Evening star., 1928-03-14

Well" he said steadily everything
begins with the war nowadays, though
| it was ended over two years ago. Like
| everybody else I was in the scrap
though only for the latter half of 1t.
The smiled faintly--"1 wasn't quite
srowH up enough when 1t began, you
sec. was at the university. The O.
| L c. took me In hand. and got over
carly in sixteen. About year later l
was wounded, and spent several months
| in a French hospital. and"
/ OH" she exclaimed quickly--and
laid her hand impulsively on his sleeve.
seriously? Tell me about it,"
Peter shook his head
Il thought 1t was bad enough at the
| time. but I didn't know my luck. l
| came through without any permanent
| disability. But l mentioned it only
/ as incidental to what / wanted TO tell
| you. The old pater died suddenly while
| I was in the hospital. They didn't tell
/ me for a while. When I got back to
/ England OF sick leave. things were IN
] rather bad way. The pater had always
been considered fairly we'll off, but 1t
seems that he had backed a syndicate
that had gone in for land and timber
tracts out in Western Canada. and, as
believe they say in that country. was
left holding the bag. 1t was rather a
crash-even the old place down in
Sussex had to go The matter had been
dead for many years, had no brothers
or sisters and so there was only my
self. I think our old family solicitor
! took the loss of the property more to
heart than I did. He and the pater
| had always been great pals. But the
war was still on and it wasn't looking
any too rosy Just then and / was going
| back. and, oh. we'll. don't know
| there was the Big Job to get on with,
and, in the face OF that. other things
didn't seem to matter so much. l
spent most of that leave signing papers.
and when I went back to the front
everything was in the solicitors hands,
but it was too soon. of course. to know
just exactly where We stood" Peter
paused. and stared for moment at the
slim. cloaked figure in the chair beside
him. She was leaning forward. her
elbows or her knees. her chin cupped
in her hands, watching him intently.
! And suddenly he was sick at heart
What was the end of his story? I'm
afraid" he said. sudden flatness in
his tones, that I'm taking a long time
to explain how / came to be on for
saken little trading schooner like the
Break O'Dawn'
Please go on" she begged earnestly
Il didn't see England again until
after the war. when I came back and
was demobilized." Peter continued. II
found things. the pater's affairs.
mean. or mine, then If you like, about
left were the title deeds TO what were
apparently unstable tracts of country
out there in Canada. There was abso-
lutely not penny of aves:able cash.
On that night when saw you in Lon
don my worldly possessions, apart
from a fairly extensive wardrobe that
vas still unimpaired. consisted of El0
and few odd shillings-what was left
CT my officers pay"
Ten poundsi" she repeated almost
under her breath. "But-but you said
that for weeks after that you--"
Il sold the wardrobe" said Peter,
and for the first time smiled with
genuine mirth. "Oh. no: you mustn't
think I walked the city treated as a
homeless. friendless waif! I could have
borrowed plenty of money. There were
many old friends of the pater, the old
solicitor himself included, who offered
it TO me. But-well. IL refused 1t.
/ refused that. too. The old chap
the solicitor. / mean. who had become
my pater familias then-thought ! was
crazy and told me so pretty plainly. ]
suppose, perhaps, ! was. But the
thought of a high stool in London
counting house was a bit more than I
could stick. There's a lot been blamed
on the restiessness of the fellows when
they came back from the 'front.' fancy
it's rather true. had it--a pretty
bad attack of 1t. lit vas that night
in the theater that kept me for those
extra weeks in London" Peter paused
again. but this time abruptly, for she
had drawn In her breath with sudden
little gasp. "Do~-do you mind my
saying that?" he asked, his lips curl
oUsly tight.
"No-o," she said slowly. but Il
oh. don't know just how to say what
] want to-"
Let me say 1t for you. then" said
Peter. his voice little out Of control.
Il think ! know. 1t was an incident
| that you remembered-that at odd
| moments now and then recurred 10
| you--tIat perhaps sou wondered about
| little. and perhaps wondered why you
should wonder about 1t at ali-and that,
until tonight, you never thought would
/ hold sequel"
She fell 10 twisting the little sigfAt
/ ring on her finger again.
No" she said. without looking up.
"You--you are not entirely right
Sometimes, most times, II vas like that