Evening star., 1925-03-22
Elfreda and the Mad Busman w m
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Tale Abumhn sadmehAh ndSmpnmpD @dqmens

"It seems this is our first halt" he
said.
And he lurched out in front of the
twenty ragamuffins, who were rather
tired by this time, and a red faced
man with green apron round his
waist stood in the porch and greeted
him very respectfully.
Sorry, sir. Afraid we can't do
much. We weren't expecting q large
party. If you only let us know you
was coming"
Il didn't know myself" said the
Stout Gentleman grimly.
well, sir, we could do cheese and
eggs and sausages and coffee"
The ragamufflns rustled and twit-
tered like excited sparrows in a nest
"Yus-yus."
Were 'ungry."
II never 'ad no breakfus' even"
Give me sawsidges."
The "sawsidges" became a savage
chorus.
The Stout Gentleman sighed deep
ly. "Well-I suppose so. I can't have
'em starve before my eyes. Though
who'll pay me back, 1 don't know
Do what you can. Landlord. And
while were waiting. get me a trunk
call to London"
mo phone here, sir"
T" ell, senu rouHo 10 tHe pollce
station"
There is a policeman at Little
Thornton" the landlord ruminated
doubtfully-"at least I've heard tell
of him"
"Is this civilized country" the
Stout Gentleman demanded of no.
body in particular. Get him any
how. 1 refuse any further respon-
sibility."
He followed the landlord into his
inn. and the twenty ragamuffins Is
charged in after him like a pack of
yelping puppies.
But Elfreda stayed behind. She
went and stood very close to Mr..
Gudgeon. To her he was still won
derful. Before him authority had
collapsed like q toy balloon into
which he had stuck a contemptuous
PIN To her he wasn't a little, old
man gone queer in tho head, but
a hero. And yet the look on his face
made her ache all over.
"Wot's the perliceman comm for,
Mister"
II dunno-dearie-I dunno"
HE amt a-goin' to take US ONE,
is 'e?"
"'Omer' said Mr.. Gudgeon under
his breath. "'Ome."
Don't you let i'm, Mister-don't
you let i'm"
A wild light flashed up the old
mans face. He picked Elfreda up
and set her by the drivers seat. He
gave one strong pull al Gwendoline's
starting handle. And then they were
away again.
4 X
A DMITTEDLY this is very late in
4 a the story to introduce Mrs. Mel
rood. But we have classical prece-
dent for the delay. Whoever heard
of Dea ex Machina in the first act?
Mrs. Melrood lived with Sarah, who
was very old. at Melrood Court, a
fine, tumble-down Georgian house in
a fine, gone-to-seed park-full of
deer and sheep and weeds. Mrs. Mel
rood herself was obstinately poor.
If she had chosen, she could have
sold Melrood for twice its value to
any one of a dozen wartime mil
lionaires and settled down to a lux
urious and respectable old age in
Kensington.
Not that any one could have i'm
agined her in Kensington. Mrs Mel
rood, rheumatics and all, could still
ride to hounds over the worst county
in England with the best of them, and
her language, when aroused, would
have shattered the bric-a-brac of q
Kensin 6 ton drawing room to frag-
ments. In the daytime she wore
shabby tweeds and a high collar and
deer stalker, and in the evening
very punctiliously she changed into
what one can only describe as tailor
made decollete. So attired, and oddly
imposing with her aquiline profile and
cropped, snow-white hair, she sat