THE AFFABLE STRANGER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14245, 20 June 1908, Page 6

THE AFFABLE STRANGER

Jiv Gaiivkt Box.nky. "A good kick, mister?" "Yes," I assented briefly, and moved aside. ' the voice, with ils accompanying odour of ardent, spirits, followed me. " Only it (i'ldnt come off. It VOfl a good kick though, a ll n, e gilme Did vcr ]lotj( , 0 who booted it?" ."No, 1 didn't," I remarked. "And I wish you wouldn't wave your hat right in front of my force. I want to see the game." "Ho!-. Nowadays a bloke can't, ave a bit of a confab with another cove without being liinterduced, so it seems." Iliero was silence for a full mimito; then the voice breathed again. "These Aim can ' t pky ,notl » ]1 - H- takes the All Blacks to show 'cm tho points of the game. Why, they n,u all round the Hnlishcvs last Saturday. The Welshies couldn t beat 'em the skcond time. Mind yon, that Red Jacket, or wotever 'is name is, played a good game. If the posts 'ad a been five yards further in lio'd a kicked two lovely goals, i enjoyed myself so much last Saturday that I made* up mo nv.rifl I wouldn't waste no more time lookin at club football. I said so all tho week, and I'm Mowed if I know wot brought me 'ere to-day."-I suggested that it 'wasn't too late for him to retrieve the error bv taking his departure, and even went s"o far as to show him where the gates were, but he evidently took it as a good joke, and offered me a flask. "I always like to bring a'; little drop with me in case of anyone gettin' 'urt," lie remarked, on my refusing to partake. Its a terrible rough game, and you never know wot minit it'll come in 'amly. I remember once " _ But I stopped him with a gesture, and joined in with tho yell of the onlookers at tho scoring of a beautiful try. "What a run," I murmured—to myself, I thought, les, it wasn't a bad 'nn, was it? Now if Bed Jacket was only 'en to take the kick ' I accidentally knocked his hut off with my elbow, and the .finding of it occupied a couple of,minutes, much to my relief, the exertion of getting up from his hands and knees necessitated! more refreshment, and when he again applied himself to mo his voice was thicker, and the fumes more deadly. "There's..a kid in our office who'll be a bonciii kick one of these days. He can boot a-bit of orange skin through tho winder six times outer seven; and c's only art. tho size of some of these blokes. I't takes the A)' Blacks—" But I had rushed madly away, and was paying my last sixpence at the ticketbox of the grand stand. IN THE GRAND STAND. In the grand stand I stood behind a very sweet young thing of some 19 summers. She w,s sealed besido a young fellow of 25 or so-evidently her lover,and from her first few remarks I gathered that it was her first visit to a football match. Every time a man came to grief she grasped her companion's arm and gavo a delightful little shriek of affright, much to the amusement of the old gentleman on her right, " Oh, Jack, aren't they rough! Alice told me it was just like hockey to, watch, but I'm sure we girls never used to knock each other about like that. There's another Door fellow downdo you think anyone will get hurt.? Oh, I KNOW there will be an accident." '■ Very gently he-reassured her, and she squeezed' his arm—also very gently. I thought the aforementioned 'old gent, was going to have a fit. There was a great exhibition of passing given by one of the teams, which nearly ended in a try. being scored, and the maiden became very excited. Everybody f. 1 ™? l ! p ' and hflr vie "' was obstructed. Whats the' matter, Jack? I can't see a thing for that horrid woman's hat. It's a last year's hat, too—they have gone out long ago. Did,they get a goal?" Hut, Jade was oblivious to the timid little touch on his arm, and the girl grew petulant, As the crowd sank back "into their'seats she told her lover she was tired of'watching, and if Iky didn't leave now ; they would be too late for afternoon tea, and she would get a headache. Jack didn't seem Ho relish the idea of afternoon tea, and thev had'some earnest' conversation in an undertone. Just then I espied a vacant seat, and made towards it. Five minutes later, during a cessation in the plav, I looked across at the couple. The girl' was sitting up very straight, with a look of dignified martyrdom on her pretty little face, while Jack gawd gloomily out across the football field. ' There is plenty of fun to he had at even a club football match—if one doesn't take it too seriously.