Show I One Wonderful Week Meek E by C S Forester by Dobbs Merrill MerrUl U Co C THE STORY Harold Norman ge an nn or- or orphan or orphan phan lives with his bli aunt great creat Matilda who r l him Ather At her death he find himself elf penniless At the tir clo clou e of the th war he h gets get work In a bank Taking a D mes- mes mc na aae to Marjorie Clarence Clarenc he finds her father lather In the throe of delirium tremens Harold I bad bad- badly badI bad badly I ly bunged up In trying to Quiet the old man Harold promises promise to take Marjorie Into the th country next nest day CHAPTER III-Continued III Ill Continued 9 9 The hall looked different All the wreckage had been cleared away and the uprooted tiles even the llie broken ones had been put back neatly The fhe bare bare IV wept appearance of the empty hall struck cold as though It tt were ere the hall ball of an unoccupied house Miss Clarence ushered him In and nod Indicated a chair but as she continued to stand hands clasped Harold stood also lIe felt a awkward akard k ard and ungainly Miss Clarence waited for him to speak I thought I Id d I call began Harold what a s way to begin with a girl chose hose father had kicked him In the eye the night before but the situation seemed to clamor for form I I thought Id I'd call cill and see how bow Mr lIr Clarence was getting on Has He lies s better thank you ou said call Miss Clarence They took him to the bo this tills morning I Im m glad of that said Harold Do Do you think they will keep him there very ery long Not e exactly artly the best way he could have e e expressed himself A little color showed In Miss lIss Clarences Clarence's pile cheeks checks Only a few dU days 5 said she Icily ies les es said Harold There was nothing else he could thing to say Im going to stay with Ith my aunt volunteered Miss lIss Clarence Ive Ive I've just finished packing my things My y ba bag s 8 upstairs Then silence for another minute Ashford road rond said Harold Urn tim timidly idly les 1 es Lr-hadn Lr Lr hadn t I 1 better carry It there for tor you It Its s rather a journey and no DO bus convenient cOD Harold lInold never neer ne er knew how or why he said this tills Yet Is was obviously In inevitable Inevitable evitable I It it would be very Cry good of or you ou Are I you sure you OU dont don't mind mind-it mind Its s not too I much trouble said Miss Clarence There was almost a hint of ot a thaw In her manner or Of Of course It Isn't Shall I fetch the Ule brig Ing dot do down don n a Oh no Miss Clarence went to fetch It It To both of or them at the moment It seemed Indelicate for tor a young man to go to toa toa toa a young womans woman's bedroom ho hoe however e eer er Innocent the errand Last night seemed forgotten Soon boon oon Harold heard her put down the suitcase In he hall and she appeared In the doorway with her hat and coat on I m ready reidy she said and Harold wordless put Jut on his hat and picked up the suitcase e Wordless i s they started on their mile mile- mile long long walk valk toward Ashford road They had crossed Stanley terrace and were on the common I 1 I ct tt s sit down don do n said Miss Clarence suddenly low lon must be tired of drag dragging dragging gln ging that great heavy y bag all this way So they sat on a deserted bench benchan an I contemplated the setting sun I 1 in going to Auntie Mabel s said Miss Clarence gloomily and as though to herself I w went ent there this tills after afternoon afternoon noon to tell her about and ask If 1 I might ht And of or course she said yes s She Slie was glad In tact fact he be because because cause she Bhe thinks that now Mow she shell 11 be beable beal able alilE le to save e my m soul She wants to save e it It Aw Arid I 1 shall have hn to stay there for weeks eels and weeks perhaps I hate liate Auntie Mabel abel and Uncle George I hate the way they talk about father rather I wish fish Ich you iou J ou hadn't made me go 0 here I Id d have hae ha e been quite happy at home really I would mould I never did said Harold I I 1 I er languished for a mo mo- moment moment ment meat All the commonas common was as a n frowzy fro tangle of waste taste paper and ragged children I I hate this common too said Miss Clarence Auntie label Mabel nO and Untie George think Its It's One fine to live noir ner a common but common but this one ones s got newspaper littered all over o It It I tun basen en t H Kin n real country for months and months Take me out Into the country tomorrow Its It's Saturday The Tue countr said Harold vaguely lIe He knew little About the country and he certainly thought It inconceivable able that anyone should pay railway fares for tor the thc privilege e of seeing It IL It lIe He had never er done so himself es 1 es he he countr country Oh do do Say you will riser before had favors been be begged bed of or Harold by a woman woman-espe- woman by n a woman with the time face of a achild achild achild child and amid bl big tragic eyes ekes es and a little hand that fluttered astonishingly ly near his arm All AI that held him back bad VIas tas washl his Innate con conservatism and fear ot of the unknown lIe He Ind hd never ne taken a girl an especially hue especially especially not Dot to the country which h lie he had only seen licen with time the 0 T C C Miss lIss Clarence larence must have seen time the struggle Jle on his ills face race for her lips parl d In a 8 little smile display displayIng displayIng In Ing he r white teeth r er o h i she she- ht- ht pleaded s of course I-I I I I moan mean I should I I I be very ery pleased Harold wondered what on earth he was supposed to say It was a new situation to him Oh 10 lovely ely said aId MI Miss s Clarence c e II 11 we Jo-we go we II ll what go-what go what time do you lell lelle e the office tomorrow One A least least- least Harold thought or of the neglected deposit le ledgers and arrears of work nork One One o 0 clock clod Then you 11 1 be home homent nt at half past So you can cnn call for me at two said the astonishing MI bliss Clar Clar- Clar Clarence Clarence ence and Harold old agreed In spite or of himself He lie was wis feebly drifting the stream strem Then I dont don't care how much paper there Is on the common said Miss Clarence And Auntie Mabel can tal tali about sin all the evening e and I won icare t i care We Wc Wed d better be getting gelling along there there she she added as an l tHarold t tHarold Harold picked up the suite ise lse and they proceeded to Ashford road The household of Mrs Irs Tilling alias Tilling Auntie was Mabel was of the kind that has hns to be seen before anyone will nd ad admit mit Its In this enlightened generation The sitting room windows were hung with dull red serge curtains ornamented t n with Ith pompons A heavy heny black marble le clock on the Imitation marble 0 n was as crowded Into I l r 1 CO cu t LT 1 f q t ti tri i f fI j I n ri nt s sI I Wordless They Started on Thelm Theil Mlle Mile Long Lone Walk Toward Ashford Road Its place by a host of calendars and photo photographs of ot gloomy people Most of the room was filled with a bulky table of Imitation mahogany and the remaining floor door space was occupied with lumpy ugly furniture Two T texts tests It It sounds Incredible but It Is per true hung true hung on the walls And It was as Immediately apparent thit the home life of the esta establishment It If It were able to boast any was carrIed on not here hero but In the kitchen It wis In here that Harold wa was ushered by Miss lIs Clarence He lIe had not even en ventured to protest n when then hen Miss Clarence at the thc gate had sug suggested that he should come In And yet that th grave e like room revived revised him It was ws like lILeo a breath of ot his youth to him Had not the sitting room of the late Great aunt auni Matilda been een similarly or- or ornamented ornamented or ornamented with texts tests Miss Clarence came back into the room with Irs Mrs Tilling vho tho was ns hur hur- hur- hur hurriedly wiping her hands on her soiled apron She was followed by Mr Ir Till Till- Tilling Tilling ing who seemed to be buttoning his It collar lt was Mr lining linings s evening e habit to sit In the kitchen collarless and In his shirt slee sleeves es Good e evening said Mrs Tilling extendIng a wiped hind hand Good evening young man said Mr Ir Tilling very very cry kind of ot you to bring the gel shag s hag Its Oh Oil er Its It's a pleasure gulped Harold ont on t J ou sit down Mr Ir said Mies Ml s Clarences Clarence s cool clear cleir voice olce no ho-er-no No o-er-no o er no I dont don't think so thank you Got a lot to do you know nut But you wont won't forget youre you're calling for me tomorrow will sill III your you said Miss Clarence No oh Cr-oh Cr oh no Tomorrow asked Mrs Irs Tilling Harold 1001 cd ed beseechingly ly at nt Mis Miss Clarence but she uttered never a word Yes I Yes er I thou thought ht perhaps Mis Miss Clarence would come out t with Ith me said Harold She can If she's done her work said Mrs Tilling Oh Ill I'll get Jet that done all right said liss MI 11 15 s Clarence ell clI see sniffed Sirs Mrs Tilling good Er-good Er good by then linen said Harold lie He shook hands nil all round again Mr Ir Tilling seemed to be meditating coming to the front door with him but Mrs Irs Tilling put out a red hand and restrained re him It n was as Miss Clar Clar- ClarI Clarence once ence ho came Instead She talked I I with Ith him to the gate lou lou ou had to come In you see she said They wouldn't ever eHr ha have hae e let me go 0 out with you If you hadn hadn't But hadn But ut now the they know yon you re respect respect- re respectable respectable able uble Harold receive the information Inform In silence then he bade Miss lIss Clarence a flustered flu good by But he felt hot bot In- In bide In-bide bide his ht collar He lIe had seen Mrs s gesture to her husband and he had been b en painfully aware of ot the interested scrutiny to which they had subjected bin hirt He lie was In their eyes a possible n possible n suitor probable probable suitor even en If an tUi undeclared one one- Ho tie had some somo kno I ue e of such matters The Th cur cur- current current current rent was taking him much too loo fast rast In Ina ina Ina a direction he bp did not at alt all want to take In ltv 1 h c even cn n now he be had not nerve enough to struggle Ie TO ne DE CONTINUED 1 i |