The evening world., 1914-07-27


y sleep7"
and broke into a smile that made a
Toye opened his dark eyes for once.
us that SO? No. never heard that"
said he.
You hear II now. He did all that,
indirectly. and don't care who hears
me say so. DIDN'T realize II at the
time. was too young, and tho whole
thing laid me out too fiat; but know
1t now, and I've known II long enough.
1t was worse than q crash. II was
a scandal.
That was what finished us of, all
but Henry Craven! There'd been n
gigantic swindle-special investments
recommended by the firm, bogus cer.i-
ficates and all the rest Of It.
I'VE were all to blame, Of course.
Ny poor father ought never to have
been business man at all: he
should have been a poet. Even II
was only a younyster In the ONCE,
but ought to have known what was
going on.
But Henry Craven did know. He
was In It UP to the neck, though a
fellow called ,Scruton did the actual
job. Scruton got fourteen years
and Craven got our old house on the
river!"
And feathered 1t pretty weli!" said
Toye. nodding. "Yes. l did hear that.
And I can tell you they don't think
any better OF him. in the neighbour
hood. for going to live right there.
But how did he stop the other mans
mouth. and-how do you know"
Never mind how I know" said
Cazalet. "Scruton was a friend Of
mine. though an older man; he was
good to me, though he was wrong 'un
himself. He paid for it-paid for
two-thAt can Say! But he was en-
gagged to Ethel Craven at the time,
was going to be taken into partner
ship on their marriage. and you can
put two and two together for your
self"
did she wait for Hmm"
about as long as you'd expect OF
the breed! She was her fathers
daughter. I wonder you didn't come
across her and her husband"
Il didn't see SO much Of the Craven
crowd" replied Hilton Toye. II wasn't
stuck on them either. Say. Cazalet
wouldn't be that old man whom Scrul
ton comes out. would your"
But Caxalet showed that he could
hold his tongue when he liked. and
his grim look was not 10 legible as
some that had come and gone before
This one stuck until Toye produced
a big mask from his grip and the talk
shifted to less painful ground. 1t wal
the last night in the Bay of Biscay
and Cazalet told how he had been In
1t fortnight ON his way out by sail
ing vessel.
He even told It with considerable
humor. and hit of sundry passen ger,
OF ten years ago as though they had
been aboard the German boat that
night: for he had gifts of anecdots
and verbal portraiture. and in theil
unprecedented cups Toye drew him
out about the bush until the shad.
ows passed for minutes from the red.
brick face with the white brick fore.
head.
II remember thinking I would dig
for gold" said Caxalet. That's al
know about Australia: that and
bushrangers and dust storms ant
bush fires! But you can have adven.
tures Of sorts II you 20 far enough
up-country for 'em; 1t still pays vol
to know how to USE your fists ou
there. l didn't. but was picking Il
UP before I'd been out three months
and in six was as ready as anybod,
to take OF my coat.
II remember once at q bush shant,
they dished UP such fruity chops tina
said I'd fight the cook II they'd sent
him up; and I'm bowed II It WASH
a fellow I'd been at school with ant
worshipped as no end Of . swell q
games! Potts his name was. oil
Venus Potts. the best looking chal
. In the school among other things
and there he was. cooking carrion a
twenty-five bob a week.
Instead of fighting we Joined forcei
got burr-cutting Job on a good sta
: ton. and after that wormed my wa
in as bookkeeper. and my pal becam
one of the head overseers. Now we'r
: our own bosses with a share in tn
] show. and the owner comes up onl
, once a year to see how things ar
looking"
II hope he had daughter" sal