Evening star., 1937-01-10
Mossziss Ssefios


ultra -sensitiveness, open as much to JOY or
pain as the warmest-hearte man. What he
had lost by this shyness, among other things,
was Derek's sympathy and that insight to
his nature which would have been mutually
good He was unable at the moment to say
how happy he was, how greatly he rejoiced
at seeing his son again; at his having found
his feet. He had no command of such words
Come to my den," he said stiff1y. I'VE
can smoke more comfortably there"
Derek made for the stairs IN join you
right away" he said. There's something
want in my ROOM
It was something he had looked at daily
in the cabin of the ship, something which had
given him the same recurring thrill, which
was, indeed, the reason, the greater part of
the reason, of his being under that roof.
1t was wad of American bills. With these
he went back to the landing. then stopped
and thought for second and made for his
bedroom again. 1t was to scrape the stick-on
label from his suitcase with knife and to
pick up the shavings of paper with exact
and particular care. That would have let
the cat out, you blithering fool" he thought
He found his father standing with his
back to the fireplace in the den.
Bollington started to talk. He might have
been at the Club. Il still call this the den,"
he said, but it isn't really, you know. l
have no work to do. And 90 your mother. :
uses it now. We sit here after dinner and read.
talk and play Bezique. Hence these easy
chairs. Which of them will you take?"
Neither at the moment. fancy standing
to this"
ITO what?"
ITO little matter of business which
want to fix right now"
Bollington put on his glasses and looked at
his son in surprise.
Business? What do you mean?"
There was sudden patch of color on both
Derek's cheeks. He had rehearsed this scene
in a thousand dreams and came to it now in
reality with quickening of pulse. The tri-
umph he kept from his voice. Three years
ago." he said quietly. you lent me hum
dred pounds. That, with the addition of in
terest at the rate of six per cent, l now
return to you. Thank you, cir. lot"
He put his hand in his pocket and handed
over the notes. He might have been paying
his losses after casual poker game. What
he was actually doing was to buy up a
memory, to rid himself of nightmare in
which his fathers look had said II hope
you'll have an illness or an accident and
de-
Bollington took the money. He had marked
it off as loss. He took it not because it was
obvious that Derek was able to pay but be-
cause he understood. 1t came to him that
his thought had been read when he had
handed over the cheque.
He was nearer to a demonstration Of sup
pressed emotion than ever before in his life.
He succeeded in saying Thanks. This makes
US all square at the turn"
De1ek took deep. deep breath.
Time, in spite of beacons, breaks every
law for speed. Those days went by in a
fash, but like the sweeps of country which
are caught from a moving car they were
photographed on the mind. In the albums Of
mental snapshots which the Bollingtons made
of the week they were to hold a permanent
place. None were made of the station and of
Derek IN the train. Goodbys were said in
the house, monosyllabically said. Yes, he
would write, of course. Yes, as soon as pos
sible he would make the crossing again. He
u,oc ealing rs, ft,a Ac~n,sso fros,o hov S1r,rl a.