Evening star., 1936-10-18
October rs. 1896

"They told me at the Office to de-
vote week to it. if necessary" Miss
Trelawney said. falling into step
beside him. but I don't imagine they
meant me to spend the whole week
patrolling the Heath"
"In that case" the young man
pointed out, II should think that by8
o'clock there ought to be coffee shop
open down in the High Street. And
since haven't had any breakfast -"
Nor l." she Interrupted. feelingly.
II think we might feel entitled to
wander down there and get some. l."
he continued with some pride. have
been here since six"
"You journalists must lead a very
interesting ifer' And they began to
talk shop, as newspapermen almost
always do. He learned that her age
was twenty-four. she was on trial at
the Globe. and the city editor didn't
approve of women in journalism. She
found that he was twenty-eight, had
been on the Gazette for four years. and
his ambition was to become a foreign
correspondent. They discovered a
mutual determination to write fiction.
a mutual desire to travel, and a
mutual conviction that their early
morning meeting had been rather good
fun.
All that was procurable for break.
fast turned out to be coffee and rolls;
but, strangely enough. the coffee
was good and the rolls crisp: and it
was in happy frame of mind that
Leslie and the girl lighted their ciga-
rettes, and remarked practically in
unison: "And now what:"
shall we get on with the vigil?
Leslie suggested. Perhaps he comes
out after breakfast. And perhaps there
will be some more reporters. too"
But there weren't. The Heath
was still nearly as deserted as it had
been previously.
Perhaps" Hilda suggested. he
slipped out while our backs were
turned, as it were"
"Then we'd better wander about
over the Heath and draw the coverts,"
Leslie replied.
The idea seemed to her a good one;
and although in an hours tramping
they spotted no one remotely re-
scmbling a Prime Minister. they did
advance some way toward the conclu-
sion that benign Providence must
have arranged the meeting of two such
admirable young people. who under
stood each other so we'll. When they
finally decided to call it day, Leslie
insisted on taking the first hour of
their next vigil alone She lived so far
away. he explained: and naturally If
he should happen to meet the great
man before Hilda arrived. he'd share
with her his interview - if any.
So the next morning, and the next.
and the next found Leslie on duty at
6 o'clock. He brought a thermos flask
of coffee, the first time; and found
when Hilda turned up at that she
had brought sandwiches, so they
shared rations and breakfasted al
f1esco. BY the fifth morning they were
calling each other by their first names,
had lunched together in town, had dis
covered hosts of mutual acquaintance
and allowed their farewell handclasps
to be prolonged noticeably longer
than was necessary. The Prime Min
lister evidently had other things to do
than walk on the Heath. for not so
much as a glimpse of him did they
catch When Hilda arrived, on the
fifth morning. she found Leslie dis
consolate.
This is our last morning." he in
formed her mournfully. They've de-
cided to call it off after today. And
they want me to 60 to Paris tonight
to fill in for one Of the men in the
Bureau there who's ill.,"
"Oh. Jimmy. how splendid! It's
L~A "a