Short Story By MICHAEL KENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23157, 1 October 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Short Story By MICHAEL KENT

(Copyright)

<§> ''Not a soul," said Rupert lazily. "Don't set tho wind up, father. And if you cough up no one will bee me co * Believe me, I cherish your respectability. It's my one sure shield and buckler. My„ God, I could do with a drink." , . Mr. Parmiutcr's right hand behind his back had taken his left wrist prisoner and would not let it• free. "Don't be profane," he said. "How did you get here?" "] walked from Manstone this morn- 1 inc." - returned Rupert with a grin. "Jn for a stretch on the Kite lark and served every day of it. 1 bust . the bathroom window after your ; old : girl had gone. Aren't you glad to see the prodigal newly out of nuoii. t Mr. Parminter ignored the question. He turned and faced his son. "It's money you're after, I suppose." For fifteen years it had been tho same thing, ever since Rupert had run i away from his desk in a bank and left him to pay for his embeazlihgs. J.ho boy hud done nothing but blackmail him with his evil record ever since, and now he was growing bolder and more careless. Mr. Parminter did not examine into tho causality of the question. He did not wonder what might have happened if he had been moro interested in living bones than dead ones when his motherless son was growing up in that cold place. Here was a scandal threatening St. Olaf, and all tho ordered life of his remote meticulous regime. ' ~ "I have no money, for you," he said. /"Lovely liar," said Rupert, with the j arrogance of mastery. . i No appeals would be effective. Every surrender was tho preludo to a greater , one Mr. Parminter saw himself, | sooner or later, exposed, pitied, driven | into exilo from tho only life he knew, i The man was drunken, lecherous and, violent, an irreclaimable. "Let mo out at the back door after dark. Cough up enough to got me going, and that's the last. I'll seo of St. Parminter," said Rupert. Don t, and I'll tell the world." . "Wait hero," said Mr. Parminter, "I'll see." Mr. Parminter went into the hall and stared at tho verge. It recalled the staid, unflawed concerto of his career, a regime intact through so many decades, a. life into which he had merged his own. If ho ohco had reverence, it was gone. His ideality had hardened to a stone among those other stones. Going back, ho made as if to search for something in the shelves beside his son's chair. "I'm afraid I must trouble you to move a little way back," he said. Rupert pushed back tho chair till it was close to the door in the ancient chimney. Mr. Parminter selected a book, and returned to the hall. , Inevitably Rupert would soon bring disgrace upon himself and discredit to St. Olaf. Mr. Parminter stared at tho silver verge, the symbol of a dignity ancient, precious, and unsullied. Ihen he took it up. He re-entered the room holding it erect. "Decided to part?" asked his son lazily, without looking tip. . Mr. Parminter stood behind his chair. "Who serves St. Olaf must do tto other thing," ho said, and smashed the heavy verge upon the bald head befor<? Rupert made no sound. He had led an evil life and was-easily killed. Mr. Parminter descended to his celj;' lar, and opened the wooden tho ash-pit. Then ho wenti: N upstairs, opened the cupboard door, ' and with an effort tipped np the chair, which had been by his forethought so handily disposed. The body would fall straight into the ash-pit. It was easily buried, the cover easily, replaced and mortared down. . _ -V He was by training infallible in detail. * ■» * • * •' QOMETIMES I am almost afraid of ° cathedrals," said the dean, as he was being robed for vespers. "Their historical tradition is so strong it overshadows even the love of God." : Mr. Parminter passed his hand caressingly over the polished head of the verge. "Loving kindness" caught his eve. ; v/v Y "That would not be at all the, thing, sir." ho said. "Abovo all, in St. Olnf's." "I am ready," said the dean. Mr. Parminter exalted the verge, lie began to count his paces —one, two, three. ; ii ' i