1954-12-18 — Page 15

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CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1954

Margery Allingham, a reviewer has declared, could "Bat No. 1 for England in any crime fiction Test Match." Here she displays her skill in creating atmosphere atmosphere - for a murder theme. Mr Campion, favourite fiction

IR

Leo Persuivant,

On Christmas Day In The Morning

Silr Lea nodded hia white hend. "Horrible," he agreed. the Chief Constable, "Now, let me get this clear. The had been sitting in man appears to have been run

comfortable down bi B

Benham-Ashby study after a magnificent crossroads.

handful EL lunch and talking shyly of

of

白

By MARGERY ALLINGHAM

his

"

a Christmassy detective, appears

Loot down and says the what seemed a mile, only to here on the Ashby road, just

It was not a sordid room, yet They report other journey, over the stile and encounter a second sille and a the walls were unpapered, the before the bend.

plain plank bridge over a that they were almost run down so on, would have been

stream, furniture old, without being in followed wildly driven saloon

by a car impossible." by a

briof orch of anyway antique, and tile place *All of which would argue, what appeared to be simple bog. could hardly have been nt the

called which came up behind them.

"It misveri and carcored off observed Mr Camplon brightly, As he struggled out of it Pussy beat. But at the moment

met a car pushed back his drippng out of their sight round the "that the postman

hat was festive. There took Pussy

the and gazod came back from

was bolly the constable.

over the two pictures, and on "You're not having a game, the mantel the sadness of Christmas cigarettes from the box at his bend towards the crossing. But after he

them in oldo and arranged

few minutes later, half a mile cottage between the stile and

above the stove farther on, on the other side of the policeman's house."

suppose?" he inquired briefly, crowd DI while his guest, Mr Camross on the shining surface of

"Constable

"No sir, no." He pointed to cards.

bright Christmas "That's what the the crossroads, a police car met, pin. most favoured of his the table.

eyes A Pussy's black "Here is and succeeded in stopping, the thought." "Look,"

near distance. ho sald.

bump in the AS BOOT 18 large house party, had been

alight here was

saloon.

were snapping.

"Good Heavens!" Leo regard- the Ashby road with a

and the ho'd telephoned a row,

for help he ed its desolation with dismay. laughing at him gently.

bend in it and here, running at

wind getting the

up slipped down to the cottage to "Does anybody the driver,

rently right angles slap through

live suddenly, started up again, see it Nookes had called there.

there?" curve, is the Benham road.

"Oil skridded and smashed the car on

yes, sir, An old widow lady, Mrs Fyson's the name." the nearest telephone pole. The

"Alono?"

aghast. "How old?"

"I don't rightly know, Bir

Over seventy-five Quite old.

eyes

I was true, the younger man had admitted, his pale behind his sleepy horn-rimmed spectacles, that, however good the or- THIS morning the Benham postman, old Fred Noakes, anisation, the festival was

a bachelor, thank God, and a good hever quite the same after chap, caffio along the

middle-aged, but road loaded down with mail,"

Leo "OD bicycle," murmured then only dear old wou'd expect it to be, and, Camplon

site was

meanwhile, what a truly re markable bird that had

! וויויגן

But at that point the Superin- had arrived with hix tendent grim hulle story and everything had seemed qulle spoiled.

A! the

moment their visitor Sul

high-backed in a

chair. against a panelled wall festooned with holly and tinsel, his round black eyes hard and preoccupied Under a short grey hair

QUPERINTENDENT Pussy was

one of those lean and urgent countrymen who never quite lose their fondness for a genuine wonder. Despite years of ex- perlence and disillusion the ng what simply can't have happened and yet indubitably

pince A

in their

ind

retalus

He was holding forth about one now, I had already ruined bis Christmas and had kept a great many other people out in day, but nothing

the sleet all

would

induce him to leave

alone, even for five minutes.

The

plate of

...

"Naturally. On a bicycle. He

about

at the last farm before

of

Mir

must

man,"

Ho

WILS

a

THEIR hostess sat between them, near the table. It was set for a small tea party.

Leo pulled himself together. "I must apologise," he began, This is an Imposition on such a day. I...."

"Not at all," she said. "Oh, not at all. Visitors are a great treat. Not everybody braves my footpath in winter,"

car turned out to be stolen, and 667HEN he found he had, he scarched the road. He was there were four helf-full bottles "We

The two mystified though, because both gin, in the back.

WETU both fighting he and his missus had been at

be." occupants Benham

their drunk and are now detained."

window for an hour

Leo stopped in his tracks and off his watching for the mail, and they a slience fell on the company. took Campion

hadn't seen a spocincles and blinked.

vehicle of any

Campion broke the spell.

"But SOMI people do, of "You suggest that there was sort go by either way.

"Delinitely no walk for

course?" ventured Mr Campion do

a car did hit the postman dying he you?"

"If A connection, called

ho sald

fatuously. firmly. he Deli "Fred and the gin where

I must have "Doctor'a evidenco

"Of cours,** completely

She shot hirn the crossroads and left just murmured.

turned

back and gone

after convincing. don't you think? her shy smile. "Certainly. ten o'clock. We know drinkers met at the crossroads,

Any signs on the car wards,"

Now were here, perhaps we every week. "What should drop in

They send down Leo frowned at him. a cup of in fact.

and see the from the villaga every week, about the other witnesses? Did householder."

and only this morning a young they see any second car?"

man, the policeman to be exact, "As I see "No," said Pussy.

came all the way over the fields to wish me the compliments of the season and to know if I'd got my post."

"And you had." Leo glanced the array of cards with

Ho чуда

kindly, "If sentimental amily man with a

horror of loneliness.

Pusers.

DUSSY shrugged.

"Our chaps are at work

that now, ho

sald.

on

very

the He nodded to

EXQ shivered.

Buis at

he

She nodded at

that because he had len there. Then his way bed the crossing und on him over towards Benham proper."

Ite

Tooked up paused and

his shoul- it, It's a proper mystery, a kind

of not

"We can't all from his cigarettes.

nice miracle, and "There was very little traffic

those two beauties are going

get in," he objected, "Perhaps early today, terrible weather all

"The to get away with murder on the the Superintendent..

"No. You and I will go," Whatever our the

time, and

strength of it. quite a bit of

second

complicated fellows find smash has

was obstinale. activity later, so we've got nu

on the car they'll Campion a tit, but last timo

that all right with you, Super" reitet. Well, to things ukid marks to help us.

never got past the doctor."

Mr resume, no one seems to have phoned they were hopeful."

Camplon got up

Pussy waved them on sadly. "But my dear fellow!"* Sir chap,

have to dig for us we soc oid Noakes. poor

The sleet was beating on the you

shall be just about here," hour Leo was puzzled. "If you can close unnit

on half An

windows.

said cheerfully. evidence Ket

"I'm over my expert

of Chief Constable.

ankles now. What # "I fear we shall have to see Does anybody

place! Then the Benhum constable, collision between the car and

ever come here some three hundred the postman, your worries are

that

it gets footpath before

except the postman, constable?" yards from the crossing, on the

utterly dark, you know. In

Campion took Leo's arm and Benham road, came out of his

"That is, of course, 11 the this weather conditions may led him firmly round to the house and walked down to his

medical evidence permits the have changed by tomorrow."

front of the cottage. Leo hung the post was to see if

theory that the unfortunate

On Christmas back. Leo alghed. Kate

His repugnance was as coming

fellow picked himself up and day in the morning!" he quoted "He saw the postinan at once, struggled the

I hate this," he muttered. three hundred bitterly tape you're right parent as the cold.

their dreary "Go on, Knock if you must." lying in the middle of the road yarda

He was house," his machine. acrosa

Mr Journey at the Benham, police

Camplon oboyed. At dend then "

They Inspected the crossroads wide. and the bend and

the spot

aler

who lives

on ordering for him, were dis- put in Leo. appearing without him noticing

them, and

and soda stood untarted

at his

There waS

a

over

towards the

constable'r They

Pussy hesitated. "There' the trouble,"

*IF admitted.

that were

አዩ

2

the brave collection with deep affection.

"It's lovely to see them all up there again. It's one of the real joys of Christmas, isn't it? Messages from people you love and who love you-and all so pretty, too."

"Did you come down bright and early to meet the postman?”

station to pick up the constable, once the door was opened very was disarmingly innocent, but

to grler,

D

in,"

THE Chief Constable's question

who looked ashamed and dropped her eyes.

ut-

And then looking past morning.

tein fact, I was only just

there

all,

A little old woman stood be- we'd be sitting pretty, but it's where the saloon cer had come fore him. suggest he'd been try- turkey sand-Yusorry on, do you?" not, and I'll tell you why.

"Oh dear,"

she said

"I wasn't upl Wasn't wiches, which Leo had insisted

"In that three hundred yards

expectedly, and her voice was dreadfull 1. Wis late this "Yes He was walking, push- of Benham road, between the

stile the world was grey him at the skulking Leo: "Two the glass of scotch ing the bike, and had dropped crossing and the pot where old By the time they reached the friendly, you are damp. Come

Fred died, there is " his tracks. in

stle which

and freezing.

of you! Well, isn't that nice? picking the letters off the mat Down tho

Mr Campion negotiated the Mind your poor heade.

when the depressed fracture in the side leads to a footpath.

policeman the best part of

stile, and the Chief Constable

He helped me gather of his skull where something footpath,

milo over

"You'll have to all down at called. very followed struck quarter of a

There the nice bay. him with say

rough going, there is one small

some once," she said, laughing as she them, difficulty. It was an awkward waved them to two little chairs, were such a lot. I lay lazily letters cottage. and at that cottage climb, and the path below was "You must undo that," she in bed this morning, thinking of

It wound went on, touching Leo's coat. them instead of moving. narrow and slippery. morning.

out into the mist before them, "Otherwise you

may take cold

"Still you heard them come." "The doctor

"And Jay's Noakes apparently without end.

when you go out. It is so very Leo was very satisfied. might havo staggered the three

The

procession slid

But so scason- you knew they were there." and chilly, isn't it. the road ปท hundred yards

(Continued on Pugo 13) scrambled on in silence for able, and that's always nice.” leaning on his bike, but he puts

P

car mirror-had

"You run see I had to come at once," he was saying for the

"I had to, I don't him. Third time.

ve got the doctor's report. see what happened and that's inet It's sori of miracle. I'll show you that later. Mean- Besides," he eyed them angrily, while, there's something else."

Pussy's Anger moved to his "fancy killing a poor old pool-

morning! other line of cigarettes, Christmas

Un- "Also, just about ten, there That's Inbuman, isn't it? hatural."

were a couple of fellows walking

mac

on

were dolivered

this

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