Show love joes oest ur urI Z- Z I U I l I E COSMO Author o of SCANDAL SCANDAL BLINDNESS lr tb b f w lirt A n Rational ti Pictured c ureA I I IX And when Beppo had arranged his famous scrambled eggs on the table he threw up the blinds drew ba back l the curtains and switched off the electric light By the the constant sound of a pitched high-pitched voice the presence of the bandage the sudden silences when he had appeared he knew that there was drama in tho tiro sitting room Life as he thought of ot it Christa Christi Sancta Dio life life life- Teddy Sherwood had reached the advanced age of 24 Tony was older than Regent street at 23 23 and Chrissie Chris- Chris sic sie was as old as Fulham itself at ather ather ather her won hard-won eighteen years But when food appeared and such food too that was the time for the pause Hence daylight the daylight the announcement the bow the flamboyant exit behind the scenes In the cold gray light of that April morning Chrissie's ballet skirt and Tonys Tony's queer man many colored colored clothes became more bizarre than ever They gave these two the appearance appearance appearance ap ap- ap- ap of belonging t lo to a a. circus which had drawn rawn up its pegs packed its tents into caravans faded faded faded fad fad- ed away into the early mist and left them high and dry The delicate coloring of Chrissie's Chrisie's face had also faded away It was now almost as white as the breast of a a. dove The strain through which she had been had m made de ner limp and tired but it had not succeeded succeeded suc suc- in taking out of her t e eyes ejes the glory of new life the joy jy of oC first love She had never ne been later in bed than 12 o'clock before 11 It was the sudden change from artificial light to that of truth and sanity that brought Sherwood Shel down from a high fever of f feeling to a flat subnormal He accepted his position on the sofa sMa to which Tony had supported him and lay stretched out with both han hands s over ove his face Luck of which he hear heart so much among the adventures s s 's of Jf his ac acquaintance acquaintance acquaintance ac- ac had gone dead against him And then Tony began to speak Teddy old man he said very simply and quietly I didn't know that you felt about Chrissie like this I didn't know how long youve you've been round with her or 01 that you'd asked her to be your wife It would have made a great deal of difference difference difference differ differ- ence in my behavior last night I assure you but none at at all alI In the way things have ha gone I cant can't ex explain explain explain ex- ex plain to you the fact that it was meant to come like this in any better better better bet bet- ter words than Chrissie has used I r can only say that but for our meeting through you she wouldn't be alive at this moment Ah that makes you take on a kinder expressio expression expression sio sion doesn't it And as to your idea that she shall look 1001 em up and prove me to be who I 1 am am all all right I agree She wont won't find that Im I'm the damned good fellow that you are worse luck but she will find that my fathers father's as honest as yours was Jot the name down Chrissie and the address its Jt's Stirling the Earl of Stirling Grosvenor square Of all men living he can tell you tho the worst of me and will Stirling lit's its it's a good good name and a good word But somehow when I Ivas was vas born they forgot to put in the gold And Andas Andas as to your charge that I haven't asked Chrissie to marry me that's true old man I 1 I took it that that went without s saying where f such uch a girl as ass she Is' Is s' s concerned But so soth th that t you shall have the satisfaction of knowing that I Intend to play the game this this' time as you would In the same circumstances and it couldn't be played better than that I now beg Chrissie Chrissie- he rose and stood In front of her still very simple and quiet quiet to to do me the hon r to be become become become be- be come my wife and tal take e the only thing Vie Ive got to give her my everlasting everlasting everlasting ever ever- lasting love Oh didn't I say he was the only bloom bloomin In gent Ive I've ever struck And nd wit With h hm his ha hands still over his face afraid to look in utter desp despair ir x i L u y heard a little cry a little rush and a kiss that Ins he would have given his soul soui to win In PART II After the War WarI WarThe WarThe WarThe I The officer who rose to his feet as the waiters left the room was a squadron commander in the royal air force He was a man of about 38 wearing a line of ribbons and his round face was still boyish in spite of his long service and many wounds Although he had been an actor before the war well known in London for the portrayal of those brusque precocious and argumentative argumentative argumentative young old men whom Shaw had found so useful in the exploitation exploitation exploitation tation of his irrepressible ideas it was vas obvious to all lI his brother of officers officers officers of- of that he welcomed the opportunity opportunity opportunity to steady his voice which was afforded by a volley of cheer cheer- ing It was an emotional occasion and the fact could not be hidden even by the most hardened case flying man among the large bo body y or diners They were in fact wearing wearing wearing wear wear- ing uniform for the la last t time that night He took off oft his wrist watch and put it on the table In front of him Mm He pushed his half-empty half glass back and herded together a collection collection collection tion of walnut shells with a hand that insisted on trembling Then Thon with his chin tilted at a rather aggressive aggressive ag ag- angle and one side of his Ills mouth twisted into a nervous smile he wai waited ed for silence with that affectation af df- of slight surprise which had become familiar to his admiring ing audiences in the off far-off days of peace With a few differences in his uniform he might have been in Arms and the Man Ian again Gentlemen he said finally in a aloud aloud aloud loud and resonant voice This then is the end I dont don't mean of war which we were not permitted to finish owing to the craving of the politicians to get into the lime lime- light But of us Our day is over We Ve are out From tonight we e join the ranks tanks of oC the swelling army of the unemployed Those few oil us have been practicing every known trick since the armistice in Older order to get out of uniform may thank whichever they like of or tile the numerous gods that have been dragged into this scrap The others others others oth oth- ers and among them I are going to leave the service that we have done our best to bring to efficiency without the slightest joy There was a sharp burst of ap ap- He glanced all about him with an eye trained to read the faces of the people out in front In this case they were wele for the most part young faces those of or beardless boys but buton buton on on them all were stamped the lines of physical strait strain here and there thereof of great suffering and here and there ther of fear teal Every eye was fo- fo cussed upon the speaker every head strained forward Silence followed the almost unanimous approval of his statement like the letting down of a shutt shutter r. r The second of my reasons for stating that we face demobilization with sinking hearts is personal It Itis Itis is is however almost equally grave and it affects every everyone one of us UI in inexactly inexactly II exactly the same degree Flung into the street tomorrow what are we going to do Are Aree we e like so many of the men who have shaken off oU mud and blood and crawled out of the trenches to throw ourselves angrily on the country and demand to know what it is going to do for forus us cry us-cry cry out that we are some of those who prevented the enemy from rom spoiling our homes and ask to tobe tobe tobe be kept in return returns return's Or what How Howare Howare Howare are we going to live How are we going to keep our heads above water water water wa wa- ter As expert flying men most of ys vs dragged out of school before we hap hail the chance to finish with books the rest looking round to see the jobs we occupied before we Joined up now filled by other men what are we fitted for The only one of us so far as i 1 can find out who has received an offer of work is a awing awing awing wing commander whom we love passing the love of a brother I I mean Stirling Fortescue the greatest greatest greatest great great- est officer and the best fellow Tonys Tony's lips Ups went tight and his eyes glinted as every man in that room sprang to his feet and yelled It was a roar that must have been heard as far away as Charing Cross and as it went on and on like the heavy waters of a cataract he hoped that It might float into the window of the rooms in Panton street Haymarket In which he had installed that afternoon I And you will be duly Impressed impress d dand and full of congratulations wI when en itell I 1 Itell tell you that he has been given the opportunity so exactly fitted to his worth and services to his country of playing the cornet in an officer offices s street band The heavy sarcasm of this announcement announcement announcement an an- fell like a bomb and an involuntary groan rose up There was a moment of utter silence si silence silence si- si lence during which it was seen that the squadron commander was making makIng making mak mak- ing a great struggle to be able to speak his final words without breakIng breaking breaking break break- ing down under his deep emotion Gentlemen of the royal air force which dies tonight in this room 1 hope to God with everything that may be decent in my soul that we WI shall never forget each other or the service to which we belonged We Ve Weare Weare are out over and up against it One fight is ended an and another begins We shall shaH do our damnedest each one of us to play the game as befits befits befits be be- fits the uniform that we discard to to- to night If we have the luck to find finda a new job whatever it H may be lets let's work as we have always worked And if we have to starve until something comes along lets let's starve In the manner of the tIle R. R A. A F. F Tony will play the cornet like a ll gentleman gentleman gentleman gentle gentle- man I shall hang about the old stage doors with my chin tilted and you I know it ft will keep your our tails up through thick and thin i And then with a white dead face I he stood at attention with shoulders shoulders loUI 1 ders squared and In a i voice that was almost out jut of control began to slug the first bar of the national rational anthem On their feet in a like manner every man present gave tave voice most n st faithfully God save our gracious king Long live our noble king God save To be continued d. d. d Copyright 1925 by Cosmo Hamilton Ham Ham- ilton |