Alamada with the most heavenly wore spotless white flannels and a scent of blossom, and the sound of dark blue blazer, with binoculars a hurdy-gurdy grinding out A dangling from a very new lau- tango. They talked of everything ther strap. He had a parama on save the office. And at one of the his head and he was arguing with Indian shops, where swarthy- a steward about his cabin, He faced men peer out from behind didn't like his cabin. He had paid Spanish shawls and Morocco lea- top price for the best and if this ther, he bought her a bottle of was their best, he would like to perfume as a souvenir. see what their worst was. If you paid for comfort, comfort you ex- pected to have. As Gay trooped on board with Keith at her side, she saw suddenly that the large rich man was Mr. James.

He recognised her at the same moment. "YOU?" said Mr. James. "Why, I thought that you were

Gibraltar," he said, and he choose "Everybody buys perfume in a heady one in an enormous black bottle, and he beat the man down over the price.

Gay had never beaten down before. She sat on a seen anybody leather pouffe, and she drank cx- cruciatingly strong coffee and she watched with wonder at the way She knew the idea that flashed Mr. James said that he would not through his mind. He thought that pay that amount and advanced she ought not to have spent the sixpence by sixpence on his ori- money and unfortunately he was ginal offer, while the Indian came quite right. She ought to have down shilling by shilling from the kept that little brown bank book price which he had stated would and have slipped all her luxuries leave him a ruined man. inside its horrid covers for every they got into another carozzi, and year of her life until she was too drove for the wharf. Everybody old to enjoy luxuries any more. was hurrying back to the fender "Tell me what you are doing with huge bunches of flowers. here?" said Mr. James, ignoring Great fat roses, and lilies, freesias Keith.

in long fragile sprays, stocks with their clove essence.

The train was labelled "Medi- terranean Cruise" which should have been satisfying enough. It sped through the country towards the sea. All the while, she was thinking, "I'll have to meet some- body on this cruise, somebody or other, or I'll go mad." And it was o grim irony of fate that she was wishing herself anywhere in the world save where she was.

A young man sat opposite. He had grave grey eyes and kinky dark hair. He wore gay clothes and he laughed across at her. "Like the window open?" he ask-

"The window's all right." "I just thought

and then, "My name is Keith Dorne, and we are going to be travelling com- panions. Or should I say ship mates? I have not got the nautical lingo yet. It's going to be fun, isn't it. it, though you look like a sick. headache."

ed.

She did not know why she told him. Mother had always said never speak to strangers, but somehow when you are starting on a cruise that sort of thing does not apply. Not to Gay, anyway.

Keith butted in. "Give me your ticket and I'll see the old hat box into the cabin," said he, "Mert you later," and off he went with ""Who is that person?" asked Mr. James.

Then

wistfully.

"How lovely they look," she said

Mr. James patted her hand. "But they don't last! Any old hand at cruising would tell you that Mediterranean flowers are *the worst investment. Gone before you-- sdil."

with the black bottle of perfume,

As she struggled back on board. she saw Keith. He had an error- mous bunch of red roses. *For your cabin," he said.

Gay told Mr. James exactly what had happened. She had ven- tured on to the cruise before she had known that she was to have the sack. She had committed her self and there was no going back. "Gee, if that isn't a slice of When she got home she would be darned hard luck," said he, "I've looking for a job, unless of course, She filled the cabin with them, done much the same thing, only but she hastily brushed over that and by a grim irony they lasted I've got a job, leastways a bit of a idea. In three weeks at sea a for three whole days, whereas the job. I'm an artist. I paint things great deal can happen, as every black bottle poised on the dress- for magazines, and had a lucky body knows. She had met Keith ing-table unfortunately became denl, hence Naples."

in the train, and he was being restive with the heaving of the "See Naples, and die," said she. very helpful, she felt lonely of ship, and rolled on to the floor "Not at all. Generally you see it course and a little strange, she and was smashed to atoms. Gay and come back to murity old Lon- had never been further than the decided that it was don und dream about it for ever, the Isle of Wight before, and the sickoning scent when you had to a positively I bet. I'm going to enjoy this what- Isle of Wight is very much like live with it in abundance until ever happens.”

everywhere else. Naples would be you could have the port open different, she imagined.

again for calmer seas!

She brightened considerably. He was a nice cheery person. Twenty- seven he said, had had lots of ups and downs, and very lucky breaks,

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When she went up on deck after a nice long lie-down through a sea which was horribly inclined towards choppiness, she found that Mr. James was awaiting her.

Mr. James patted her hand. He said, "I'll see after you. I will get you fixet up at my table, and I'll see that you enjoy yourself."

It was peculiar that all the way down in the train Gay had been

"There is nothing like cham- shying to herself, "Oh, if only I pagne for seasickness," said Mr. knew somebody on 'board," and James, and he ordered her some. now when she did know some- He had fixed..a little table in a bedy on board she felt that stran- sheltered corner of the deck away gors were preferable. She had al- from the crowd.. He was kindly ways liked Mr. James, but she and fatherly. He said the sort of was afraid of him.

things that she had never expect-

leep and dreamt all this, or that she had been seasick and it was one of the unpleasant effects.

Oh, you mustrit feel that way," ed a man like Mr. James could sild he a little later, "we are cut- say, and she came to the conclu-. side the office now. Just friends, sion that either she had fallen as- You will see that this is going to 'be fun." The stewards band play ed “Auld lang syne!” There were rainbow streamerslinking them to Or wasn't it unpleasant? - the quay, and then the ship pass- Mr. James had much to com- ed slowly out to sen like a great mend him. He was kind. He was white bird on the face of the generous. 'He was talking glowing- water.

ly about the cruelty of the firm "Who is that sticky old chap that had sacked her, and how. you've picked up?" asked Keith much he wanted to help her, that first night, when they stood though in, exactly what way he against 'the staffrail talking, while did not say. He had always no- the others danced on deck.

"He was my boss in the office." ""Rich?"

"Awfully, I should think," "And got a pash on you?" He said it with a proprietary note, for nt sea the world moves swiftly.

"Oh no, he never noticed me muca before, except to blow me up for my typing. I don't know why he is nolleing me now.”

"I do. Shall I tell you??? "I'd rather you didn't." The new mimosa gold chiffon

tlead what a charming girl she was. He had always thought that she had a way with her.

And ù great many more other things.

"It's sea fever," she told herself, "it would have been any girl he had met. Just sea fever.",

The champagne had a very brightening effect on her outlook. When she left Mr. James she felt almost herself, and half way down the companion she met Keith, He

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