THE MISSING KEY

Evening Star, Issue 22881, 12 February 1938, Page 8

THE MISSING KEY

Said John: “As you aren’t coming to the beach this morning please may I take the hut key?” “ You’ll find it in the pocket of my old mackintosh in the hall,” replied his father.

John went to get it, but a second

later he was back again. “ Your mac’s not there,” he cried. “ Nonsense,” said his father, getting up to look. But though he and mother and the landlady too, all joined in the search there was no mackintosh to be found. “ It will turn up to-night,” mother remarked cheerfully; “ I expect someone lias taken it by mistake.” “ But I wanted to get on with my swimming practice.” John sounded vei’y cross indeed. “ And I can’t when all my things are in the hut.” But by the time he and his mother reached the beach he had almost forgotten the key, and there was plenty to watch on the sands. “ Would you like to fetch some ices?” asked his mother, presently. “ There are a number of shops that sell them, but I think Gilbert’s are the best.” So John set off. The front was hot after the beach, and Gilbert’s seemed far away. Just outside the shop he caught up with a young man who seemed tired of carrying a mackintosh over one arm, and as John came up he swung it over his shoulder.

There was a clatter, and a key fell at John’s feet.

As he stooped to pick it up the young man turned. “ This fell out of your pocket ” began John, smiling, for the man was staying in the same house as he was. Then ho gasped. For he noticed that the key had a wooden label and on it was painted in black letters “ Twentynine,” which was the number of their hut. “But it’s not mine!” exclaimed the. young man. “ Then perhaps it’s dad’s,” cried John excitedly, and began telling him what had happened that morning. “ I think it must bo,” said the other. “ I snatched it up very quickly as I went through the hall this morning and must have made a mistake.” John was so eager to get back to his swimming that he almost forgot the ices. He bought them, and then he and his new friend went back to the beach together, for the young man to tell John’s mother how sorry he was. He did more than that, for every day during the holidays he came down and gave John a swimming lesson.