Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-03-30

you might carry my box for me, II
that amt too heavy"
Billy's head swan. His fingers
opened. and feebly closed again. His
eyes bulged.
II was Aimee. Aimee in a black
coat over a print dress, and sensible
boots, Her bronze hair was drawn
straight back and plated into a re-
spectacle knob, her eyes were prefer
naturally solemn.
They passed Ou.. Billy took his
place at the wheel, Aimee seated her
self beside him.
"I1l sit here" she said s%erenely,
land you can tell me about the place
as we go. What's it like? They say
her ladyship is something chronic"
Billy glanced at her dazedly, and let
in the clutch. The transit of Stanhoe
was made at something over the
sneed limit. When clear of the town,
Billy gave the coughing Panhard a full
throttle and roared along the Jervaulx
road. He did not look at Aimee, who
was staring straight in front of her.
Billy switched the car down a narrow
lane, covered by overarching trees,
and stopped the engine. He turned to
face Aimee.
partner" he said, what in thun-
der does this mean?"
Aimee looked at him, and dissolved
into spasms of laughter.
"What do you think of it, BillyT'
she said. aren't l the complete Amy
SnoOks?"
at don't goi" said Billy, almost
fiercely. LET me in on this. What
have you been doing?"
"When you left me this morning,
remembered something positively aw-
full. Dad was coming here this after
noon-at five o'clock"
Billy whistled with dismay.
''The police business had driven 1t
right out of my head. And l couldn't
consult you. 1 thought the only
thing was to get to Scroope Towers
and try to put 1t right. | knew there
was a train about ten at Stanhoe, and
I started for the station. But l never
got there"
'Thank the powers you didn't y said
Billy fervently. "All the stations are
watched. You'd never have passed
through alone without getting pulled
by the cops"
"Well, the train wasn't necessary.
A car overlook me on the road
driven by a young man. He pulled
up and offered me a lift"
ooh" said Billy.
"He was quite a good sort. Inclined
to be a bit sentimental but it was a
fast car, and he was rather new to
driving. What's the matter with your
There was an expression on Billy's
face that she had not seen there be
fore. He was looking sour. )
"Get on with the song and dance"
he said shortly.
'Well, 1 was dropped near Scroope.
and l got across to the Towers creep
ing about like a Red Indian, so no
body saw me. l had a look in through
the morning room window and saw
Dad reading his letters. I had a mind
TO go in and kiss him, but, of course,
that wouldn't do. He was looking
pleased-I think he was reading Aunt
Erythea's letter approving of me. of
course he hadn't heard about the bur
glary. There's 10 telephone at Scroope
Dad won't have me-.
'Then l stalked the garage, where
old Grundle, our shower, had got the
head off one of the cylinders, and I
heard him grumbling to the gardener
about having to drive Dad to Jervaulx
and back the same evening. l hid in
the laurels till Grundle went to his
dinner, and her I attended to the car
especially the magnetic. I did It ar
tistically. You can take it from me.
the old bus will never leave Scroope
today. Dads visit is a washout, He's
no time to get here except by car
I know he has to catch the ten O'Clock
mail train from Seabridge. He'll have
to take the carriage there-and start
early, too"
Billy emitted a stiled noise.
cts all to save Dad pain and
worry said Aimee complacently.
Ou6 muSl COLSluGI III PoAShSS'
Never do to have him coming here just
now"
"Great Christopher" said Billy.
"But that doesn't explain how
I'm coming to that. l made a cir
cult through the Home wood to the
cottage where Amy Shocks lives with
her old grandmother. l tackled up and
down in the offing till l saw grand
mamma toddle away OF her usual af-
ter-dinner visit to the woodcutter's
wife, and l nipped indoors to have It
III with my dear old Shocks. l found
her packing for JervaulX, and l told
her what / wanted her to do.
amy Shocks is what you call stolid,
and I've broken her in very well-but
I'm bound to say she was absolutely
paralyzed this time. But she surren-
dered, before I'd done with her. She
just came to heel. 1t may surprise
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