1940-12-19 — Page 79

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

The Escritoire

(Continued from Page 9)

tell the truth?"

some-

"Yes. They get kissed times. By the way you're standing right under that misletoe."

Stella considered the matter for a moment and the frown relaxed. "Quick, then, before somebody comes out," she whispered,

There was time for only 14 be- fore the handle of the drawing- room doer rattled. A mement der Stella was demurely helping him off with his coat

"It's in the kitchen" Stella re- marked in a blandly matter-of-

fact tone.

"What is Oh, that?”

"We haven't had time to carry it ups furs yet, ad a rather heavy."

"Th take one end Q4 Tommy Cowper to take the other He'll love helping me to calty upstairs an present I got for you.

Tomany Cowper, who feed himself a rival of Noman's, hated him accordingly.

"All right," said Stella with a little laugh.

"My room's on the left at the end. You can go right in. Everything's tidy. Shove it just inside the door where I can fall over it when I walk in."

“Right. And how are you going to manage then""

"There's linoleum on the Bor "How awful for the poor little toes!

"But there are mats, stupid, and once it's inside I can take the mats up and shove it where I want it. It'll slide about on linoleums."

"Right-o. Produce the bears. Oh rather, the bear. Young Tommy

They went into the small and over-crowded drawing-room. On the whole Norman's reception was about as chilly as an arclic explor- er might expect from an assem- ly polar bears. He was not populan with the young women, not only beause he was plain, but also became he was regarded a Stella's private property The youner the who were interested in Site Ha had reasons of then owa for dag hun witha de La citas Stel IMPs have aheady been mettered The wire estean pradati Y DIE NACON what that mentes,

Tony was presed into sere VIN ide wat wath

me

11

and dire

1:2

heather able than

12.5.

11 4 hith

Pas pol the baseV JAPAN furantea o trough the ball possige with a difficulty, and, coming to 18. Noman had the hind

the and Fatavier end. But from tuis point of apparent disadvantage he wens ble, by a sudden heave, to push his rival over,

Whynt Mr. Cow per had to say about this he was compelled to say 11 a whisper. It elicited the polite rejoinder: "I beg your par- don. I didn't quite hear."

They got the clumsy lump of furniture into Stella's room. On the singoth floorcloth it glided quite easily.

"A bit heavy," was Mr. Cow- per's gasping comment,

"A bit top-heavy, too. A child could shove it over. Still it'll be standing somewhere against the wall.

He woke late on the morning of Boxing Day, He had had a beauti- ful dream that he was chasing young Cowper round and round the Albert Memorial with a pick- axe. The trouble was that he couldn't catch him. But so many dreams are disappointing.

It was his landlady who roused him. Having bumped on the door and received no response except heavy breathing from within she opened it and called out:

"A young lady's called to see you:**

"Right-oh," said the partially awakened sleeper. "I'll have bacon as usual."

A young lady's called to see you. A young lady with a black eye, 17

-Norman sut up and stared. *"I don't know any young lady with a black eye," he said.

"Well, she says you do!" The landlady grinned. "It's your murky past," she said. "Oh, and she said as her name was Miss Linklater." „Norman's eyes becamo slightly. dünted.

"Miss Linklater?”

Yes, and she wants to see you

at once."

"But Miss Linklater hasn't got u

black eye,,

"She may not have had

one

when you saw. her last. But she's

got one now. A beauty!"

The worried young man wafted

ed a commanding Volec.

"But I can't dear. I haven't washed, shaved or dressed."

"I don't care. Come down your dressing-gown."

in

"But, look here" "Come down! Or must I come up?"

The thud of his feet on the floor the answer. The overcont Was

A towel passed across went on. his eyes. Slippers somehow found their way to his feet. He flip-flop- ped downstairs. Stella walted around the corner at the end. Then he recalled.

People who write stories often find themselves in difficulties when it comes to recording a plain fact. One would some times like to gloss things over, to handle a fact with clelicacy, to leave something to the imagination. But the kind of fact

SO

which is colled hard fact must be sinted bluntly.

Stella had a black eyel It was not just a slight dis- coloration which could be hidden and hushed up L bi speak by cream anic pow- der. It was a beauty. It was such who enster. as the pugilistic hác, tried to knock 'em in the Old Kent Round, so often takes home with what is left of his money Saturday night It was an eye which had to be seen to be believed. The adoring swain utter- ect Intle soft sound like the moaning of a dying pigeon.

"You needn't have minded about what you lookeci like," said Stella,

"But darling. How did who did

?"

"You did." "Mel" "With

that

blessed bureau thing. Shoving it just inside my room where I was bound to full over it when i came in in the dark.

I slipped on the floor-cloth and knocked. It over.”

He groaned.

23

"Well, try him. Anyhow, he's sure to be there sooner or later." He caught her to hirn anti-hug- ged her.

It was parchment as a fact. She handed it to him, and he read very beautiful handwriting which "Yes, I did, I knocked it over began with the words, "This is with my eye and part of my fore- this last Will and Testament of "Darling! This is wonderful," head. And I'm glad it was so top- me Oswald Brending (Knight). I "Yes. Let's keep it wonderful heavy, Else I shouldn't have had formally disinherit my son An- always. I don't suppose I shall any head left."

thony Brending, who has all that always have a black eye-unless "But, darling, we-I-never he needs and requires no more to you're cruel to me-but I shall get thought I'm so terribly sorry—a waste. I leave all in which I stand, old and ugly, you know-unless bit of raw stenk---"

possessed to my nephew Arthur I die first." Then her demeanoųr suddenly Brending, and charge him to see changed. She burst out laughing. that the grave of my dog Rufus She lung her arms around him is decked with a bunch of fresh and kissed him. He patted her flowers once a week." shoulders.

Norman read it and gasped. He "Never mind, darling. It won't wanted to exclaim something that be black very long. It will turn you or I might give voice to in jade-green, and then quite a pretty unmixed company.

But he only blue, and then pink, and after a said that he was "blessed"--which week or two it will be all right indeed he was. again, I know. I've had them at school."

Stella stood and laughter.

"You great idiot! Do you think I mind?"

"Don't

dar-

you understand, rocked with ling?" It was Stella, of course, who spoke. "There's a reward of £1,000 for anybody who can find that will. I read it in the "Tempus agony column months ago. You see, dear, the nephew knew the property, was his, but couldn't get it because the will couldn't be found and proved,”

People just roused from bed are milen a little dized. Norman blink- ed at her. He had heard of ladies in the East End who enjoyed hav- ang their eyes. blacked by their young men or their husbands, and regarded it as a mark of affection and esteem.

on a

What he said to her after that is of no particular importance to the tale. Anyhow, put yourself in his place. Then she went,

Muffled in an overcont,

+

half

washed and only partially dressed Norman rushed out to the nearest telephone.

By no particular coincidence Arthus Brending was in his chem- bers. He had to live in them be- cause he was poor. Also he was kept at work over the holidays through a low case in which he was interested. The six-minutes talk ended in a cordial invitation to "come up at once.”

Norman went up. He found a handsome youngish man smoking

a pipe in a stuffy room which might have had wallpaper some- eyes where concealed behind the books. Arthur Brending shook hands. thousand Then they talked. In fact three- quarters of an hour's conversation clapsed before anything of any real importance emerged,

He looked at her with which widened and shone,

"Then you're "Let's sit down a moment," she pounds!" said. "I've got to tell you. Then

"No, darling. You are, or rather, you can dress and I'll put some we are. If I had a thousand pounds more cream and powder on my my.stern parents would be even eye, and we can have a happy more ambitious for me. But if you day together.

When I knocked had a thousand pounds all objec- that treat over with my eye 1 tions to your happy union would seemed to have upset its internal arrangements. I don't know whe- ther it was my eye that did the trick, or the shock of the thing striking the floor. At any rate a spring got touched. You've heard

"Well, of course, I'm pretty hard

Arthur Brending. "I up," said don't mind 'robbing my cutisin it you call it that--because he's be removed. And although I hap- well off already. There won't be pened to find it-I, said the fly, any law case- there can't be--but with my Httle eye-you bought these things take time. Well, just the jolly old bureau, and gave it for the present I will give you me. And now, darling, here's the a formal acknowledgment, and I will, and you will kindly ring up can manage a hundred pountis Arthur Brending--barrister-nt- down-without hurting myself-if

that's any good." You know his

Was it any good? Ask them! Why, believe me, within two looked it up. Address days Stella was spending half her spare time looking in the windows "But he won't be there to-day." of furniture shops!

of secret drawers in the old furni- ture. Well, this was a tiny one, low-telephone.” hidden between two ordinary ones. "Good heavens! There was just enough room in it number!"

"Just for a paper folded up and pressed down. Well, that was just what Middle Temple." was inside it. Here it is."

DAR

The European Y. M. C. A. Amateur Dramatic Club

provedly presenta

Willum Thakespeare's Comaly

"Twelfth Night"

Душе

-What you will"

seith

Winnie Cox aɛ OLIVIA;

Nora Witchell as VIOLA;

Nan Moodie as MARIA; Ralph Dormer as MALVOLIO,

Charles Thom as SIR TOBY BELCH; Wim Kirby as SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK,

Rupert Baldwin as FESTE - the Jester;

David Ingleby as The DUKE;

supporteed by a complete cast of experienced and talented players

Performances will be given

Twelfth Night

ログレ

Monday, 6th January, 1941, at 9.15 p.m.

Wednesday 8th January at 5.30 p.m.

Thursday.

Friday, Saturday.

9th January at 5.30 p.m.

10th January at 9.15 p.m.

11th January at 9.15 p.m.

in the West Lounge Theatre, Y. M. C. A. Howtoon.

Bookings

can be made at

THE ANDERSON MUSIC COMPANY, ICE HOUSE STREET, HONG KONG,

Evenings

$3.00 $2.00

$ 1.00

Y. M. C. A. KOWLOON,

TICKETS

ALL

SEATS BOOKABLE -

Matinees

$2.00

$0.50

IN AID OF Y. M. C. A. CHARITIES AT HOME AND ABROAD."

his landlady away..

"All right. I'll call down the

stairs to her."

The landlady departed.

Nor-

man left his bed with a plomp and called..

'Hullo, Stella, whats the mal-

sema "Come down at oncell respond-