Show ur t 4 I fJ 0 ne f t l 71 1 Ir I If f I t tr ti i r 1 L i k ic J 14 m i f cr i iy y yI i I bi Q er r 11 W N H U t 1 4 Cot Co va n SI 3 v Cf Co rt et t I I THE STORY Harold Norman At an or- or orphan or orphan phan lives with his great aunt Matilda who reared him At her death ho ands himself penniless At the close of ot the war he gets work in a bank Taking a mess mes- mes s iga ge to Marjorie Clarence he finds finch ier ter rather father In the throes ot of delirium tremens Harold prom prom- promises Isea to take tahe Into the tho country next day CHAPTER IV 10 10 Saturday And so at tn two the Hie e on that Saturday afternoon two young people climbed Into a train at Morley Park North sta station tion bound for Cor the hinterland of or Sur Sur- Surrey Surrey Surrey rey The train hid h come from Lon London London London don and by the time It had stopped at two more stations It had disgorged nearly all Its passengers eners Miss Chr ence and were alone In their carrIage Ooh said Miss Clarence That's a r relief lIet She put her feet up on the opposite seat and too took off her hat end ind held It Iton Iton Iton on her lap Ive Ive I've got some buns for tea In my bag she she announced gleefully Bought ought them while I was wac out shop shoppIng shopping shopping pIng for tor her tills this morning Slip She and her work I She doesn t do halt half what she ought to do but she sties s always talk talking fag Ing about work I don t know how they can live in that pigsty 0 way v lY Harold was not talking lie was feeling worried and uncomfortable In Instead instead Instead stead lie He hid had just spent five chill shillIngs lags Ings on railway tickets to start with That was as appalling in Itself Then although Miss Clarence Clarences s announce announce- announcement announcement announcement ment about buns for tea slightly set tied his mind with regard to further expense on tint that account It brought no comfort to his Interior I or Harold had lunched that day da on buns already two two buns and ind coffee snatched before running for his train as the arrangements Miss Clarence had made clearly left no time for lunch at rell rel 1 v Ie lew And It was very Cry hot and he wis sleepy and cross lou sou ou re not saying much said Miss lIss Clarence Harold agreed apologetically I I don t think thInh there b s any need to tobe tobe tobe be sorry orry said Miss liss JI s Clarence It gIves me all nil the more chance cliance to talk talk ou lou sou can t think what a relief relle It is isto isto Isto to be able to and talk tall I don clon t totten toften toften often otten get et the chance but 0 when hen I do- do do Arthur used to sa a- a arthur Arthur asked Harold Arthur Norton Horton orton at the club lie used to say he hed d Ii h hi e l le t se e to oil i a word both sides ind nd then Or fire It out of n a gun gum If he wanted to get It In ell edg w sp Ice Really Reilly said cald Harold larold He lIe felt a queer pricking In his Ms lp c half hilf heard entirely for forgotten otten frn fragments o of gossip In club dres dressing ln rooms surged Into his mind So there had something bet o between een Norton orton and Miss and for some son son reason It Irritated him strangely ely 1 I u used ed to go goo out ss Ith him some some- sometimes sometimes sometimes times slid s Miss MIs I irence explanatorily explanatorily In to er er to the sexed eted o of his hie oice OICe tt e e a went to one I qI or two t 0 s hOs hO s to together ether tt h 1 it t station s q this Shy hy hy were ere newly ne uly there al alI already already ready Next ctt station st but hut one Miss Clar Clarence Clarence Clarence ence said Harold referring to the map p on the compartment wall nail all before them Miss Clarence said s JI Miss s r hr ence I calling me Ii Miss Hiss hr I I Id d nc Idea Idea- Idea C Everybody calls me Marjorie Urn Um said Harold Norton orton In Included eluded he supposed mentally And there was ac no felOn female Ie and never hId had been barring Great aunt Matilda s maids 0 with Ith whom hom he lie had e er e er been on Christian name terms Your Your name names s Harold said Mss JI s Clarence Isn Isn t It At least I now know It Is I looked It up on the member membership membership membership ship list But nut all nil the girls call cull you Mr rr I suppose that s because of your mu mustache tache Harold made no attempt to combat this rather ln 10 oh ed theorizing nut But Buthe Buthe he was s snoring Marjorie on his tongue n again ain mentally It was Quite eral several e eral hours since he be hid had done that thIt last Th The sta stations station's just round the corner said Marjorie breaking In on his thoughts I I know this tills bit so well I ILet's ILet's Lets Let's get t Cr es e eri ery tiling thing together She could not wait for to open the door she opened It herself hersel f fand and stepped out ut lightly and grace grace- gracefully gracefully fully before the train stopped Through the barrier up the lane Inne from the station to the main road two tiso hun hundred hundred hundred dred yards along ulong he he main road dizzy with Saturday afternoon s motor tr t traffic fic a n footpath and a stile to the rIght lis Miss Clarence Clarence- Clarence Marjorie seemed Marjorie seemed to know her way well weil I I 1 used usell to come this way with Ith fa father father titer ther when I was as as little she wellI explained I breathlessly All her grace and sweetness 8 seemed emphasized out here away from roofs roof and chimneys Harold trudged along beside her her tier bag In his hand and her coat 0 over oser er his arm he had no eye nor thought for anything e except for tor this thle frail delicious creature In her light frock at his bis side His Ula breath came II hea Fields slid said Miss lIse Clarence ecstatically ecstatically cally stopping short ut at the brow ot of the trill hill Harold noted non committal committal- committal ly ly to himself that they were Indeed fields hut hat they made no further im- im impression Im Impression on him All Ail he be could gh gl eIlls e his mind to was the hint of oC little teeth between Marjories Marjorie's parted lips III's as she stood and gazed her tier fill till Then they thoi tramped on The sun poured do down don n on them and Harold grew v re hot and sticky In his thick thich city clothes lIe He was as all ma cd and muddled mud mud- muddied muddled died marching like an ton autom through the thick thid grass There 0 were ere white hands too Hitting flitting about cool and inviting against the dark cJ b ground round of oC his muddled blackness bl of brain Shill v e 0 e re rest t a n minute asked Marjorie Harold understood that nil ail allright balm the words rIght the peace Rest peace seemed to 0 write rite themselves es on his bis ln br And white hands with cool palms Automatically he spread her ber raincoat out 0 over oser er the lush grass and sat beside it as she slie sank down upon It gratefully They were Cre Ju just t over the crest of ot the rise In a haven a aniche aniche aniche niche an eyrie an abode of ot peace And now I shall shall feed you with buns slid said Marjorie and added with witha a chuckle Just just like the bears bear She opened her big g and thrust buns fresh and spicy into II 11 irold shot s hot hands lIe He ate but he might as well hale ha been eating citing ambrosia or chewing gum for all the Impression It made on hIm bins She looked at him speaking for tor a minute her tier head on one side lour poor eye I she site said ely Can Cal you see cee out of oC If It t Oh yes said Harold He probably probably probably ably would ha have base e said the same If It he could not I I was bumped pretty badly too Marjorie I ook As naturally as a child chilli she lie pulled up her scanty frock and extended her le leg to his In- In In Inspection Harold Harolds s s swimming gage iced a slim knee and a mauve garter a round white thigh thIh with n a mottled vellow brul bruise e Higher up 0 was as the edge ede of her dress and peeping out beneath showed ell the edge some of-some of thing else Harold made no attempt to name It white silk with a n plain straight hem and drawn thread work worb just those ho hoe e the hem Plain and sweet and cool Its It's y ellow today said Marjorie l critically regarding the bruise It WitS was quite black blae yesterday She lie let slip her dress dres again ulIn lIar Harold old went ent on oi autom eating buns lIe was as so hot and mazy maz I And those hands Just 0 within reach roach were so cool and tiny and white The palms looked so soft and gentle Harold grunted Inarticulately reaching rc fore forn forward and ard and grasping one of those hands He lIe held It and for thin flip list filst time rinsed r his eyes l es meeting I s The were ere calm untroubled only faintly anxIous lust Just for one little second and then the they closed as H II irold nold pressed his Ills lips lipson lipson lipson on hers liers th tint that t scrubby little mustache of hIs on her ittle little upper lip Mustache or no Mar Marjorie Marjories jorie s lip ups clung to his and when he drew back Inck J a little scared red ho h looked ed Into her lier eves e cs and sa saw saV V that they were smiling und and happy Your lour poor e ey eve e I she said ald again and she rt ched up her arms to him rold lI felt their cool cl clasp p about his neck neel and she drew v his head down donn to her and kissed ed his Ills brul bruised ed eye e every e very very tenderly TO DB nE CONTINUED |