The midland journal., 1915-11-05

"Fiddlel" she cried. "But you're not
altered enough. Sweep, I'm disappolnt;
ed in you. Where's your beard?'
I had it of the other day always
meant to-" he explained, before the
end of the voyage wasn't going to
land like wild man of theswoods,
you know!"
Weren't you! call it mean"
Her scrutiny became severe, but
softened again at the sight of his
clutched wide-awake and curiously
characterless, shapeless SUIT,
you may well look!" he cried, de-
lighted that she should. They're
awful old duds, / know, but you would
think them wonder if you saw where
they came from
"Pm sorry to interrupt" said
Blanche, laughing. but there's your
taxi ticking up twopence every quar-,
ter of an hour, and can't let it go on
without warning you. Where have you
come from?"
He told her with a grin, was round
but brazened it out by giving the
smart young man a sovereign before
her eyes. After that, she said he had
better come in before the neighbors
came out and mobbed him for a mil
lionaire. And he followed her indoors
and upstairs, into a little new den
crowded with some Of the big old
things he could remember in very
different setting. But if the room was
small it had a balcony that was hard
ly any smaller, on top of that unduly
imposing porch; and out there, over
looking the fine grounds opposite, were
basket chairs and a table, hot with
the Indian summer sun.
Il hope you are not shocked at my
abode said Blanche. I'm afraid
can't help it if you are. It's just big
enough for Martha and me; you re
member old Martha, don't you? You'll
have to come and see her, but she'll
be horribly disappointed about your
beard!"
Coming through the room. stopping
to greet a picture and bookcase (fill-
ing wall each) as old friends, Caza-
let had deserted photograph of him
self with that appendage. He had
threatened to take the beastly thing
away, and Blanche had told him he
had better not. But it did not occur
to Cazalet that it was the photograph
to which Hilton Toye had referred, or
that Toye must have been in this very
room to see it. In these few hours he
had forgotten the mans existence, at
least in so far as it associated itself
with Blanche Macnair
THE others all wanted me to live
near them," she continued, "but as no
two of them are IN the same county
it would have meant caravan. Be-
sides, wasn't going to be transplant
ed at my age. Here one has every
body one ever knew, except those who
escape by emigrating, simply at ones
mercy on bicycle. There's more golf
and tennis than | can find time to
play; and I still keep the old boat in
the old boat-house at Littleford, be.
cause it hasn't let or sold yet. I'm
sorry to say"
so saw as passed." said Caza-
let 'That hit me hard!"
THE place being empty hits me
harder" rejoined the last of the Mac
nairs. Its going down in value every
day like all the other property about
here, except this sort. Mind where you
throw that match. Sweep! don't
want you to set fire to my pampas-
grass; it's the only tree I've got!"
Cazalet laughed; she was making
him laugh quite often. But the pam
pas-grass, like the rest of the ridic-
ulous little garden in front, was OBJ
scured if not overhEng by the balcony
on which they sat. And the subject
seemed one to change.
1T was simply glorious coming
down." he said. Il wouldn't swap that
three-quarters of an hour for bale of
wool. You can't think how every NOR
tai thing on the way appealed to me.
The only blot was a funeral at Barnes;
it seemed such sin to be buried ON
day like this, and fellow like me
coming nome to enjoy hlmself!"
He had turned grave, but not graver
than at the actual moment coming
down. Indeed. he was simply coming
down again, for her benefit and his
own. without an ulterior trouble until
Blanche took him up with a long face
of her own.
We've had funeral here. sup
pose you know"
Yes. know"
Her chair creaked as she leaned for
ward with an enthusiastic solemnity
that would have made her shrek If
she had seen herself; but it had no
such effect on Cazalet.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Hats and Faces.