"BLIND MAN'S BLUFF."

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 249, 20 October 1922, Page 8

"BLIND MAN'S BLUFF."

lliy AMI' DAWTSON.) "Mis.- Penrose, let mc introduce ( 'orporul llcud." and I orporal Head, aj stockily-built young follow, who, thoiigii I blinded in th'j war, hardly looked it, j asked for ii dame, j Willi a little leap of thr heart, the girl—who liad eonu , to SI. llunstan's i.> leach any who wanted to li-urn—saw that the vuuiig Holdier was not entirely ;i I btraiigor. Tliey had. in furl, licon born] in the name street and had jrono to tho same ( ounoil school, hut the boy liad bppn bigger than illi> fjirl-a young man bi'lore siie lind pul her hair up. Hip had rentnm, however, tor Imping | ho would not remember lier rutin r j unusual nnmi": an.l slic pavr no hint that she had ever seen him bofore. Tho truth ivus, Mnggio had delroeralt-ly saved her vvas.-s —iho was ;i cook— takeii dancing less-ons, then ceme to St. Duiisian'd to olTer her serviftw: and the authorities, who saw she '»as neatly dressed .md well-mamieved, had aetvpted liev offer of lu-lp for one ewnin-; a week. The gill wa.- elatod. yft J'i.aiiml. for she had "not i-ivnu-.in order to mi\k<- life brighter for the blind men. but for Ihtself. For Magpie had never had a sweeilieart, and che it w.i* Ivn-nusf ! s'ne was little and dark and plain. j Perhaps at St. DunstanV. where (he men could not see her swnrthy fneo and ! thick brov.f, romr micht like ln-r for her?elf. The Innain<,- t<. love and be loved was underneath her actions, yet •4ie was ashamed . Young Ilea. l asked her her name, and in some" alarm slie had piven it, for she felt sure thai, if he remembered it, he would (TUpss her reasons for eominsr lo T.e liiisiiitnl. ">rnfforie Penrose," lie said in a questioning voier: "rounds as it F'd heard it i-cmnwhere.' , "Oh. "tis a common ninuili name in the part 1 eomp from.' . Slip ehanfr.-d the subject hurriedly. What are they learning you here?" j He rlianted paily:---Toliblp.-. cobbler, men.! my sli..r, ! tiet it. .-iiine b;: half-past two. She remembered him as a ma-on, but of course, no.v. lie would not by able to stand °n scaffolding-*. 'And when you know how to mciut boots and shoes 1" i "I have my eye on a little chop, cor--1 ncr of C'ohham Street. Nice placp, kitchen behind and three good room* above." lie wanted to keep tlii> friendly interest. ""If you could olip out one ovening, I'd simply love to show it to you.' , Magcie oxplaiued that she wa= eominp once a week to St. Dunstan'*. and beyond that had only an alternate Sunday even- ! ing free. "Your next Sunday, then?" Being 1 pretty lonely, he waited with anxiety for her reply. i Aβ to .Maggie, she could hardly believe she was being asked by a very presentable young man to go for a walk! She looked at. him. admiring bis strength and manliness, and yet she hesitated. Ought not she to tell him, or in some way or other let him know, that she was dark and heavy looking? That rhr had never before been asked to go for a walk with a young man"/ i But it she did il would look a« if flip , thought he meant something, and, of c urse. he didn't. Lots of pirls took the 1 lind soldiers for walks. She went with him over the little house and afterward* they walked to Primrose , Hill and sat on the. seats at the shady top: and while they talked the kindly feeling each had for the other j,'rew and grew. It was not lone before the feeling had deepened into something more than kindliness, and presently Philip was talking of his loneliness, his need of a home, and of someone to live ill the heme and bo :i mate U\ him. Maggio hung back a little. How could she tell I him he only lik_-d her because, poor chap. j he was blind? He wouldn't marry her if slip did. and the had got to like him so much -iv more than like him. In tbp end love prevailed, and the young oiuulc were married without her having confessed the need and loneliness that had taken her to St. Dunstan'rt to t<-a< h dam-ing. The shop in ( ohham Street proved only i more or lees of a success. The. more I advanced kinds of shoe-mending were | beyond the blind man's powers; and ens- j temers, die-covering his limitations, went elsewhere. In the main this it. a hard world, and Head's blindness proved from j the sturt a handicap. Maggie was an I economical managfr and a good cook, j but it was difficult to make (lie money he gave her provide for their need?. Also, the confinement of his new trade told on j one vised tv outdoor work, and Phil grew rrjstle.ss. I When the baliy came, however, he j found himself with a new interest in life. , He was never tired of passing his fingers | over the smooth limbs nnd tiny features. | trying to gilftss what his son was like, j His happiness did not last, however, and j in a few month-, the old discontent was. j back. He iiated staying in all day serv- j ing people hard to ploase; above all, he j hated the sedentary work which brought j such a meagre return. When things seemed at their worst a yet greater misfortune befell the tiny household. Vhil was used to p;oin;i about. { by himself: indeed since the baby's birth ' Magffio had often been tied by it to the house. On the very day of Phil's accident it was the child's feverish crying that had driven him out on a pretended errund. A enr raminp one way. a car rounding a corner, two warning hoot«, nnd the bewildered man ran straight into danger. They took him to the nearest hospital, and there Maggie, her teething, trying baby in her arms, hurried in search of him. The doctor was reassuring. A stunning blow on the side of the head—a few bruises. He would soon lx> all riyht again. "On hi.* bead":"' Maggie said. '"Oh. that is where ho was Wounded." Dr. Eliot looked interested. ■■] noticed j an old sear. f wonder——'" he meditated Jor a moment. "Hum. tun, well; j we shall know better in n day or two. ' Now, Mrs. Head, you and lm!-v ought tv be in bed. Teething, is her" He nodded at her in kindly fashion. "1 can give you something that will ease matters for him. • . ."' The following morning, Maggie, tired I and anxious, was in tho chop trying to j placate a disappointed customer. Life seemed bleak and black. Her husband was not only blind but unhappy; she could not, think of any way by which ~he could earn money without leaving home, and there was so little in the till. Suddenly she caught sight of Phil walking down the street. Uound his head was a white bandage. But she was aware also of another, an indefinable difference. She felt she must be mistaken, yet he seemed to be looking at things. Crossing the street, he walkeu into the shop and at once the vustomer turned to him with her grievanre. I

lie smiled and touohcd his liaiidase. "Sorry, ma'am," ho .-aid, in tliv old jjiij way. "but motor chi'h wail for no man." In his big voice he explained to her wlwl lincl happened, ami h»» .11 humuur c-lianged into sympathy. .\i t-lt.- Weill nut iu> picki-d up a Imiit tluil win Ivin-j i.ii tin- niniui r. mid ill I:i-1 \la")t{li< tlirillfd to ill,' foiivictiun i tiai he saw. Her iirst tn-muiidoiu* ni.Miipni dI \<>\ \v>,± fullowfd liy >elli«ll f,::i. in a iiimuimii: more Ii:- would uirn, would Jimmim , wlini :i plain, iinatu-acliv.. orcaXuri- lio luiil married. "(Jck>U Lord!" l v . said, and «li, shook in her shoes. "Th tliiuk I over did us had work as .hat!" 11.. tUtvw tin li.;ot arid-.'. "Xv more Killing ~:i a ln-nrli. stitthing liki' n woman, from now .m. I'll tai-kli' a man"* job." "Phil " Though i.fu'ii worried hv material tiling- i|,,. v 1, : , d b.-.-n liapjv together—so happy, 'oh. if i,, t1,,. 1,,.,. m . iihifr *ht< had only had the coura-.- t<. tell him th,> truth. Uγ Uirnod ai the mniiid n( ilim (veninr. and pill olil his aims t<. her. "\\ ,n-, •Mag. old -irl, ain't you jjl.id;" , "Phi!, I'm that g].',,] i'u, blubliiii" ■ >•..■! it." '■That blow oil llie h : . :l ,| tnlif!;"i] uji my old optip rvrve Hiid I'm nil rianl IVyer hear, laser I can .<■,. „. •,,,.[{ \,^ I'VIT." s '"' lifii-d tliiii dak. l rosi.l fa,-,- m hers. "Phil, and yon -.!,. I ■;,;;, | „•„,•., i:ever Iven j»:- ; ■i; v'" ||~- x ,,;,... (~,„ .. μ-ail. 'Trolly:" 11,. 51 ,. m ,,i „;„-,„.;„,,,. •■^■;, T , it was y.m had the lou-rsl hair i,f ail .!.e Sills thai nvnl ;,, thai whii.d She gasped. V,. u k,,...- w----"Thoiiffht fi.r ,-n:)!,. pa-ou yon didn't want to talk silioin the old ida-, |:,,i did I know you v>r,e Mr.Ji;:.'.. IV:.nv.e of ■Mir street? '; uiirse. I knowed. ( ..me mi now. 1 want i o sfe," he laughed out. "iS'KK-l Muni to see the lioi!"—""»nn- ,- day t lironii'.e."