RANDOM REMINDER
A CASE 0F...
She had been appointed secretary of an Adult Education class and took the job seriously. Each evening the class met, she called the roll carefully and marked the absents and presents meticulously. She savoured the names, even such commonplace ones as Black, Brown and White and found them quite colourful. She wondered about the origins of some—Jones, Evans and Griffiths and Campbell and two McGregors, a Dupont and a Van der Nieuwkoop. There was also an O’Flaherty, and a Rev. Mr Hamshere. As she called the names and ticked them off, she glanced up quickly to try to place the person
replying. Some were easy, but some were too' quick with the reply and she had to go on with the next name without finding which members of the company were Messrs Jones, White, Campbell, and O’Flaherty. All were present on the first night, but at the second and subsequent classes the Rev. Mr Hamshere failed to respond. On the first occasion she glanced quickly up, saw a man in clerical garb, and marked Mr Hamshere as present. Mr Hamshere did not respond at the next meeting of the class when his name was called, but the secretary glanced up, caught hi« eya and again marked
him present, thinking at the same time that it was strange that he should look at her yet not respond. And a nagging doubt about the whole thing rose in her mind. It assumed bigger and bigger proportions during the lesson and when the class was over, she hurried from her seat to intercept the reverend gentleman. “I beg your pardon, but I wondered why you didn’t answer your name when I called the roll. You are the Rev. Mr Hamshere, aren’t you?” she asked. He looked down at her with a twinkle in hit eye. “Indaid and Oi’m not,” said Father OFl*herty.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CII, Issue 30094, 30 March 1963, Page 22
Word Count
314RANDOM REMINDER Press, Volume CII, Issue 30094, 30 March 1963, Page 22
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