Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1937-12-16, Page 6PAGE SIX. fanaaittgammommooral THE SEAFORTH NEWS TH1kRSD'AY, DECEMBER 16, 1937 tae way, and then into 'West Regent Street; and ,ehe did not .put her hand on his arm, at least She was very close to him, .and the thrill of the touch of her dress was' magnetic and strange. 'Strange indeed; and strange that he •shondd !find himselfwalking side by side with Meenie through the streets of !Glasgow town and listen— ing mutely sad humbly the while to all 'her varied talk of what had hap- pened since ire left Inver -Mt -Mal. Whatever she had heard of him, it •seemed to be her wish to 'ignore that. She appeared to assume that 'their re- lations to each other now were just as they had !been• in fornte.r days. And she was quite Ibnight and ciheerfwl and hopeful; how could he 'know that the 'first glance at his °haggard 'face had struck like a 'dagger to her heart? Moreover, the rails gradually 'ceas- ed; the umbrella was lowered; a light west wind was quietly stiretinq'; and by-and-by a warmer light began to interfuse itself through 'the vaporous atmosphere. INay, by the time they had reached T3lyth wood square, a pallid sunshine rials clearly shining on the •svet pavements and annrsteps and house fronts; anti far overhead and dimly seen through the mysteriously moving pall of tntist and smoke, there were faint touches of blue, fnretellin;" the opening alt to a joyfliler clay. The wide square Was almost deserted; they could 'talk 1' each other as they chose; though, indeed, th'e tallding was mostly on her side. Something. lr• scarcely knew w•liat. kept him sil- ent and submissive; but his heart.was .full of gratitude 'toward her; and frooi time to time—for tow could he help it? --sonic chance word or phrase of appeal would bring , thin) face to -Nee with \lento's eyes. So far she had emmingly managed to avoid all reference to his own af- fairs, so that he Might get accustom- ed to this friendly crrnvercatlon; hot et leu::th she said: "And now abont yourself, 'lionaltl?" "'Thr lase said. the •hotter,' he an- weretT, "1 wish '1 !tad 111.'r-er rrnnr to this town." "\\lint?" site ,aid. wi•ih a touch of renwasiranee in her Ionic, "!rave I so coon forgotten the fine. .l,raspeets you .nitryl away with? Surely not! \\ley, it w'as only the other- clay i had a letter from :tins Hodson- the young aA 1(0010a.n lady, you remember and she was askine, atla abort you, ,uf whether you had passed the ea - amination yet; and .he soli her fath- er and herself were !likely to conte av- er next spritrn..tnd hopes! 'to hear yon had got the certificate." Tie seemed to pay 11,1 heed to 'this news, "1 31411 1 had never left Iityrr- NI'via l," he said. ' 1 was cannon there; nail what 10000 raft a titan wish for any where? It's little e nota h of that 1'vs had ',Mee 1 08)11' t" t'1a Loan. Bat for .•wi1,I ver has happened ter ate, I've got my self 111 'blaute: :1101 'sad 41. beg your ,pardon, all, Doug- las; l will not fn,1 her ye with oily poor concerns of urine." "!Stet if I wish to he !bothered?" .be said, atui''kly. ''P 08lal, do yon know why C !!seer ,nnu• from the 11igh- tnis?" 'l Ter face was nitt.uin,3 a rosy reel. but her eyes were steadfast and ,'tear and 'kind. and site had stopped in her walk to confront 11m, 1 heard the news of Sun --p es. t heard the new sd' she continued and it was his eye;, not hers, that wee e downcast Fant! I knew tern would do m1trh for me at least T thought so and 1 said to myself that if 1 were toto t,'aslu.5_ x111 findYell. surd !el, jell, for my sake, .to give ale 1 promise I k10) what 5, wmil•I say, Nliss Uaal-0•," he liter,111' was dreadfully emhm•rassed. -To give up the drink. AVeil, it's eerily ,promised and easily (lone, 'Hou'; indeed I have not botched a drop sine, ever I got the bit of heather ye sent' ate. It wa- tt kind thing to think ni maybe- I'm making ton hold to think it .was you that sent it," "1 knew yon would -kno>v that 11 was 1 that sent it; `i meant yott to !snow," she saki, simply. "It was never any great love of the drink that drove me that way," he. said, ''1 think it was that I might he :rile to forget fora While." "To forget what, 'Ronald?" she. asked, regarding him. "That ever "T was such a fool 115 to leave 'the only people !I eared for," he answered, frankly, '•and crane away here among strangers, and bind any - self to strive for what. T had no in- terest in. Rot lhlcss tae, Miss >Dowgdas,' to think 1 :should Isee;p ye standing here, talking- about my ,poor aflfa•ir3l" "Ronald," she sniff, calmly, '''do you know that Thalve come all the way to tllasgoty to see you and to talk about our affairs and nothing ,else; and you are not going to hurry away. Tell roe about yourself. What are you doing? \re yon ,getting on with your studies?" He shook his head. "No, no, Ihav'e lost •heart that way altogether,. Many's the time 'I have thought of writing to Lord' Ailing and And then his eyes grew suddenly and placed it in his waistcoat ,pocket; startled. He took up the note, staring if the talisman had any s'uitable pow - at the outside, apparently half -afraid, And then he opened it and read—but in a kind of wild and !breathless .be- wilderment—these two or three lines, written inrather a shaky hand— `:Dear Ronald, T wish to see yo you to be at the hall -street and morrow morning not detain yott tninutes. Yours There was not u: Would it trouble corner of 'Satiable 1Ren•field-Street to- at eleven?—I will more than a few sincerely, Meenie Doaglas." 11111011 sleep for him that night. - ' • OHIAPTiEIR XXXVI T. Indeed there was no sleep at all for hint that night. He knew not er whatever, all the good luck that he could wish for was to ,find lleenie 1101 too hitter in 'leer scorn, Ile made his way to the 'corner of Saneltiehall'Street some little time be- fore the 'appointed •hoer. Bot it was actually raining now; of coarse Mee- nie would not 011mc. So hr idly paced up and down; staring absently at the shop windows; u5.asinnaily- - looking• alongthe street. lint 5.ith no ;great ex- pectation: and thinking how well con- tent and satisfied With themselves these ,people scetned 'lo he who were 11050 hurrying d>y tinder their stream- ing umbrella e. 111. thoughts gent far afield. V imeira-•`ialamapca -- •t'indarl !Rodrigo --- alma ---- Ialcknow .1+1- umhaoh- these were the mums and memories that were 111 his head. :1n asking to the taken !back, if it was only to Took after tate dogs, I should never have come to this town; 'and now 1 am going away from it. for good." "Going away? Where? she said, rather !breathlessly. '"I want to make a clean break off From the kind of life I have been lead- ing," said he, "and I know the surest way. S mean to enlist into one •of the Hitghland regiments that's most likely to be ordered off on 'foreign service' "Ronald!" She seized his hand and held It ''',Ronald, you will not do that!" Well. he was startled by the sud- den ,pallor of her 'fare, and bewildered! by the entreaty so plainly visible in her beautiful eyes; .and perhaps he did not quite know !how he answered. But he 'spoke qutekly, 'Oh, of course I will not tio that," he said --"of course 1 Will not do that, Miss Douglas, co long as you are nn Glasgow. !How could 'I? '\Nary, the chance of seeing you, even at a dist- ance --for a moment even—I would wait days for that. 'When 1 made op my mind to enlist 1 had no thought that '1 might ewer have the chance of seeing you. IO'h no; 'I will wait until' you have gone hack to the Highlands, How amid 'I go away front iGias;,ow and 1111)5 'any single 'chanceof seeing you, if only for a moment?" "Yes, yes," .she said, eagerly, "yam will do nothing instil then. anyway; in the ne'een time 1. shall sec vont often." His face lighted up with snurprise. ''Will you be er kind as that?" he said, quickly. And 'then he dropped her hand. INC. no. 1 ant so bewilder- ed by the giadne -s of seeing you that --that 1 .forgot. Let, me go my own way. Yon were always so generans ft, your good -mature 'that you epoilyd us all at 1uver"M'udai; here—here it is different. You are dlving with your sister. 1 smamse? and of coarse you have manly friends, and many things to do, and places to vitt. You Must: not trouble abort me; 'hat as long as von are in lGlas'gow•--•well, there will always he 1•he chance of my catching a glimpse of yon; mai if you knew what it was ---to 11111 But here he paused abruptly, fear - fill of •oliendin; by enttfrssing too much: and ting' they ,h ad .resumer! Their leisurely walking aline the half - dried pavements; and • t1eonie was •re- 501eine evil ain little scheme's and artifices in her brain -with a view of their future meeting. '.\aid the morn ng had .terow1 so nitwit brighter; and there was 0 pleasatft warmth of sun- light in the air: and she',vas glad 10 know that at least 'fora time Ronald would not he leaving tile country. She mitred 'in hint with a 'smile, "1 41111 base to be going back home new." she said; "hut yon will not forget, Ronald, that yeti have iu ule Inc two promise, rids morning,,, "It's little you 'knew. 'Miss •Doug - pend to are after that day wetted not, matter much." "Bart you have promised "lAod I• will keep that ,promise— acrd any a411ers you may aslc ,of lite, 7Iis•s Douglas." "That you will call 1110 'Meanie, 'fore one?" she said, quite simply and frankly. "INo, no; 1 ,could not do that, he an- swered — and yet the ,pern$5sion sounded' pleasant to the ear. "We are cid friends, she said. "Butt that is a stnal'l matter. Well, now, '1 most be getting back home, and yet 1 ehould like to seee you again soon !Ronald, for there are so many other. things 1 have to talk over with you. Will you come and see nay sister?" iHie. hesitation and embarrassment were so obvious that she instantly re- pented her of having thrown o tt this invitation: moreover, it accturred' 't0 herself that therewould be little chance of her having ung .private speech of Ronald .(which was of Snell patirat)tount importance at this run- t if lie called at Queen's Crescent. "NV'o, not yet," she said, rather shame'fa'cedly and with downcast eyes: "perhaps, since—since there are one or two ,private matters to talk over, we—aVe could meet'j•ust 111a now? tl t is not—•takiu•g up too much of your time, Ronalel? "Why," 'said 'ha "if 1 fotild Ace you for a moment, any day—merely to say `Good mornieg'---thgt would be a weld -spent day for me; Han more 'than. that used to make many a long day quite happy' for me at Inver -Musial," "Could you be here to -morrow at eleven, Ronald?"' she asked, looking up shylt eyes res, and *latt'lel" he answer- ed; and ,presently they had 'said .good - by to cosh other; and she had set out for 'Omen's Crescent by herself, while he eurne11 toward the cast. And now all his ;being seemed transfused with joy and deep grati- tude; and the day around hint was clear and sweet and 'full of light; and all the world seemed swinging on- ward in an ether of happiness and hope- The 'dreaded interview! ---where was the reproach and scorn of it? In- ch -ad of (lust, it had been all radiant with trust and courage and true af- fection; and neNCr had \feen'ie's eyes been so 'heau•tiftrl and solicitous with all govt 'wishes; never had her voice been so strangely tender, every tate of it scenting ,to reach the very erre of 'his heart. And how was he to re- quite her far this honntiful rare and sympathy, that 'overawed .hits a'lnuno. when he carte .to think of it? 'Nay, re- payment of any kind w=as all impos- sible; where wa. :the equivalent u -awl) generous regarr1? But at least 110 coeds! faithfully observe the promises he had mads- res, these and a Inind red more; mid perhaps this broke" life of his night atilt he of with• small .cerin'. if in tiny way it soul' win +.'o r hint it word of \!settle'.. aippr o5^ r\nda1. !•lien, ,the better to get away from temptation, and to ,cit 11 1 1- '. wholly adrift from! 111.,hoe. +o:1 1,•. ions, ire W111 -ked home to his lodging-, rr trill you promisC mt• mare, l and packet! tij>, Inc few thing ,en d Ronald'' +girl hie. yvirlely; far 'ik` paid his landlady a fortnialiee rent :, would not•'lime• him talk in that lien of notice, ai had 'lien ngrrrd .train, 1;11;101 pon. That same nicht he eta: "What?" dished in new quarters,- in the i 11r- "\\';1 yon make me a. promisethat scube 'Road; and he h;ul h•ft no :