Evening star., 1937-09-12

great deal of bad blood in him somewhere"
Chips went on listening - there was moth
ing else to do.
Been sacked from two schools already
a proper good-for nothing, if you ask me-
Chips hadn't asked him, but now he did
ask, with the beginnings of interest: What
was he sacked for?"
well, from the first school it was for
breaking into the matron's bedroom in the
middle of the night and soaring her out of
her wits and the second school sacked him
for an outrageous piece of hooliganism in the
school chapel during Sunday service. Isn't
that enough?"
Quite enough" agreed Chips. But what's
the position now? What are you going to do
with him."
I'm damned if | know. What can any,
body do with him? If schoolmasters them
selves but it's my belief they don't try.
I've not lot of faith in schoolmasters
Neither have = sometimes, said Chips.
During the days that followed Chips would
have had more and better chances to get to
know Gerald if Mr. Renshaw himself had been
less obtrusive. He seemed lonely, unhappy
sort of man, and, having found in Chips a
tolerant listener, he made the most of his
opportunities Chips could hardly get rid of
the fellow at the hotel, and was heartily glad
that he was no mountaineer. 1t was not that
there was anything especially unpleasant
about him - merely that he was loud
voiced nuisance, and the more Chips saw and
talked with him the more he felt that Gerald,
with or without bad blood, could not have
found life very harmonious with such a step
father. Chips wondered why such an i'll
assorted pair chose to take their holidays
together The answer came in Renshaw's own
words. ''Y'see, Chipping. there's nowhere else
for him to go. The rest of the family wouldn't
take him as gift - and you can't blame em.
So he has to stay with me whether he likes it
or not. I'm here for my health and he's here
for his SINS"
Chips smiled. Il only hope my own sins
will never take me to worse place..
"Oh, Keswick's all right, l know. Quite a
nice spot for a holiday. But the boy isn't
satisfied with stroll in the afternoon hes
restless all the time - restless as a monkey
Only the other day one of the walters caught
him in the hotel kitchen tasting all the food
out of the pans of course had to give the
fellow tip to say nothing about it. The boys
incorrigible, tell YOU Hasn't even the sense
to see what's to his own advantage. He knows
that his whole future depends on what l
decide to do with him during the next few
days.
"Oh?"
well, y'see, promised that if he was
good boy I'd overlook his disgraceful be-
haviour at school and put him under private
tutor for couple of years = then after that,
if he still behaved we'll, my eldest son in Bir-
mingham-the accountant, y'know might
take him into his office Wonderful chance,
that, for a boy who's had to leave school
under cloud. You'd think it would make
him turn over new leaf, wouldn't you? But
it doesn't ". he doesn't seem to care"
Which was true enough. Geralds efforts
to impress his stepfather with any appearance
of remorse or future good intentions were,
Chips could see, so vagrant as to be almost
imperceptible. Once Chips gave the boy a
lead to discuss the matter by saying, during
casual conversation in the hotel lobby:
by the way, your father says there's chance
OF your becoming an accountant. It's a good
profession, if you like it.
Il wouldn't like it, answered Gerald,