What Timmy Did

ion of the little village day girl, was thinking this afternoon, was coming ever nea

rt. Why had he stayed in London so long when all this tranquil, appealing loveliness of wood, stream, hill and hollow lay close at hand? There are folk who deny the charm of Surrey-by whom this

ion and grace to each Surrey township-Epsom, Leatherhead, Guildford-gave him a comfortable feeling of his country's well-being, of the essential stability of England. Now and again, in some woodlan

ause the richest in human and historic associations, view in Southern England. As he stood up and gazed down and down and down, to his right he saw what looked from up here such a tiny toyl

grey moving across that wide, thickly peopled valley of lovely villages and cosy little towns. He saw as in a vision the rich stretches of arable land, the now red, brown, and

ffeur was startled by the harsh note in

narrow lanes, and between high hedges starred with autumn flowers. And then, when in a spot so wild and lonely that it might have

ger folk were in a state of excitement and expectation-Timmy running constantly in and out of the house, rushing to the gate, from whence a lo

answer it. Then he came back into the drawing-room. "Radmore's had a b

isappointing

y sententiously, and everyone felt, in a dispirited w

cakes and scones which had been made specially in Godfrey Radmore's honour: all the others fel

all, was glad of even this short respite, for, as the day had gone on, she had begun to dread the meeting inexpressibly. She knew that even Tom-who had only been seven years old when Godfrey went away-would be wondering how she felt, and watching to see how she would behave. It was a comfort to

"I want to take off the table-c

tchen, folded up the table-cloth. Timmy might have done this last little job, but he pretended not to see that his sister wanted help. He thought i

ilence. Timmy was standing half in and half out of the long

he heard a voice, familiar in a sense, and yet so unlike

window for a moment was darkened by a tall, stalwart figure, which l

his godson up in the air, looking up at him with a half humorous, half whimsical expression, while he exclaimed:-"

licately on the edge of the shabby Turkey carp

ave a cup of tea? Is

oo many, as her husband's a cripple." Timmy waited a moment. "We h

and then, not till then, did he suddenly beco

ordinary, "I didn't see you. Have you been there the whole

hands in his strong grasp, brought her forward, rather m

ful note in his voice, and then as she remained silent

war! But Beechfield, from what I've been able to see of it, seems

r hour at least," said Betty, in

en together in this room-for it was here, in the dining-room of Old Place, that they had spent their last miserable, heart-b

to a telephone, there came a car down the road, and I asked the man who was driving it if he would give

as if at last aware of something

ked. "Perhaps you'll sh

to thank you for the big Shetland shawl she supposes you sent her last Christmas, and she has an idea that the

the once familiar staircase,

timately associated, had changed-this old house had remained absolutely unaltered! Nothing had been added-as far as h

ivilised days can only be brought about by one thing, an infectious illness. At the time the agonising debate was going on at Beechfield, he had been in a fever hospital close on a

iend had joined the Indian Civil Service. From childhood George had always intended to make

thought of opening up communications through George. But he had rejected the notion. The break had been so complete, and George, after all, was so closely connected with Betty! Considering that he had not mentioned Betty's brother, either when speaking to Janet on the telephone two or three days ago, or again just when he

oor of this annex consisted of one big room which, even in the days of Radmore's first acquaintance with the Tosswills, was only used in warm weather

ly the same, with this one great outstanding difference-that it had a curiously unlived-in look. The dark green linoleum on the floor

ht of the garden below now in its full autumn beaut

Timmy said eagerly:-"I should think she is! And we're going to sell our flowers

stently:-"Fifteen shillings a week clear profit is ￡40

turned

yet met a lady who's just com

een to supper." Timmy spoke without enth

I could go round and see h

he ought to stay and help his sister to wash up the tea-things and do certain oth

ter Radmore heard the little feet pattering down the

exclaimed, "I can go with you-Mrs. Crofton has g

"Why, I knew The Trellis House from garret

s companion. "Do you think we'd better take Flick?"

sly. "Flick was bred by Colonel Crofton. I

as not unwilling to see a repetition of it. And so the three set out-Timmy, Radmore, and Flick. Somehow it was a comfort to the grown-up man to have the child wi

nd then Radmore asked in a low voice:-"Is

rill voice:-"Yes, of course she is." And then, as if as an afterthought, he rema

ly, "but there was very little love lost bet

yard, and then, following a sudden impu

e old and grey. Grasping the postmaster, Jim Cobbett, warmly by the hand Radmore exclaimed:-"I'm glad to find you well an

n I deserve

opened a door out of the tiny shop, and Radmore, followed by Timmy and Flick

"frightened poor Mrs. Crofton very much th

pty. Then, in the dim lamp-light, a woman, w

come all the way fro

man dully, and Radmore had ano

ng woman. She now looked older than her husband, and she did not smi

," she said slowly,

, Mrs. Cobbett; but Beechfield seems unch

ged," she said i

in Beechfield, Radmore felt a tremo

ve for the photographs, in cheap frames, of two

ry of which he felt harmlessly proud, he said:-"Let me see, one was Pe

They was both killed within a month of one another-first Paul, th

e ruefully:-"I wish, Timmy, you had told me about those poor people's sons.

indeed changed in the lovely,

name, not knowing whether he was expected to address him as "godfather," "Godfrey," or "Major Radmore")-"befor

repeated Radmo

you

w Radmore

suddenly, just opposite the now closed, silent schoolhouse and its big playground, Timmy stopped and pointed up to his righ

ly, there emerged against the high hedge a curious-looking wooden panel protected by a slanting, neatly

it up, far above his little head. And R

HONOUR,

IEND. AL

gether, came "Peter and Paul Cobbett," followed, in the one case, by the date October 15, 1915, and in the

He did not want the child to see his shocked, convulsed face,

? Dad and Betty thought you did, but

should have thought, Timmy, that you might ha

d himself lighting a match, went up quite close to

George, volunt

was such a rush, you know. But they did take him, and the doctor who saw him undressed, naked, you know, told Daddy"-the child h

n did he

hree times altogether, and the second time-Betty hadn't gone to France then-they all went up to London together and h

long the dark road, with Timmy trotting by his side. "What I believed," he muttered, half t

he used to come down once a month or so." He waited a moment, then went on. "Betty always said he was a born soldier, and that he ought to have been a soldier from the very beginning. As you car

dmore felt a small skin

ometimes see people who are dead. I saw Pete Cobbett once. He was standing by the back door of the post-office, and that old dog of theirs saw him too; it was just bef

d the words aright. What could the child mea

orge came in to say a special good-bye to me-he was going off the next morning very early, and Betty wanted to be the only one up to see him go; I mean really early, half past five in the morning. And then-and then-he said to me: 'You'll look after Betty, Timmy? If anyt