Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-22

y
center of moor in Cornwall About
him. for miles. was 2 sturdy wave Of
purple heather. broken by patches q
firze ny rocks. by sinister darknesseS
and carrying. i'll spite of the sunshine
eN mdcScrip Skle air of threat. Threat
ching enough. for Albert had lost his
Nay The road tia had led him into
this tracklcss immensitv had diSap-
pcared And beside Albert. restins
with a collapsed exhaustion equal to
his own. was a bicycle, upon which
he had ridden since morning. upon
which ne had now been riding FOR
fou: DAYS, IL tour Planned eAu''inTH
for several weeks
oHday!" Illuminated Albert. 'Hoii-
Gei. j mean IL was GROWING more
careful o. his aitchcs, nowadays since
tho new Junior partner had come 10
Smerricks With his SUpcrtine accent.
"Tr!iscyw ne "'g:iod win a tinse
@. bitterness. But, as h laughed. ne
caught that note Of dependence ana
rallied. Well. and 50 il is" ne an
sverea himself dchant!y "A holly hne
'oli6ay. too, l shall remember IL an
through the Winter" A voice With;n
him said All the days Of my hte!
He had been cycling since O'Clock
and il was now e. with ths SIN al us
where He was tired and thirsty.
Gazing around ct the bare hills, the
rocks, the heather and the endless
hr-sdth Of The moor, Albert saw the
RIM Of tn. horizon. broken hv tuln-
hing SHAPES Of erarite against tbs
,aDsuid sky. ana. al last. he came
back To his own dusty boo;s. b.
tween himself and tho horizon were
miles Of mcorland Fc w"s appalled,
H must find some way across it
YEARLY he moppcd his brow. IL
v.s getting 10 b, rather bald prov
because Albert was 40. He was III the
full reealia OF the travelling cycIst,
and four days earlier he had been
smart in bagsy knicksroocEerS, a NOR,
folk Jacket. a bullying tweed cap and
thick wooden stockircs Perhaps over
smart. overwarm. Nevertheless. as Al
Der; realized. he looked manly. You
might think Abr; an ODD little figure
and YOU would BE- right but Won
would not ios;le against hin, in
crowd, because h was evidently quite
abe to defend himself. The hair left
10 him Was curly reddish brown.
his ewes were blue and rather sur
pr!sii,g'y round: his tiny mustache Was
ginger: his cheeks were almost as reo-
dish brown as his hair; his nose
rncead IN suddenly above his musta ne.
O. though it had been lurking there 70
surprise YOU: his mouth slid QUICKLY
and often into a particularly cneerlui
and encouraging grin. Albert was not
unpopular.
He was good fellow. too. His
father had died Young and Albert, as
soon As he vas old enough TO do SO.
had gone To work for his mother.
presently he hsT been earning enough
20 keep them both. Not enough, how
ever 10 keep . third That was why
Albert had never married. And now
that his mother was dead-for she had
c;ed NO wears ago-he was USED 10
solitary life--iis cricket on Saturday
afternoon az occasional sn9-son2.
visits to a few married friends. tours
on his bike Suddenly Albert sighed
Wish I vas" he Rgan. Ain
p OF" Suddenly recalling the Junior
partner. he corrected himself. ] mean
h. most frichtfullv warm. isn't 1t"
An hour later. Albert was still strug =
fling across the moor: and 1t seemed
IN him that the hills he had seen In
the distance were no nearer than they
had been at first Nevertheless. he
had walked beside his bicycle las a
change from riding the poor thing for
perhaps another 3 miles when n.
caught sight OF a little pathway 10 his
right There was n battered board
very small and barely readsble--at the
edge Of the path Albert gave q sud
Gen cheer for he was able 10 read
rough, drawing OF o hand. with the in
spring words. To Hope. mile"
"HuTray." Here's hopin2i cracked
Albert, almost falling down at the
Joy and at his own brilliant jest.
THE small stone house vas rather
u unpromis:ng. II gave no sign OF
life within
Rzu. rap. ran. Albert tanned at the
front door and ratified nj the handle.
Ran rap. rap. The door yielded alb
rup,ly. and he found himself starting
bark from large, stout woman with
q large white face. who stared at him
rs If she had been expecting some
BODY else.
Tear" queried Albert vinningiy
"Ccuid you let me ave some? I'm
eesd beat. cyclin'."
In o dream, thereafter. he followed
The woman into q little parlor He
had not understood her reply: but he
had seen ner open the door, and at
her gesture had sat down upon a Der-
fect.y uncomfortable chair. He waited
long but he did not mind. because he
presently began 10 smell food
Albert did not mind waiting. He
thought he xas waiting for his tea.
He vas, but for something more. also.
IL reality although he did not know
q. ne Was waiting for the mos. mo-
rnsnt0us happenings OF lifetime.
From q room quite near-Apparently
the room shoye~-eame. on several oc-
~ af FgaA ~
-"yhsts my husband" said The large
stout woman. as she brought In q
tab.eclo;h and the tray. "Lumbago.
that H. Has been in bed since Mon
Nsy With IL. and ! haven't had any
boeT 10 70 over 10 Eeconton for the
Doctor until this morning. because
this IL . lonely place. The poor man
r. suffering cruelty"
"snreh0cy gone for the hnctor you
NyY" ASKED Albert. Il Vas thinkin
p.rhsp. might 'etci, him. I'm goin
on TO Beconton-~n can md It. Got
me- hike mere. YOU know"
That's kindly spoken" said he
woman. There's no need now. Thank
roV ali the same. You're from Lon
don. sirP"
GOOD old London town" said A.
ber' Bin there, ave your"
Fern there came down here 20
ysars ago with Mrs Staples. Her
mad 1as Nrs EtAplsa. at Hope
EoURe"
The sonsn jsrke6 her head Il
~ss her maid and my husband ina,
IL no2~--cort man he's hfr gardener
with rnt'sgft When We got mar
rlfr. lsit-~In spite oi The fIss. NY
Jonn wanted me ~ ONE
Il cont blame him lntsrposed Al.
krf
"ene did MrA Gtapies Eesfis
tSekec him H0@eVer fhs didn't and
re o4escits ap there every day and
sofnse ONE ere ~ his dinner Pore
isoy hhf never aoss olit s,1Gs nsr h1s.
bard 0lsd Fees AobDcy, hbf don,
g. UP there aoueiiu,es jas, ~ So her
blt more often 80 Mia W;nifred ! See