TOO OBLIGING

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 97, 27 April 1938, Page 23

TOO OBLIGING

By PETER FABRIZIUS

Short Story

THE expensive looking ear screeched angrily as it was brought to a sudden standstill 011 account of a shabbily dressed man, but its owner sprang out with a welcoming smile and shook the shabby man heartily by the ha-nd. "Robert! You old son of a gun! This is a surprise; seeing you again after all these years!" he cried. "How long is it? Ten years? Fifteen? Where have you been hiding?" Robert was almost overcome by the heartiness of the other. True, they had been great friends at school, but in later years John Parker had become chairman of a large bank, while he. Robert, was earning a small salary as a clerk. + + 4- -V But, to-dav, this difference seemed to be wiped out. John was not satisfied until Robert had agreed to get into the beautiful car and go back to his house where the two friends sat in easy chairs talking over their school days. The blue haze from expensive cigars and a few glasses of irreproachable brandy caused the difference between their positions to be forgotten. "Why did you vanish so completely?" asked John for the tenth time, "why did you never look me up? I could have helped you in some way or other." "You see ... it was this way . . . . I didn't want to be a burden to you. You have the reputation —forgive me for saying so —that you don't like to do a good turn to anyone." + ♦ ♦ ♦ For a moment Jolin was silent, staring over his friend's head. "Yes," he said at last, "there's some truth in that. I am of the opinion that one should not do.« good turn." "Surely that is a somewhat curious opinion? Why should one not ease the life of some fellow human being? It need not cost money. "Very often a word or some kindly act is sufficient". There is no necessity to take on anything unpleasant." "You can never tell," came the reply. "I once had an experience, a email, unimportant experience, which may have had a certain influence on my point of view. '"It was at the time when I was still only a junior manager. One day I saw a girl on the pavement whose umbrella had been blown inside out, and while she was struggling with it her bag had fallen and its contents were strewn over the ground. "I hurried to her and helped her— I can still remember how I went through two puddles to get her handkerchief. "At last I had collected everything: it had taken longer than I thought. I

was on my way to the station and had to take a taxi, but even then I trot there just in time to see the train drawing out of the station." "You aren't going to tell me that on account of this one should never be obliging?" "Of course not. In fact, I was very glad, for I got to know the girl through tli business, and she was lovely." "There you are! Had you not been obliging . . ." "But wait a moment. I'm telling you that one never knows the consequences of that sort of thing. "I was to have gone to Scotland to fix up some very important business for my firm. "Through having missed my train our competitors got it; and I escaped getting the sack only by the skin of lny teeth." "Well, you can't blame the girl for that!" "I was not sacked. On the contrary, it turned out to be extremely lucky that we did not get the business, for the firm in question failed and brought down our competitors with it." "And you say one should not be obliging. Had you not helped that girl you would have caught the train, got the business, your firm would have failed, and you would have been out of it job." "One must look at the advantages and the disadvantages together. Incidentally, there was another bit of hick about my having missed that train. There was an accident and several people were injured." "Good heavens!" cried Robert, "you hove to thank the fact of having missed that train for your very limbs—possibly your life! "And do you still say that one should not bo obliging? You saved your firm from ruin, strengthened your position, and, in addition, made the acquaintance of A charming girl!" "Wait a moment, my friend. There's one thing you don't know. That charming girl, whom I would not have met except for this accident, is now my wife!" + + + ■♦■ The door opened at that moment and a tall, stout woman came into the room. Her hair was obviously dyed. "This is too bad!" she screamed in a piercing voice. "You make me wait for the car to take me to my bridge party, while you sit with one of your pub friends getting drunk in the middle of the day and scattering ash all over the carpet! Fine behaviour. I must say!" And she went out, banging the door after her. "That is my wife." he said weakly, "so tell me—should one be obliging?"]