Evening star., 1942-09-27

their good work. after that Kate had to see to the house by
herself.
After the war workers there lu then came some
soldiers Scottish soldiers with bagppe that wheesed and
moaed so that just at first Kate would wake with start
the night thinking someone dying in agony.
The air raids began after the soldiers left The full
Of the rone of enemy planes going Some large cate1s
appeared here and there Winter filled them up with
Kind birds dropped seeds around them and by spring there
were several attractive artificial lakes, with marshmallow.
water orgetnenot and fanys lace all looking much at
home as if they had lived there for years.
Wm spring. the Americans, with their oaries and
strange machines like mobile khaki baths with eha attach
ments
The Americans nice bunch of boys but they used
to the wide open spaces They did understand the bends
blind corners and oed roads of old England The road might
fork but the Americans kept right and arrived places they
never expected saying. We'll, hell!
Moreover, they accustomed to driving the wrong
sde Of the road In emergency they automatically went
back there Loes could be charging another headon
And the school functoning 1t seemed to Kate
that the sky sometimes full of enthusiastic beginners
playing tag round the church seee that the birds had to get
down and walk.
Funny think what quiet little place Brameld had once
been! distant days. when the and the garden fee
the high spots of year. and after Mrs Hotspm had had her
annual baby and the had caved there had been nothing
whatever to forward It all seemed very unreal and far
away now to Kate as she daned the American soldiers socks
for them.
There were four of them beted in the Rectory Their
were Sherman Floyd Constant and Jack Frazer 1t
good while before Kate knew which which, but in time she
learned that Jack Frazer the who made the largest holes
in his socks and had lovely smile and very blue eyes
The Americans short socks but apart from that it
seemed to Kate they lacked nothing Never before had Bam
field much pineapple juice cheese timed butter cga-
rettes in ornamental packets cake and candy And each man
had pinned the wall above his cot the picture of lovely girl
Kate took interest these girls especially the one over
Jack Frazs bed She the handsomest of the lot which
was should because Jack Frazer the incest OF them
all His girl had wide mouth and saucy nose gay eyes and
a tumble of cuis Some folks have all the luck.
ArE quite knew how it happened but presently they
all started dropping the kitchen her hand at night
say do you mean to tell you do all the chores odd
jobs said Jack Frazer taking the wood bucket from her.
Since the war; do We had housekeeper before but she
joined up. My brother got me exempted"
''Td much rather have joined up, said Jack Frazer.
Kate had often had the idea but had asked her.
Presently she had all four of the Americans helping her IN
their spare time And at night they loved to sit round the
kitchen One of them Constant had banjo and used to
sing They told her about the pies mother made at home and
the wide open spaces they had come from.
All might been well Henry had not thought his duty
have the men in evenings for smoke and talk When
up and he went to look for them and found
them all in the kitchen wasn't good He did not like sit
ting alone his study hearing sounds of music and mnth
the kitchen
Kate" he said the first opportunity, Il hope you are
forgetting yourself and being undy familiar with these
men