1940-12-19 — Page 65

THE CHINA MAIL SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 19, 1940.

IT is a mistake for people to have birthdays within a week or two of Christmas. Relatives, gen- erally speaking, do not mind giv- ing two presents a year at decent intervals, but when the two oc- casions are separated only by a few days one of two things is bound to happen.

The kind uncle or aunt says, "Well, dear, as your birthday und Christmas are so close together I am going to buy you a very nice present to do for both.

And the present costs just about the same as the ordinary Christ- mas or birthday present would have cost. The only difference is that in the course of the year they weigh out once instead of twice. This is all very well for the uncle and aunt but very unfortunate for the nephew or niece.

Wats .

I knew somebody-- it girl of course--who got over the difficulty by declaring to all who were concerned, that, since sha was so unfortunate as to be born on a Boxing Day, she intended to keep her birthday on the 28th of June. This gave everybody tima to recover from having given one present before being called upon to make the next.

Stella Linklater had not thought' of this, for in many ways she wiE. a simple girl. That is to say, fait ly simple and at least not grasp ing. Probably she did not notice her misfortune; at least it was not pointed it to her by those who made one present de fo two

But when she had rust turned the corner of twenty and a young man fell sermusly in love with her, he noticed the embarrassing circumstances if she didn't

The young man WHN Norman Talland -one of those which goes with a swing, and the owner thereof may be expected to perform all those deeds of chivalry and daring which are to be seen only on the pictures. But a name like that wants a lot of living up

to.

When you're an underpad clerk, with no pretentions to good looks, rather shy and all that, and Inclined to freckle, you have a job to live up to a name like Normat Talland.

Our Norman Talland was too young to have served in the war, wretchedly poor at all games ex- cept chess, as plan as a home- made pie, of sound but not out- standing intelligenes, and at hear, as romantic as all your handsome fellows.

GARN

The Escritoire

she said that she had hated him on sight--but you knew what she meant. People didinot take to hims Through no intrinsic fault he was a lonely soul.

Dull Of course he was dull Directly a man hears or ferls that he is dull be gets wor and

WEISE

Yet dull people fall in love, just like everybody else, and suiter inuch more because they feel from the very beginning that they have test Резезв on the

road to Heart- break.

WAS

So it was when the Whisper first came to Norman. He heard it then on a spring evening and wildly happy for an hour. Then came the inevitable attack of de- pression. How could the loveliest creature in the world lock twice Most at an object like himself"

called men of us poor creatures have felt like that

existence.

Then again, if the miracle hap- pened and she deigned more than

to notice his merely how could he possibly afford to marry" His salary was very small, his prospects vagur and unpro- mising.

However romantically a man may fall in love he has to consider such little matters His people were dead. He had food and shelter. And who wants no living

relative but a blind to marry a girl and give her a aunt who rather exaggerated when life of poverty and anxiety? He

was not in one of those "safe" jobs in which a man's salary increases every year until he retires on pen- sion. The "safe" job may not ap- peal to the spirit of adventure. but no

man with responsibilities can be happy in the thought that the next month's end may see him adrift on the becalmed unemployment.

sea of

For Stella he was a must un- suitable suitor. Her parents liked him will enough as a man. But Concerning him they had used that last word many times, and always gave it that phasis which deserves the capital letter.

em

But, of course, Stella fell in love with him. She was the sort of giri who would-as if she did a for the sheer pleasure of annoying her prople.

There was the usual family rumpus. Norman, like the man he was, went straightforwardly to Papa and told him. Papa was stern and non-committal.

No engage- ment, of course, until, as he vague- it, matters JIN - ly expressed proved." He was not born yester day and he knew the folly of for- bidding the young man the house, thereby investing him with the romantic glamour he seemed to Vack

A.M. BURRAGE

Norman had put himself through course of semi-starvation he had scraped only sufficient. With this he bought a manicure sel, in re- turn for which he intended to ex- tract one half-penny from Stella. For they say that you must never "give" things which cut, in case the gift cuts friendship. That was all right for the Christmas pre- sent, but what about the birthday gift?

3

And then he noticed the escri- toire in the window of the second- hand furniture dealers. It was fine old piece of highly-polished oak, and even on that dull morn- ing little focuses of light gleamed on its surface. What made him stop and look twice at a piece of furniture he could not afford to buy is one of those everyday my- steries of life.

The thought came to him that if he could only buy it Stella would have it in her own room and think of him every time she sat down to write her letters. Utterly be- yond his wildest dreams of fin- Good ance. of course, but the Fairy, straight out of one of the old tales, happened to be passing unseen and flicked our young friend with her wand.

Inspired by the magic touch he walked in and inquired the price in the large manner of one who can afford to be careless about money. The long-nosed dealer eyed him superciliously.

No, he was welcome as a friend, but-he lingered lovingly over this useful little word--no engagement, at least not for the present, The the hills, as situation as old as

"Twenty-five pounds," he said. Care you see, and as new as the latest That's a very ine piece. 14

evening paper to out of the sale of effects of the edition of an

late Sir Oswald Brending, each such pathetic pair of lovers.

the Christmas came. but although shipping magnate."

Norman just saved himself.from laughing aloud.. Then the Good Fairy touched him again with the ` ́ wand which works miracles.

"Look here," he said, "I haven't got £25, but: I'd like that.escri- toire. What about 10s, down and 103. n weeks until the payments end? I can give you the usual re- ferences."

The dealer. scratched his head. He had had that escritoire on his hands for longer. that: he cared to think. Driven to bargain he would have taken £10 for it and beca content with only a small profit.

"All right," he said, "I'll take that. I've seen you about here # lot. I know your address and I know who you are. I'll get you to sign a form and I'll give you a receipt for your first 10s. The man will be back in a few minutes, and I'll send it round at once,"

Norman followed the man at a distance, saw him deposit the piece of furniture at its destina- On tion, sighed and went back. his way he took out a cigarette. Then he thought twice, sighed again, and put it back in the pac- ket. Couldn't afford to be rash with

He would cigarettes now. smoke another in two hours' time. make it last 20 minutes-he had found that he could do that!--and start another one two hours after- wards

On the Christmas night he was bidden to a party at the Link- have Jaters. The parents could done without him and not suffer- ed in consequence, but had to ask him for Steila's sake. It was only that he went. for Stella's sake She came out into the hall while he was taking off his coat, and frowned at him.

"You're a very bad lad!" she said.

"I know," he answered lightly. That's what makes me so attracTM tive. These very good men are all very well in their way, I suppose, but they're awfully dull. No ging- er."

"You know what I'm talking about."

"I don't as usual." "That writing-desk thing." "Oh that? Sorry if you don't

"Oh, darling, it was too sweet of you. But I'm angry because you couldn't possibly afford it."

"Been in my family for years. George IV gave it to my great- great-grandfather, who happened to be one of his favourites."

She laughed and then frowned. "Do you know what happens to wicked men who-er-don't tell (Continued on Page 23.)

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