SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18332, 23 February 1923, Page 12

SHORT STORY.

GAMALIEL GOMERSAL. BY HOUGH WOOD. (Copyright.) This is the story of Gamaliel, the dreamer, and of a woman who had wit and faith. It was an oft-repeated story of Gomersal Brothers *hat if and when a traveller entered the premises and inquired for Mr. Gomersal. the old man would ask, with a chuckle, "Which en 'cm? If it's Mr. George ye want, yoTl find him i' t' office, through that door yonder; if it's Gamaliel, he'll happen be i' t' machine shop, or likely among t' fitters, t' blackest o' t' lot." And, in a phrase, there you have a. picture of the firm of Gomersal Bros., whoso name is to be found on engines tho world over. Susan heard the story" when she came to visit her bachelor brother, and had laughed, a little incredulously, for as yet she knew nothing of the pithiness of speech of these people in her brother's northern pastorate, nor of their free and easy relations with their employers. What amused her was the subtle difference denoted in the " Mr." George and the plain *' Gamaliel," and when presently she met both of the men at the house of a' friend, she was conscious at once of a lively interest. Gamaliel was of a type altogether different from the rough folk about her, a tall, well-knit young fellow, of an active, athletic bearing, that contrasted strangely with his clear-cut, refined features and the dreaminess in his eyes. " Tho man's a dreamer,"'she said to herself, "a poet, perhaps." And later, as tho brusque George said something half disparagingly about his otep-brother, and she alone 'noticed a quick,_ shy pain in Gamaliels eyes. " and sensitive." And still later, a the hostess skilfully steered ' the young fellow to the piano. "Whv, he's a musician." She tried to sound her brother, Dick, that evening on their return home. ly from behind the clouds of tobacco fy from behind th clouds of tobacco smoke. " Oh. he's a poet who doesn't write, and couldn't: a musician who could compose, hut doesn't know it. He is alro an engineer, and, further, just a workman." v "What do you mean by that?" quickly. " Why, that all the poet in him, all the musician in him, in other words, the fine imagination, finds expression in engines, in inventions, that go to increase the power and the trade of Gomersal Brothers." ',' But a workman; you mean a working partner." " No." A big cloud of smoke. " Not a partner, just a workman." ' It was monstrously true. Their father and uncle, the founders of tho business, had seen nothing in Gamaliel but dreaminess, to their practical, matter-of-fact minds, a weakness. That he could do the work of two men at the lathe or in the fitting shop thev admitted, but the youth was given to dreaming, to standing about, apparently lost in thought, watching the machines and engines grow under the hands of tho men. So that when they knew their end was come, it was " Thou must look after Gamaliel," said the father, who had never realised the responsibilities towards this issue of his second marriage; and "Thou will see after Gamaliel," ordered fhe uncle, as he prepared to follow his partner into the shadows. And to George each had left his share of the business, with no more , than a moral obligation to provide for the needs of his step-brother. It was a fact that few knew. It was also, as it happened, an < excellent bargain for George, for, as k . the result of all this dreaming, many a , little sketch came George's way which ] took shape in the designing office, and '• helped to swell George's banking account and his influence. For be grew to be the greatest man in the neighbourhood, and had married into the county—secretly, he was afraid of his wife— had only to nod at the right moment to, get. Into Parliament. | As for Gamaliel, brought up to regard . his brother as the leader in all things, he ', was well content with an allowance, small ! enough, but ample for his few needs; and ' to bo left to potter about and work out his ; ideas undisturbed. He lived in the , old house, with two servants who had j been in the family before he was born, . and took his main recreation in the little : mechanic's shop that once had been the . coach-house, and in music. Possibly he was not even aware that all the house- . keeping dues were paid by George. Details like that he was far removed from. ' And after all, it was an excellent arrange- , merit all roundfor the servants who had ' a comfortable time of it; for Gamaliel, who waß saved much trouble; best of all ' for George. "All the same it's a shame. He ought to have a fair share in the business. I don't like George." "Excellent," he laughed. You've seen him : just once. And what about Gamaliel V She stopped a yawn a little too elabor- ' ately, and looked at her wrist watch and ' started. "Goodness, do you know the time? I'm off. Good-night." , "What did you say about Gamaliel?" he asked mischievously. She paused at the door. " Gamaliel, what a name! Oh he's a dear!" And i she waa gone. Dick whistled softly. <. "Now what V he asked of the empty room. And it would appear that the idea was ' being reciprocated,- for Gamaliel suddenly < awoke to a consciousness that a bright I young thing kept flitting across his path, I that he felt remarkably at. home and at '< ease in her presence, that she was in- ' terested in what he had to say, and once ' * his shyness . overcome, and , on his own I topics, Gamaliel could talk and talk well. • Events began to run on lines not alto- > gether unfamiliar] Gamaliel missed her when she was not with him. On her part she.; had at first pitied his loneliness, had ' felt hurt when open and disparaging • reference was made to his shyness and ' apparent absent-mindedness. She was * filled with a desire to mother him, and ' that is a sure and certain *. sign to 1 closer and finer relationship. And also, because * fiho was aware of George's tacit disap- * proval of what was going onand she I saw how things were tending long before x Gamaliel didshe saw to it that they con- * tinued. But not until Gamaliel ap-' * reached her one day, very humble, mak- ! ig little of himself, so much of her, J conscious of his daring in reaching out v to so divine a thing— until then, when ' he revealed himself in all his humility ' and strength, waa she aware how dearly ' played the fool. ' " Gamaliel," she said,' one day, shortly after their relations had been established. j ** I want you to promise me something." , " Yes ?" he beamed at her goodJmmonr«dly, , " When we—we're married, let me see < liny new ideas you sketch down, and inventions you make." " Why, of course," he agreed. " But . what will yon do with them?" ! " Well if they're any good, as of : Course they will be," smiling sweetly,, *' we'll take out patent rights, in your name. We may as well have what benefit comes from them. Besides, yon will : have a wife to keep, yon know, and sometiroes they are expensive luxuries." " Not at all a bad idea," he admitted, musing over this new point of view. "I never thought of that." " You'll -have to settle down to the responsibilities of a wife," laughed Susan, " and she will want money to keep the house going." Then she tackled George, but not before she wore a plain gold ring that gave Jier authority in more ways than one, and rot before Gamaliel, reverting one day to their conversation, had shown her a drawerful of sketches and drawings, everyone of which, he' assured her, had been taken up and used by the firm. He was as pleased as a great boy, and die was outwardly as pleased and interested us he was. But all the same she made private enquiries, and learned, as she nad suspected, that all the patent rights were •- in George's name. There was a stubborn ~ - net about her little chin when ehe faced her brother-in-law, -.':•.•■... J*

• " Gamaliel isn't, as you know," she opened, coming right to the point, "a practical sort of man, so I want to talk with you myself." , . " Certainly," he agreed, inwardly uneasy, for already he had had a taste of Susan's capabilities, and had vaguely sensed the driving power of this pretty, but remarkably practical ] little '■; woman. "And what about?" * . . : . " Well, I want a different arrangement. I find that you have been keeping up the house for him, paying all the servants and the food bills and so on. _ Of course, as mistress of the house, that now falls to me. So I suggest that the old arrangement drops, and that Gamaliel, instead of getting that allowancehe isn't a boygets an adequate recognition of his position, of what he has done, and is doing, for the firm." He has no position in the concern, Mrs. Gamaliel." At the cold politeness of it she shot him a quick look. She knew that he had, in a sense,* reluctantly surrendered Gamaliel to her; he could not . fight her, and his family, least of all his wife, but business affairs were quite another matter. " You mean he isn't a partner ? What, then " Strictly speaking, just a workman," shortly. " Oh," slowly, "is that all. He lives in a pretty big house for a workman, doesn't ho? And what about those inventions of his?" George grew a dusky red and angry. "I don't know about any inventions. He has made suggestions time and time again, but I have put them in practical form. All inventions of this firm stand in my name." " Then you don't admit his share in them." "My dear Mrs. Gamaliel," he waved his hand in painful protest against having to discuss the subject. " Well, where do we stand ?" abruptly. Sho had lost patience with the man, and moreover he had rubbed her up sorely. " Of course, as my brother.'\he began, unctuously. Her blood boiled. This was the breaking point. "That will do," she snapped. "I know of the relationship. What we are talking about is value." He looked pained again, having recovered his temper, and taking up his prepared part. " Values. Well,* as a workman, he is entitled to our standard rate, £5 a week." " And you insist on classing him as a workman, and claim that the inventions are yours ?" He nodded. It had been his intention to do something, but as a gift, not a right. This young woman pressed him too hard, and his dignity was hurt. Moreover, he meant to surrender nothing. "You are a clever man, George. I hope your {inventive genius will continue to flourish. But I believe Gamaliel isn't without, I think he ought to have a chance to develop it. So I am commissioned to hand you this. Good morning." And George found himself alone in his private office, a £5 note on the desk before him, and in his hand a note from Gamaliel, formally severing his connection with the concern forthwith, and enclosing the money "in lieu of the customary week's notice." And after passing through a week of moods, of anger, of blind rage, of pitying contempt for the two, of fear, and of some compunction, George realised at the end that he had she loved him. Dick tried to play the peacemaker when the facts came to his knowledge, but on the one hand George was still sore, not relishing the vision he had seen of himself and Susan was adamant. "The fact of the matter is, Dick, Gammy has an idea, and he's going to work it out, and I'm going to help him." " But how are you going to live. Of course, you can count on me." "It isn't speculation, Dick, lad; it's an investment." And with that he had to be content. Yet not altogether, for he knew something of the exciting times » they were having together. How Gamaliel, Susan helping loyally, set up a stout pole from floor to "ceiling in the big, semi-under-ground kitchen, how he cemented the floor and the walls, strongly bricked up the door to half, its height, and then flooded the place until it was a minature lake. And he and Susan had many adventurous trips in a tiny boat sailing round and round .the said pole, whilst Gamaliel sat amidships, tinkering with an engine that absorbed, him to the exclusion of everything else, and smoking heaps of tobacco. And when a larger boat had been built and engined and carted off as quietly as possible to the river, it was Dick who took the helm as the " Susan " made her trial trip, with the inventor and his wife aboard. It was a great trip. Gamaliel sat over the engine, nursing it, watching it, adjusting it; and Susan, whose task it was to sit by the indicator and note the speed and the delicate, tricky instruments that measured the fuel consumption, had yet time to Bee the look of satisfaction growing on his face. And Dick, pipe in mouth, thoroughly enjoying himself, was the more happy because it was clear that Gammy had made good and had justified his wife's faith in him. How was he to know that the floods of the previous month had brought down a tree trunk and left it submerged and dangerous on a shallow, right in his path. There was a crash, a ripping sound, and the boat, water pouring in through all her seams and her broken bow, backed into • deep water and sank. The impact threw Susan overboard, and also the inventor; it was as if they had gone with ons accord. Dick was flung forward on to the engine, cutting his face. And when he realised things more clearly, he found himself standing on the boat, the water up to his armpits, still a little dazed. Susan was half way across to the bank, swimming on her back, Gamaliel's head between her hands. " It's all right," she assured her husband, as he came to the surface, and began to splash wildly about. "I've got you safe." She gripped him. "Keep perfectly still." And he had sense enough to do as he was bid. :, ■■;/ :■■;.-. «■ Are you all right, Dick?" she called. " I'll be back in a minute if you want help. Bother these skirts." " They are a nuisance when swimming, are.they not?" said a calm voice at her elbow. " Can I give you a hand Only a few yards more." She had.not heard the splash as an onlooker on the bank had taken a header and swum out to her assistance! And presently Gamaliel was landed, Dick had managed to paddle his way across, and • Suiian had time to take stock of things. I Near by a woman was re-adjusting her I skirt. Her hair and face were wet, ■ her blouse was sodden, but the skirt was dry. ' She laughed as Susan noticed it. " Yes, I my dear. I'd time to take it off, ever \ so much better without it when swim- i ming. Tommy will be back soon with the car. I was up on the bank with him when' the accident happened, and I sent him off for the machine. It is close at hand. We must get you home and into dry things." ' Why, Betty," gasped Susan in amazement, for it was none other than George's county wife. Betty laughed. : " Why, girl, what's the matter." And just then the big car drove up, with Tommy, Betty's youngest hopeful, inside, very much hurt at having missed the fun. ■/• "And between you and me," said Betty to Susan. " I call it foolishness," was what Dick overheard, his head still swimming, " and I mean to stop it. Wait till George gets home. I'll tell him something. You poor dear." And when George got home from the works it was to find his brother and Dick in suits that did not fit and that had a familiar look about them, whilst Susan was . wearing , a dress he knew, and his daughter Alice was of the company, eyes wide and bright, with a shy flush on her cheeks. It wasn't quite clear how it came about but after dinner the men were smoking what Betty termed pipes of peace, ana talking deeply about thermodynamic properties, of percentages of efficiency, and other things vrith appalling names that, is, George and Gamaliel were, for Dick had drifted off to the window corner where Alice sat. And Betty pausing for a moment in her conversation, drew Susam's attention to them with a glance, and smiled. "Yes. you know," she began, and drawing her chair nearer, bent forward in low-voiced intimate, confid< fences.