1948-12-18 — Page 5

Twas Christmas Eve, and. the family circle of Luko Steflink, Esq., was aglow with the amiability and random mirth which the occasion do manded. A long and lavish dinner had been partaken of, walts had been round and sung carols, the house-party had regaled itself with more caroll- ing on its own account, and there had been romping which, even in a pulpit reference, could riot have been condemned as ragging,

black

In the midst of the general glow, however, there unkindled cinder.

WAD оло

Dertio Steffink, nephew of the aforementioned Luke, had early in life adopted the profession of ne'er do-weel; his father had been some- thing of the kind before him. At the age of 18, Bertle had commenced that round of visits 'to our Colonial'

In fact a more careful and willing traveller would have already begun to think about his packing.

THE HONGKONG, TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER: 18, 1948.

BERTIE'S

CHRISTMAS EVE

opportunity for "throwing the young people together," and ña such sho welcomed it..

Mr Horace Bordenby, was a young man -- with quito substantial prospects, and' he had danced with Beryl at a local subscription ball times to à sufficient number of warrant the authorised inquiry on the, part of the neighbours whether "there was anything in it." Though Hence Bertie was in no mood to: Mrs. Stenk would not have put shared share in the festive spirit which it in so many words, the resentment smouldered within him that on this night the beast might displayed itself around him, and the idea of the Russian peasantry at the cager, Kalf absorbed dia sprak

the plans for cussion of social coming months which he all sides. Beyond depressing his uncle and the family circle generally by singing "Say au revoir, uncle and not good-bye, "he had taken no part in the evening's conviviality.

in

LLEVEN o'clock had struck some half-hour ago, and the eider

to Slefinks

throw begaa

out suggestions leading up to that pro cess which they called reliring for the night.

4

"Come, Teddio, it's time you were, in your little bed, you know," sold. Luke Steink to his 13-year-old con.

That's where wa all ought to possessions, to seemly and desirable be, "said Mrs Steink

in the case of a Prince of the Blood, suggestive of insincerity, 50

"There wouldn't be room, "said in Bertie.

a, young man of the middle-class.

The remark was considered to border on the scandalous, every body ato raisins and almonds with

Industry nervous

sheep feeding during threatening weather.

tho

He had gone to grow tea in Cey lon and fruit in British Columbia, and to help sheep to grow wool žri Australia. At the age of 20 he had Just returned, from Bome similar errand in Canada,

"In from which it may be gathered that the trial he gave to these various experiments was of the summary drum-head

nature.

Luko Steffink, who fulfilled the troubled role of guardian and deputy-parent to Bertie, deplored the parsistent manifestation of the homing Instinct on his nephew's part, and his solemia thanks earlier in the day for the blessing of re- porting a unlied family had no re- Rarenco to Bortie's return.

Arrangements had been promptly made for packing the youth off to a distant corner of Rhodesia, whence return would be a difficult, matter; the journey to this

un inviting destination was imminent,

of

Russia," sald Horace Bordenby, who was staying in the house as a Christmas guest, "Tvo read that the peasants bellova that if you go into a cow-house or stablo at midnight on Christmas Eve you will hear the animals inlk. They're. supposed to have the gift of speech at that one moment of the year."

"On, do let's all go down to the cow-house, and listen to what they've got to

exclaimed say," Beryl, to whom

anything was thrilling and amusing if you did it in a troop.

Mrs. Stefnk made a laughing protest, but gave d virtual consent by saying "We must all wrap up well, then." The iden seemed a scatterbrained one to her, and al- most heathenish, but it afforded an

The

...

cow-house stood at the Junction of the garden with a small paddock, an isolated survival, in a suburban neighbourhood, of what had once been a small farm.

Luke Steffink was complacently proud of his cowhouse and his two cowe; he felt that they gave him, a stamp of solidity which no number of Wyandottes or Orpingtons could Impart. They even seemed to link. him in a sort of inconsequent way with those patriarchs who derived Importance from their Boating capi- tal of flocks and herds, he-asses and aho-asces

to

tas

In the general glow, around the Christmas hearth of Luke Steffink, Eng, there was one black unkindled cinder....... and that

his nephew Bertio. But it was the happiest | Christmas Eve Bertie had ever spent. To quote his own words, he had a rotten Christmas!

BY

'SAKI'

-(H.' H. Munro)

down--is

It had been

an anxioun and "Daisy-the one lying momentous occasion when he had by a shorthorn bull out of a decide definitely between Guernsey .cow," announced Luke in "the Byre" and "the Ranch" for a hushed voice, which was in keep- the naming of his villa residence.ing with the foregoing impression.

A December midnight was hardly. the moment he would have chosen 'for showing his farm-building to but since it was a fine visitors, might, and the young people were for a mild anxious for an excuse frolic, Luke consented to chaperon the expedition. The servants had long since gone to bed, so the house was left in charge of Bertie, who scornfully declined to stir out on the protext of listening to bovine. con- versation.

66JE must go quietly," said Luke, as he headed the procession of giggling young folk, brought up in the rear by the shawled and hooded figure of Mrs. Steffinic; "I've al- ways laid stress on keeping this a quies and orderly neighbourhood.""

It was a few minutes to midnight when the party reached the cow... house and made its way in by the light of Luke's stable lantern. For a moment everyone stood in silence, almost with a feeling of being in

church.

"Is she?" said Bordenby, rather as if he had expected her to be by Rembrandt.

"Myrtle la

Myrtle's family history short by a little scream women of the party.

was cut from the

hall-door closed with a deflant bang,

A neighbouring clock struck the hour of midnight. If the cows had received the gift of human speech)

at that moment. they would not have been able to make themselves

heard. Seven or eight other volees went echoing up the garden path; household retainers had yielded a were engaged in describing Bertie's two of the revellers gave an im- rich spoll of tin trumpets, rattles present conduct; and his general character at a high pressure of by executing the staircase waltz up

promptu performance on the way and drums. excitement and indignation.

the terraces of what Luke Steinke: The Ufe-story of King Wençesine called his rock-garden, hitherto, with some justificailon, had been dropped, Luke part of it was sill there, when the intensely irritating for the chilled The rock thankful to notice, but it was waltz had been accorded its third prisoners

. . . !

In the course of balf an hour or so everything that it was permissi- Ble to say about Bertle had been sald" some dozons

of times, and encore. other topics began to come to tho front the extreme mustiness of the cow-house, the possibility of

it Luke, more than over like a catching dro, and the probability cooped hon behind the cow-house of it being a Rowton House for the bars, was in a position to realise vagrant rats of the neighbourhood. the feelings of concert-goers umbla And, sul no sign of deliveranco

to countermand the call for an desiro came to the unwilling vigil-keepers. encore which they neither

nor deserve.

in the cow-house to be told that it was "a hot time in the old town tonight," together with tomo accurate but --entirely superfluous information as to the imminenço of. Christinas. morning. Judging by the protests which began to shouted from upper windows of neighbouring houses, the centi- ments prevailing in the cowchouso were heartily echoed in other quarters.

The hall door closed with a bang on Bertie's guests, and the sounds of merriment became faint and The ravellers found their car, and muffled to the weary watchers at what WON mora remarkable) the other end of the garden. Pre- managed to drive off in it, with i sently two ominous popa, in quick..parling fanfare of tin trumpetr succession, made themselves dis- The lively beat of a drum, disclosed finetly heard.

the fact that the master of the fever remained on the reane.

TOWARDS one o'clock the sound of rather boisterous and undisciplin- ed carol-singing approached rapidly and came to a sudden anchorage, apparently just outside the garden gato. A motor-load of youthful "bloods," in a ligh state of con- viviality, had mado a temporary halt for repairs; the stoppage, how-

ever, did not extend to the vocal efforts of the party, and the watchers in the cow-shed were treated to a highly

Moselle," said Luko hopefully, unauthorised rendering of "Good King Wenceslas," in which the adjective heard. "good" appeared to be very care- lessly applied.

The noise had the effect of bring- ing Bertie out into the garden, but he utterly ignored the pale, angry faces peering out at the cow-house window, and concentrated his at- tention on the revellers outalde the gale.

"Wassail, you chapal" he shouted.

"Wassail, old sport!" they shouted

The cow-house door had closed noiselessly behind them and the key had turned gralingly in. tho lock; then they heard Bertic's volce pleasantly wishing them good back. night and his footsteps retreating along the garden path.

Luke Steink strode to the win- dow; it was a small square opening of the old-fashioned sort, with iron bars let into the stonework..

•

"We'd jolly well drink y'r health, only, we've nothing to drink it in.”

"Come and wassall Inside," said Bertie, hospitably, "I'm all alone, and there's heaps of wel?”

but

"They've got at the champagnel" exɑlaimed Mm Stelink.

"Perhaps

It's tho

sparkling

Three or four more peps were

"Tho sparkling Steflinic.

champagne Moselle,"

and the Bald Mrs

Luke which, like brandy in a temperance uncorked nn expletive household, was only used on rare had been making emergencies. Mr Hornco Bordenby use of similar expressions under his breath for a considerable time past. The expori- ment of "throwing the young people together" had been prolonged beyond a point when it was likely to produce any romantic result,

"Bertie!" came in an angry, in ploring chorus of shouts, one screams from the cow-house "win" dow.

"Hullo," cried the owner of th8 name, turning his rather

crrant stops in the direction of tho summons; "are you people: __still thero? Must have heard everything cows, got to say by this time. ⠀ . you haven't, no to waiting. After, it's a Rusalan legend, and Russian Chrismush Eve not due for nether fortnight. Better come out."

tempts he managed

After one or two'ineffectuat

to pitch the key of the cow-house door in through the window. Then, litting his voice In the strains of I'm afraid to go home in the dark” with a lusty drum accompaniment, he led the way back to the house: The hurried procession of the released that followed in his steps came in for a good dosi pr ho adverse comment that his exuberant

display had evoked..

COME forty minutes later the hall door opened and disgorged a crowd that had thrown off any rea- traint or shyness that might have in- "Unlocks the door this instant," be They were total strangers, fluenced its earlier actions. Its vocal shouted, with

moch air of his touch of kindness mado them efforts in the direction of carol: menacing authority as a hen might instantly his kin. In another moment singing were now supplemented by It was the happiest ⠀⠀⠀- Chrisimod asstime when screaming through the unauthorised version of King Instrumental music, a Christmas Eve he had over spent. To quote the bars of a coop at a marauding Wesceslas, which, like many other tree that had been prepared for the his own words, he had a rotten hawk. In reply to his summons tho scandals, grow worse on repetition, children of the gardener and other Christmas..

នថ

ו : : - -

Santa Clans Confesses

This is where I get all

my choicest Christmas gifts"

THE DRAGON SEED CO.LTD. THE DRAGON LIGHTCO.,LTD.

37, QUEEN'S ROAD C, TEL. 32101 27402

HONG KONG

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