JIMMY GROWS UP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22142, 22 June 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

JIMMY GROWS UP

BY-BETTY MAITLAND

There was trouble in the Kelsey family. Nothing actually serious, however, but just that heavy, ominous feeling, like a nascent thunderstorm, that always hung over the household before a dance. August was frowning as she wriggled her' frock carefully over her permanent ware. Who wouldn't frown when escorts had failed to offer their services, and one had to go with one's baby brother " Scarcely out of his cradle yet!" sniffed August, with a twitch to her frock and a sisterly disregard for the scant three years that divided her own age from Jimmy's. In the next bedroom, Mrs. Kelsey wore black silk and a worried expression. She always found dressing a trying affair when conducted in company with her husband. He invariably chose the most insecure moments in which to demand the whereabouts of his starched shirt, studs or tie, and he never could find them himself. Thank heaven they were nearly ready! Mr. Kelsey shrugged himself into his coat, discovered he'd forgotten to don a tie, and repaired the omission, saying several things rapidly in an undertone. " Martin,"' Mrs. Kelsey ! s voice was querulous. " I do wish you wouldn't •use those words. Apart from obvious reasons, I've told you before that it's bo bad for Jimmy." Her tone had the effect of goading her husband into still further irritation. He tugged savagely at the refractory tie, rebuffing his wife's attempts to assist him. " A man needs to swear at times," he growled apologetically. "As for Jimmy, if you can tell me where the young scamp is, and save me the trouble of hunting him up, I'll be much obliged!" He lapsed into a silence so much more expressive than his recent mumblings that the worried look on his wife's face deepened. " I know, I know, dear," she fluttered. "It's too bad of him to disappear, even if be doesn't like dancing. It's time he was getting used to it —he's a naughty boy to stay out like this. But I'm sure he'll turn up in time." Mr. Kelsey's- already healthy colour turned a shade or two deeper. "Turn tip, will he?" he rumbled. "He'd better! Here'm I. expected to leave my work- and rush home, and then J'm informed that Jim-mee hasn t come in yet, that we're ail forced to sit down and wait for Jim-mee! Scandalous the way you've spoilt.-that boy, Emma. All nonsense to say he's shy —no boy is shy at seventeen. It's simply a notion of yours, and' he trades on it!" August wandered in. August, all white shoulders and fringed eyes, the last word in dainty, powdered debutantes. She looked at her mother, raised her eyebrows at her father's indignantly expressive back, and drifted like a slim piece of swansdown over to the cheval-glass. "Hasn't Jimmy comchome yet?" she asked innocently. " It's a quite a bit late, isn't it?"

Her father glared and snorted. "Listen to'the girl! 'Quite a bit late' -—we should be there by now!" He jerk-ad a suspicious head at his daughter. " You know where he is?"

August, intent upon practising a new, wistful expression in the mirror, modelled upon the steady Garbo gaze, scarcely heard her sire. "Jimmy?" she said vaguely. " Why, he did say • • Ah, that was it! Eyes hlsjf closed, lips parted, look remote. . . ' and what did he say?" demanded her father testily. " Stop trying to look beautiful just for a minute, if you can. and pay attention to your mother and me

ihe mirror reflected the back of August s c'urjv head, the Garbo look Vanished in plaintiveness. " All right, ini telling you, aren't 1 ? He said he guessed he'd have tea in town, and 'rhen I reminded him about Mrs.

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Rainer's danoe he said: ' Oh, blow the dance!' "

"There!" wailed Mrs. Kelsey. "Martin, I warned you that if you used profanity so much the boy would pick it up! Oh dear, And 1 brought him up so carefully!" "Profanity!" Her husband straightened. and made indistinct noises in his throat. Over by the window, August interposed quickly: " You brought us up beautifully, darling . . . with Daddy's help. Jimmy was just feeling bad-tempered. Supposing we go to the dance, and not bother about him? 1 won't have a partner, but that doesn't matter." A moment before the window had shown her Ted Bowan in his twiD-seater, waving invitingly as he flashed past. August began to feel fairly certain that the dance would be a success.

" Well . . Her father hesitated, deciding as a door banged below: " We'll wait for him, and if he doesn't get a move on ... 1" But Mrs. Kelsey was already hurrying to the door. " Jimmy," she called, her tone wavering between relief and apprehension, "do hurry, dear. Your father is—we are all waiting for you, and we're late now. Do you know where to find your things?" Jimmy came slowly up the stairs. He looked cold, because be had walked home as slowly as he dared. "Aw, Mum". Do I have to go tonight? Honest, I don't think the house should be left and anyway, I've got an awful headache . . ." His father

loomed up suddenly and menacingly in the background, and Jimmy substituted hastily; "that is, it's going off a bit now. but I think I'd better lie down for a while. You go on, and I'll come on round."

Mr. Kelsey barked suddenly: "That's enough. You go and get dressed!" and so peremptory was his voice that Jimmy faded away with more celerity than grace. None knew better than he the limit? of his father's patience. In a remarkably short time be reappeared, dejected hut ready, and even his hangdog asper-t and shuffling step did not prevent bis mother from secretly thinking that he looked very nice. She was extremely proud of her two handsome •children, but was wise enough not to say so.

" All set." jminibled Jimmy. " 111 dr-ve if y'like. Dad." While ins father locked the house, he brought the car from the garage, and hacked it deftly down the drive. On the way to Mrs Rainer's, they were a silent party, only Jimmy's mother occasionally fluttering. "Do be careful, son. Don't take the corners too sharply. . . . There's a car right behind us, Jimmy. ' . as was her habit whenever her son took the wheel

Out of the semi-darkness sprang a bewitched garden, a magical row 01" lights. The papers termed Mrs. Rainer's home " a magnificent and palatial residence," and certainly when a party was in progress, its appearance fully justified the description. Jimmy was immediately seized by art agonising fit, of shyness. He steered erratically under rows of hanging lanterns and came to a jerky standstill.

" You folks get out," he quavered. " I'll just p-park the car around the co-corner."

" No," said his father with finality "Park here" That accomplished, he shepherded his family up the wide steps, keeping a vigilant eye upon his son's shrinking back. The vigilance was born of experience. Jimmy had been, asked to dances, but had by no means always attended them, before. ".And you'll dance with your hostess, your sister, and her friends!" Mr. Kelse\ admonished finally with hissing emphasis, The affability with which he greeted his hostess a second afterward beemed little short cr amazing.

Mrs. Rainer, plump, well-corseted, and kindly, welcomed them volubly. "So glad to see you, August, my dear; you grow prettier every day. And Jimmy —Tvby, I declare, you're taller than your father; But then, 1 always say that young people spring up like mushrooms once they leave school." She topped him knowingly on the arm. "Impatient to meet all the pretty girls, I'll be bound! Well, I've the sweetest child here to-night; my little niece Daphne from Te Kuiti, on a visit —"

■ She turned to greet other guests, still rattling on. All the world seemttd to attend Mrs. Rainer's dances. Jimmy averted his strained glance from the already crowded ballroom. His mother and August were disappearing toward the cloakroom in the wake of a trim maid; his father, unfortunately, was still beside him. Jimmy sighed heavily, and resigned himself to the inevitable.

For the nest hour, life for him was nothing but boredom. Mr. and Mrs. Kelsey, being non-dancers, played bridge in the adjoining room, from which Mr. Kelsey had the habit of emerging every time he was dummy to continue in the superintending of bis son. So escape from the ballroom Jimmy could not, and when his father, with ominously beetling brows, appeared for the fifth time, he plunged wildly at the nearest wallflower. Better this than the repellant and spinsterish females whom his father would undoubtedly produce!

In response to his muttered "May've th' pleasure?" the wallflower rose with disgusting alacrity. Jimmy danced woodenly, his eyes glazed upon couples swaying about him —his college chum Brerit with his kid sister; that chap Bowan with August, who had a silly, sleepy look upon her face. Jimmy craned his neck to follow her, stumbled unpardonabJy, turned scarlet, and said things under his breath that would have been a surprise and an education to his father. When the interminable dance ended, he led the wilted wallflower back to her seat and retired, wiping his brow. "My gosh' Catch me back on that darned floor again!" he growled. Somebody at his elbow laughed, a mischievous, tantalising bubble of sound, and Jimmy wheeled sharply and stared. Perched percariously on the sofa-end beside him was a slim thing, a sprite of a girl. To Jimmy's confused senses she seemed all brown eyes, white teeth, and long, slender legs. She smote upon Jimmy's consciousness as Moses smote upon the rock, and be went even redder than before

He stood leaden-footed and tonguetied until the girl spoke. "Is it really a a bad as all that?" she asked coolly. It was the prettiest, voice, Jimmy thought, that he had ever heard. But as lie still continued to gape, she explained impatiently: "The floor. 1 heard you swear at it. And don't stare at me like that. It's rude."

With a wrench, Jimmy averted his eyes, transferring his gaze to his feet. "Sorry," he mumbled, and added with an effort: "The—the floor's all right." "I'm relieved to hear it," returned the lady lightly. "What did you say vour name was?"

Jimmy told her, his eyes once more on her face An awkward silence gathered and grew, until he broke it desperately. "The—floor's awfully good, really. 1 didn't mean what I said."

He was rewarded. The lady laughed again, kindly. "That's better," she said, and slipped down from the sofa-end. ' You may have this dance now, unless —" She paused, frowning. "Perhaps you can't do a two-step, though?" But, though Jimmy had been taken unawares by this feminine flank attack, he could do the two-step. His sister August had seen to that. Moreover, a sudden, unaccountable desire surged within him to demonstrate his ability; and so strong did it prove that it submerged his shyness sufficiently to set him on the lioor with his arm about the lady. Once started, he found to his relief that the rest was comparatively easy.

Mr. Kelsey, making vet another of his periodical descents upon the ballroom, was amazed to see his son dancing and talking with apparent enjoyment. So strange did he find the spectacle that he watched, benignly blinking, until his wife's voice recalled him to the card table. 1 hereafter he played unbroken, though absent-minded, bridge for the remainder of the evening. As for his son, Jimmy was transported into a hitherto unususpected heaven of elation. "Gee, that was great !" he said fervently as the music ended. ' Dance th' next with me?" He suffered a momentary setback of shyness when he learned his partner's identity—she was Daphne Rivers, "sweetest child," and niece of whom his hostess had spoken—but recovered again rapidly over the ice cream and claret cup. He modestly acquainted her with bis peculiar scalpmoving accomplishment, whereupon the sweet child led him into the garden to see how it reallv was done.

" I'm sure it's just your hair that moves," she explained artlessly. When they had reached the deepest shadow of the shrubs she commanded: "Now do it again, and let me feel." Jimmy, obediently shifting his scalp from north to south, became sharply aware of a curious thrill shooting up his spine at the touch oi the light, cool fingers, it was an unexplained sensation, something which he had never before experienced. He reacted to it instantly by putting his arms clumsily around the lady and kissing her twice, tentatively, on the lips.

The sweet child did not raise her voice in a call for help. Neither did she turn and flee, nor smack his face, as Jimmy half feared she would. Instead, said, very softly: "Oh, Jimmy darling! You shouldn't have done that!" and promptly returned the caress. Jimmy was raised to the seventh heaven of deiight. He had kissed a lady! He was a man 1

Incredibly, an hour passed before they returned to the ballroom. By the end of the evening, Jimmy had danced with ber twelve times, kissed her twentyfour, and had fallen most deeply in love. That ominous feeling which had heretofore presaged every dance invitation iri the Kelsey household was gone forever.

The National Anthem, and Daphne's departure for upstair regions, brought Jimmy back to earth with a bump. He walked dazedly out of his dream into a flushed and bewitching August at the front door, and. with an effort, recollected that he had parents and a sister.

"Jimmy!" August glanced hurriedly over her shoulder, and spoke in a rapid undertone. "Father and mother will be here presently, and —'' Realising that her brother was as yet hardly aware of her. she broke off, and taking his arm, shook it sharply. "Jimmy, are you listening ?"

" Sure I'm listening, kid." Her brother disengaged his arm with dignity. "What's it vou want?"

August started. Jimmy seemed to have grown taller, to be no longer merely an awkward and irritating schoolboy. Surreptitiously, she slipped a sixpence back into her evening bag, and spoke to him as an equal. " Jimmy, I want to go home with Ted in his two-seater, but you know what father's like. Will you make it all right for me?"

Jimmy, hands in his pockets, merely nodded tranquilly. "You're a darling!" breathed his sister impulsively. "Look, Ted's taking me to the gala Saturday night. I'll ask him if you can come too!"

Jimmy yawned. "You'd better hop to it if you want to miss father," he advised. Then, as August flitted swiftly through the door, he sauntered lazily out. on to the steps and raised his voice slightly to follow her retreating figure. " Don't bother about Saturday, thanks," he said. "] happen to be booked up for Saturday night. Got a date with a lady!"