Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-27

FOR an instant she thought it must
be part of the dream; an hnllucination.
haunt But no. There was mn
mistaking him; there was time TO look
well and truly at him as his punt made
It's away along on the offside of the pack
OF boats. back toward Henley Bridge
and the islands.
mat punt contained three extremely
cheerful looking young men in worn
Two Of them puntcd.
The third leaned forward baliny. His
PLACER was that Of the Old X. E,'s.
MS pipe stuck out between his teeth.
ana the sun blnzcd arrogantly golden
upon his uncovered head.
IN. yes. 1t was Harry.
ClOver's eyes fastened upOn that
cleaning head of his: they followed il
as he slid past, backed by the greenery
and roses Of the Henley bank. until
parasols and Panamas and awnings and
punt poles came between, and he was
swallowed up in that colored. ripping
cretonne Of the river crowds.
Then, again. Clover saw nothing
more of the crowds. the races. the OK,
citement and the stir.
1t seemed to her as IL she would
never see anything again but those
I shoulders leaning forward, that golden
matched head under sunlight, sliding
past, slipping away from her.
Harry! II only.
Meantime what about Carmichael
himself? He had not even seen his
wife. lie had been too much occupied.
And for the next three day he was
still occupied chiefly with that punt of
| his.
A striking contrast was she to the
two spick and span punts of the Hollis
party. No dazzle. cushions here. no
picnic contraptions from Asprcs. Just
an old tub of his pre-. war holidays
Carmichael had bethought himself of
her. early this summer: he had run
down to the boat house where she had
! lain Tor years forgotten. had found her
dilnpidated but water tight. and had
put her into commission again. She
| was now his summer home. \ couple
OF posts. stem and stern. could be
! erected in few minutes. II light ridge
polo lay in the slings. the canvas tent
| ing was neatly folded behind the locker,
and there was his roof. The dining
| room was amidships: its table q pair
Of boards. The Scullery was forward.
the larder an old hamper, and the beer
was kept cool by hanging it Outboard
|
full up ms gipSy's cart with oistOvr.
kettles. knit bags. rugs and blankets,
white -enameletl mugs. timed foods.
and terrier dOgs-but there werc three
striking enough looking men in it.
a Stag Party
For young 'Brien-rigAt hand Of
the great CoX-could have stocked n
wardrobe with his international caps.
His friend Henty, also Of the Air
Ministry. sport"d that proudest Of all
Henley badges. no matter how shabby
the old Lennder blazer and tie. As
for their ost--Carmichael's physique
had drawn plenty Of eyes besides thus"
of his wife as the punt passed.
In thos" days Carmichael thought Of
her both seldom and always.
That is to say, quite II lot Of his time
was still taken up by telling himself
that he had got over all that madness.
| That was why he had put the old
punt into commission. to fortify him
self with associations that dated from
, long before he had ever set foot in
the Office Of Mrs. Elphinstone Of Elphin-
stone Brothers. That old life Of swim
ming. pnnting. running in shorts along
the towpath and doing the washing up
| He was n bachelor. even il he wcrc
still a married man. He didn't want TO
marry anybody else. and. rs Ii" told
himself. that madness Of his was over
now.
That was why he had gone over to
Batterscn and had chosen from among
the lost dogs in that home Peter.
Of all terriers the most completely and
recurrently lost. lid his new wor.
SHIPPED master disappear for two min.
utes from his sight, Peter was lost
once more. Peter could lose himself
three times between Henley Railway
station and the Royal Hotel. Daily
Peter sought for death under the
wheeN Of motors or the jaws Of bigger
dogs. Forever was Peter in the way.
between Carmichacl's feet or stretched
out upon the packets of provisions.
Hourly Carmichael threatened to send
back to those pcopl" al l'attrrsea his
denlorabl" bargain. Without ono
glcam Of intelligence" was Prtcr--bur
he loved much. and at night h" lay
against Harry Carmirhaols breast.
"Out of the way. idiot. mutter"d
, his master now a> Peter blocked the
opening Of the smoky It'll" oil stove; he
grabbed the dog up bodily and pitched
him on TO the heap Of rugs and blnn-
kets that were the night couch Of three
men. This was now on tn" fourth day
oe the visit 10 him Of plenty and
OBricn: they were lun"hIng at their
moOrinG place just below the bathing
boxes. did that boy bring the cheese
and stuff, O'Brien:'
O'Brien looked up from the thick
sandwiches that h" was hacking int"
three. "lIc did. Coming "ver' 4
packet hurtled through The air. And
he fetched thesc------'' Another packet.
of envelopes tied round with string.
dropped into Carmichaels hand. LET
tiers. None for me or lIenty. You v"
all the luck. Carmichael.
Luck, indeed" grunted his host
who wants to waste the last day Of
Henley reading business letters: lie
stuffed the string wrapped bundle into
his blazer pocket and turned from the
stove, There goes Eton-good luck
Eton--'
Good luck--'' Here O'Brien in
terrupted himself in mid S hout. Il
say. look :" he exclaimed suddenly.
! "I'p there behind You, Carmichael.
| Ills friend turned, raised his head,
saw what had caught the other man y
glance first.
"pretty," exclaimed Carmichael in
tone as whole hearted as the gnz" Of
, Peters fond brown eyes. Looks top
! ping, doesn't shrt
For every face on the river was now
turned to something that hung like an
elongated soap bubble: faint and fairy
! like, as if a rod had been detached from
a crystal chandelier, against the blue.
| below. the river was bewld'r!ng
! Kaleidoscope OF the bobbing balloons OF
the massed punts. rcd fruit and grecn
! 4 A. Il 1 ; Ia