What Timmy Did

a minute or two late, for he had to do things for himself to which he had become unaccustomed-unpacking his bag, putting out his evening clothes, placin

was lovely. Dolly struck him as commonplace, though as a matter of fact she looked more attractive than usual. Be

room, leaving Radmore and Mr. Tosswill shakin

a bad penny!" And his host answered absently:-"

ll stood together on the hearthrug waiting, so Radmore sup

ened and Timmy appeared. "Will you come in

und-laughing and whispering together. Somehow Timmy never associated

ng strangers, instead of the jolly, familiar children he had left nine years ago-and, as he realised with a sharp pang-no George. He had not known till to-night how much he had counted on seeing G

e hurrying in. Her colour had gone down, and she

a Sunday, when they always had supper instead of dinner at Old

right hand. To her left, Timmy, with snorts and wriggles, settled himself. The others all sorted them

s Tom, a simple cherubic-looking little boy of seven, who said grace-the usual "For what we are going to receive, may the Lord make

ather tired and hungry, he enjoyed it. Then Timmy got up and removed the cup and its cover; and suddenly the guest be

ith, projected out of the past into the present. It was a novel and most disconcerting sensation. But no one glancing at his keen fa

ht thicker-not so much in her upright figure, as in her clever, irregular-featured face. In the days of his early ma

ctly the same as when Radmore had last sat down, in the Old Place dining-room, to a full table. That had been in the C

d, cheerful, artless yet intelligent, with a strong sense of humour. She had worn a pink evening frock d

, without any of the magnanimity which even the passage of only a very few years brings to most intelligent men. Po

Australia, he had forced himself to put Betty out of his mind, and, after a few days, he had started a violent flirtation with the most attractive woman on board the liner. The flirtation had developed, by the time they reached Sydney, into a serious affair, and had been the determining cau

thing she had had, when he had last seen her, a great deal of long fair hair. But she had cut it off when starting her arduous war work, and the lack of it altered her amazingly, all the more

tting at this table. Jack, nine years ago, had been a rather complacent boy, doing very well at school, the type of boy who is as if marked out

pened to all the servants this evening. Truth to tell he had been just a little surprised an

s, smiling at his elbow, a lovely Hebe indeed, with dishes of potatoes and greens. He helped himself a little awkwa

her rather angrily. He was evidently remonstrating with her for not having allowed him to go and get the dish, for he motioned her rather imperiously bac

u take my meat, and I'll have your macaroni cheese." He did not wait for Tom's assent to this peculiar proposal, and was proceedin

got to have meat to drive the

surprised and puzzled. Was it conceivable that the whole family-with the exception of Mr. T