YOUTH TAKES THE HELM

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 307, 28 December 1935, Page 17

YOUTH TAKES THE HELM

BY PHYLLIS HAMBLEDON

CHAPTER XIII. (continued). That day Micky decided that he could stand it no longer. He had got to J-jiow. He had got to know whetherLorraine was going to belong to him. ge had gone about his work quietly and sclf-containedly. He had discussed the rc planting of the trees propagated last sprinf. the winter trencliing ancUmariurj„rr. He had entered with an outward enthusiasm on the new scheme for the irreeiihouses and mushroom house. He had- spoken, acted, eaten as usual, but lie had not slept, and his mind had been jn a ferment. Lorraine's letters had been: ion-committal, hut he had 1 fancied that there had been a note of resignation about them. He could not go to Freyne. He was still very anxious not' to see Beryl. j_ ■ And.' suddenly he decided that he' would pay a visit to Eddie. Work slack to-day. He'd go down to , the nursing, home in Hertfordshire and see him. I'"- know then, he thought. Anyway, he's probably bored to death there/ I ou"ht to have gone to see him long ago. ■';' vi ; -- ■ • • ". •

It was early afternoon when he arriv'ed, and after a preliminary sojourn in the waiting room a nurse told him,' smilingly, that Mr. Shevin would be delighted to see him.'... .

His first impression was that he had; never seen Eddie so cheerful. The roOm was'gay and filled with flowers.- He sat up iU bed, hair long but neatly brushed. There was a glow of colour in his face, ]ii 3 [eyes were bright, and his voice radiant. He shook Micky's hand with the vigour of a strong man rather than of an invalid.

"Hello, old top. No end glad to see you. "Well, how're thing* generally?" "Oh, not so bad," said Micky. You're not looking so bad yourself, come to that." I .

"I've bucked up no end since this morning," said Eddie. He seemed indeed to be bubling over with happiness and mischievousness. ''Lorraine came to see jr>e twice," he said. "And we've fi.veu, the wedding day." Everything seemed to change for Micky. The room was no longer bright, the fire burnt dully. He was very tired. But he forced the smile that was expected of him.

"I suppose that's enough Ao buck up anybody," he said. "When is it going to be?"

"The very day I get fitted with a natty pair of crutches," said Eddie, "and we're going for a cruise for our honeymoon."

". "It sounds quite a scheme," said Micky.

"And we're going to sting you for a really handsome wedding present. A cocktail shaker's one of the things on the list, by the way." "I'll remember," said Micky. "Er— congratulations, old man. T hope that you'll both be very happy." "I'm- sure," said Eddie, "that we'll both be as happy as sand boys—whatever ■ sand boys are," he added. "And that reminds me; you'll be the: best man,-* won't you, Micky 1" ' ' • "Oh,, I'd rather not—" , ...:.

Best man, best man at Lorraine's wedding, standing close to. her at the.altar, seeing her handed over to -somebody else, lovely and shimmery, very white and virginal. Kb, that was too much, that-was more than anybody conld be expected:to stand. Lorraine wouldn't expect it. This must be Eddie's idea entirely.

Im no good at that sort of thin"-" he said. For a moment the look of suf,t?B on his f ace revealed itself. «m! Ull have to excuse me. Eddie." Oh, but Davina will be awfully disappointed," said Eddie. "You see she's heard such a lot about voii." "Davina?" said Micky. "Who is ■Davina?" , - "Oh," saill Eddie, in a tone of rather elaborate unconcern. "I'd forgotten. You haven't met her. Just rap on that wall, will you ?" Micky rapped mechanically. '•. He than t know where he was. He didn't know what was happening. The door opened in a second and there stood a girl, a girl in a blue jersey suit with her wrist bandaged. "The future Mrs. Eddie Shevin," said h-ddie, "Mr. Michael Fanshawe." "What!" said Micky. He took a tight grip on the chair. You're Micky," said Davina. Her eves *ere merry but they were very soft. "I'm so glad to meet'you. You're going to marry one, of my best friends, I believe."

'What?" said Micky again. "But I— I don't understand. Is this a joke ?" Davina ran to him and put a hand through his arm. "I-told you, Eddie," she said reproachfully, "that it was a stupid way of breaking it to him! I told him you'd get all upset and anyhow. Micky, it's you that's going to marry Lorraine. We fixed it up. between us this morning, and she's gone to the fruit farm to tell you so. I asked her straight out and—but vou tell him the rest, Eddie." "You see old fruit," said Eddie, "I adore-Lorraine, but I adore Davina still "'ore, and it turns out she is crazy about ine, and Lorraine quite appreciates my charms, but she's the shocking bad taste "Hike you better. And so—" 'Dash you,'-' said Micky, "tell me quickly. You say she went down to the fruit farm—when?" "Before lunch. She'll be there now." 'Then excuse me, will you ?" said Micky.

He made a dash towards the door, stopped on the threshold. His face was glowing. "Yes, I'll be best man all right, Eddie," he said gleefully. "And you can have a gross of cocktail shakers if you want them. And—oh, gish!" He was gone. Davina and Eddie looked ateach other and laughed."He didn't waste much time," said Eddie. --»

"No, and he's a lamh. I don't wofoder Lorraine is dippy about him." Davina sat on Eddie's bed, and rubbed her cheek against his very gently.* - "We shan't Waste much time, cither," she told him -sSft?y- "Because—my angel I'm just as "'Ppy about you and more so!" v Micky had* driven so fast. The |<?ar had never responded so nobly. By /*ay, 0 f the Watford by-pass, through ;Harrow.-And Ealing, and Kew on to the .Kingston by-pass, and. Guildford left ;belrind him." Then the downs and then ♦.the soft fruit country of Sussex, smoke rising from little farms, over everything - the .golden glow of autumn's fulfilment, *;°f harvest safely garnered. They were stopping work. at the fruit ('arm. He saw McDougall. The foreman's face lit up at the sight of him. \ ,r Miss Carinichael's back, sir," he told pirn. "She asked me to tell you when ;3'ou came that she was down in the Orchard."

"I'll go now," said Micky. MeDougall watched him striding over the grass. He smiled in quiet contentment. ' He knew how things were, a little. It will be all right. The fruit farm will go on and on. The thought meant comfort and stability and safety to him and to those dependent on hir>. He tramped home. jAnd among the fruit trees Lorraine; waited for Micky —the fruit trees which had given of their wealth for them, denuded now, but still beautiful. The sun set behind them in a tawny glory; there was the feeling of frost in the air, but frost would no longer harm them. They were safe as Lorraine and Micky were safe. It was right that she should wait for Micky there. Had these orchards not had their own part in their love for each other? "Lorraine!" "Micky!" Nothing to say between them; all had been said already. No bitterness about their kisses any more, nothing to fear since they had each other, and there was nothing to come between them any longer. Her face was so sweet and cold under his kisses, her eyes so glad. Tins was their, home; here lay their future. It. didn't matter to them whether the mill in Yorkshire began paying again or not. Here was their livelihood. The right sort of livelihood from the kiud, fruitful earth—a life of out-of-door things, of spring and summer, seed time and harvest.

"Lorraine, when will you marry me?" "There is nothing left to wait for," said Lorraine.

"We'll live here, won't we? Is the little house good enough for you, Lorraine?"

"Where else would be good enough? Isn't this our home? —isn't this the place we made together?" "All the troubles over," said Micky. "And evil dreams to be put behind us." "And new things beginning," said Lorraine. "Oh, I'm happy—l'm endlessly happy." "My. girl —my darling girl!" said Micky. But Lorraine knew better than that. She was grown-up now. At in: first dance she had thought "It" was all going to begin. This was where the beginning had brought her. Afte.' long, weariness and pain, home to Micky. . "Not ojnly your girl, Micky," she said. "But your woman. As you are my man, Micky, for always and always." (The End.)