Short Story : How Did He Know?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 14, 17 January 1940, Page 15

Short Story : How Did He Know?

VOUNG men in love, it has been observed, do strange things. And., what is even more strange, the things they do seem perfectly natural to them.

Jack hadn't been long at sea, and ho hadn't long been in love. Therefore, when the steamer Sylvia ■ Smith put in at Singapore, it occurred to Third Officer Jeek Spencer that to have the name of his lady-love emblaaoned upon his chest w-ould be a pleasant and ever-present reminder of her.

So Jack discovered a tattooer —no very difficult task in Singapore—and, despite a little embarrassment at disclosing his sentimental desire, succeeded in explaining!! his requirement.

Her name was Mary. And. when Jack left the tattooer, a little stiff and sore about the chest, that name was indelibly recorded in romantic adjacenee to hie heart.

In the meantime, the lady thus honoured was beginning to discern certain disadvantages in being engaged to a sailor. A girl likes to see something <>f her fiance, and her desire is not easy to indulge when the afore* iid spends moet of his time on the high seas.

It was not long, therefore, before h fooling of neglect made itself felt.

So that it wo* only natural that shj should also realise that, even if Jack Spencer were absent, he was not the ♦•nly man in the world. In particular, there wns Donald Svnioixls.

The result of tiiis was a slightly incoherent letter awaiting Jack ut Madiera. He opened the letter with eagerness, and read it through three times. .

He then ripped the letter across several times, tossed the pieces overboard for the gulls to make what they could of them, uttered a short, barking laugh, and lit his pipe. The episode, it seemed, was over.

Thus Jack Spencer expunged the name of Mary from his heart and from his mind. But he could not expunge it from his chest.

The name was still very much in evidence several years later. Jack was still on the Sylvia Smith, although lie now enjoyed the rank of first mate, an.l hiK c'hest had expanded since it had suffered the tattoocr's needle in the cause of love.

By Colin Howard

At first Jack had hated the thought of a. iieme that had gone cut of his life lingering on his chest. He had been very self-conscious of it, and had earnestly scraped his chest raw with pumice-stone in "an effort to erase it. But. the beauty of the tattooed is more than skin deep. The name of ".Mary" remained in ilamboyant, pristine letters of blue and e-carlet. And, before long, he ceased to regard it any more than he would have heeded a mole. The Sylvia Smith was docked in Baddermouth for refitting when Pamela Anderson entered his life. Or, to be accurate, when he entered Pamela Anderson's life. Pamela, small, dark, and vivacious, was walking elong the front at Baddermouth when Jack saw her. Jack w;ie not «n impressionable man, but immediately he .saw nothing else—not even the kerb. The outcome of not seeing the kerb was that he was precipitated into the arms of Pamela. "Ooh!" said Pamela. "Goeh!" gasped Jack. "I—'l say, I —l and most frightfully sorry!" Which wae, of course, a. rank falsehood. When the girl had acknowledged 1 apology that should have been an end of the whole alfiiir. But it wasn't. .Tack suggested that *!ie must be awfully shaken —wouldn't it be wi*e to sit down and retst for a little? That <iife over there, now—had >lic had her tea? No? Then perhaps she would allow . . . For some minutes Miris, Anderson would not allow. But sailors have persuasive tongues —and Jack wae a very good sailor. Before long that persuasive tongue was ordering tea for two. '"1 say, you know, I am glad I bumped into you!"' breathed Jack. "Are you staying down here for long?" "I live here," she informed him. ''Splendid! Do you—might I —do you think I might eee you again? I've been left in charge of my ship while she"a •being refitted, and I was afraid I wae going to have an awfully dull time of it. I don't know a «oul in Baddermouth." ended Jack, trying to sound pathetic—a not uncommon device upon such occasions. "What a ehame!" "In fact, I'm a very lonely man, really," sighed Jack forlornly.

If that were really eo, he exhibited little sign of it during the ensuing da ye. But no man could have felt lonely in the company of Pamela Anderson. He even remained on at Baddermouth quite unnecessarily when Jim Hilliard, the second mate, came back to relieve him. The outcome of this prolonged eojourn was evidenced one night when Jack danced wildly on board the Sylvia Smith. "Jim! Jim!" he bellowed. "Where are you, Jim? Jim, old 'boy, what do you think? I'm engaged!" Jim Hilliard appeared less stirred by the news than Jack wae. "Congratulations, old man!" he said. "Who'cs the lady? Do I know her?" "I'll introduce you in the morning!" promised Jack. "Oh, goeh, Jim, isn't life wonderful? Oh, lord, I'm going up on deck to count the etare." It i>, perhaps, not the simplest thing in the world for anybody to compel a man to expose hie eheet when that man desire* above»all to do no such thing; but Jim resolved privately to do his utmost in that way. Pamela, he held, was far too good for Jack. In his efforts to unveil Jack's incriminating chest to Pamela, he made a persistent and not entirely welcome third to the party. "Just why do we have to have that man trailing around wherever we go?" Pamela demanded of Jack. "Oh, I don't know," answered Jack tolerantly. "I suppose he finds it pretty lonesome on IIL4 own down here—juet as I did. darling, before I met you. You wouldn't want him to be lonely." "Wouldn't I?" said Pamela viciously. However, out of consideration for .Tack she treated Jim with charming friendliness, and that deluded man genuinely believed that he had only to dispose of Jack to leave the way clear for himself. "J say, what about a bathe?" he proposed one day. "Oh, let's! - ' cried Pamela. "Creat idea!" agreed Jack. And the throe made their way to the 'beach, hired towels and coetumee, and retired into boxes to change. In his. box Jack discarded his clothinfiT, pulled on hi* costume, stretched himeelf. glanced down, and let out the sort of exclamation one might expect from a man who, having for some reason turned Ixick the bedclothes before jumping 1 into bed, discoveres that a snake has already assumed possession. It had been the work of minutes to undress himself. , It was the work of seconds to garb himself once more.

"Why, Jack, you're not changed!" exclaimed Pamela, disappointed, as Jaek emerged fully clad. Jim said nothing, but is is probable that his disappointment wae deeper even than Pameb's. "Don't feel quite like it to-day, ; ' explained Jack. "Some other time, perhaps." She stared at him curiously, and gave her head a little toss. "Well, of course, if that's how you feel about it, all right!" she said. Come on, Jim." Jim, following the girl into the water, felt some satisfaction ml her tone, but his satisfaction was incomplete. By now she should have been staring a: Jack's chest and .ripping him into little bits with her tongue. Still, it might yet be managed. His thoughts bore fruit at once when, at some distance from the shore, he kn out a wild yell end disappeared momentarily. "What'e wrong?" called Pamela anxiously. "Cramp!" shrieked Jim, contorting his features with commendable realism. "Ow! Help! Help!" He sank again. When he came up Jack was in the water, heeding strongly for Jim, who noticed with disgust that the rescuer had not tarried to doff any clothing. Still that might be worked later. "Don't move!" Jack commanded, coming up with Jim. "I've got you. Don't you try to do anything yourself." He turned Jim over on his back and towed him ashore. "Can't even thank you enough, old inai.!" said Jin:, emotionally. "Saved my life, by jove!" "Don't talk rot!" growled Jack. "Here, you go and get a good rub down. Hurry up!" '"That'e what you want, Jack, too!" interposed Pamela. "Look — you're shivering!" "Yes, you ought to take your things off at once," said Jim. "Wet clothes'll give you a chill quicker than anything!" And before Jack could stop him he had pulled off the other's jackat and shirt. The name of Mary flamed to the world, brilliant as on that day in Singapore when it had been executed. Both men stood waiting, breathless, for the storm to break. Pamela stared incredulously at the inscribed name. For ten seconds she didn't spe*k. Then she flung heu arms about Jack's neck. "Oh, Jack, you silly, romantic old darling!" she cried. "Oil, I love you for that. But when did I tell you my second name is Mary?"