Evening star., 1938-03-20
MMy KNEES MM G0D}7

a A AHEN one is confined for six weeks
n on private dsha6sysh with six
wv other human beings, forever at
their mercy and they forever at
ours, it is probable that individual character
istics grow almost larger than ife-si1e.
That exceedingly kind man, Mr.. Prosper
Burgess, bore this in mind when he chose
his companions for this delightful trip. He
had no Mrs. Burgess to help him in his
choice, she, alas, having died some five years
earlier. He was 50 wealthy that five hundred
Iahsbiyeks would not have inconvenienoed
him: he had inherited great deal of his
money from his father, had worked hard and
then retired, having his only son IN full
possession
1t was this son, Hilary Burgess, and his
dauehte1- -in-Iaw Mabel who helped him with
his arrangements. Mabel was very sweet and
very clever and very loving to anybody who
R7ve her her due; her only trouble with people
was that sometimes they didn't quite do this
and then. quite naturally, she thought them
mean, spiteful and narrow minded.
The question as to who should come and
who should not was very quickly settled.
There were to be Only eight and kindly Mr..
Cook provided some forty or fifty servants,
sailors. ct cetefa, 80 that it seemed that these
eight fortmate human beings would be very
vel looked after. Mr.. Burgess, his son and
daushter-in-law were three; Mr.. and Mrs.
Cuil Haslett, Hilary's best friends, were two
more: Connie Prendergast was the sixth. Had
1t not been for Miss Prendergast this story
would never have been written. Kind Mr.. and
Mrs. Bellows completed the eight They were
asked for the comfort of Mr.. Burgess senior;
they were elderly.
Then a terrible thing happened. Only
week before the date for leaving England dear
Mrs. Bellows caught influenza. 1t was hard,
it was tragic, but Mr.. and Mrs. Bellows were
forced to resign themselves.
Something had to be done; two more must
be asked. 1t was Hilary who suggested
Andrew Clnes - the very man, dear Andrew.
The only thing is, " said Hilary, that if
Andrew comes, Egbert Terry will too"
Two days passed and no suitable couple had
been found. They discussed the Andrew ques-
ton again and again; Andrew was so exactly
right; everybody loved him, but this old
friendship he had had now for many years
with Egbert Terry nobody could understand.
Everything that Andrew was, Egbert was not
Andrew was broad and strong and handsome
with a rosy face and gray hair although
he was only forty-odd - with the kindest
heart and the most generous manner, full OF
amusing little tales, ready to do anything for
anybody.
Egbert, on the other hand, was the dreari
est creature to look at. Although he too
could not be more than forty, his shoulders
were bent and he walked with an awkward
gait; he shaved disast1ously and wore clothes
that were never sufficiently brushed; he never
listened to anything that anybody said, pr-
suing his own thoughts with selfishness that
was revolving. Worst of all, he was sarcastic,
and to be shut up for six weeks in boat with
somebody who was sarcastic would never,
never do.
It was Mabel who at last decided that they
would have to put up with Egbert, though
they tried tentatively to suggest to Andrew
that he should come alone. He stood there,
his head thrown back, his great chest flung
out and reared with laughter at the sug-
gestion.
Sorry" he said, IF you have me you
must have Egbert; We always go about to-