Just William Read Free

got three balls and one’s quite new. Wouldn’t you like it, William?’
    ‘No – thanks. You see, it’s no use my collectin’ a lot of things. You never know — with lungs.’
    ‘Oh, William !’
    Her distress was pathetic.
    ‘Of course,’ he said hastily, ‘if I’m careful it’ll be all right. Don’t you worry about me.’
    ‘Joan!’ from the house.
    ‘That’s Mother. Goodbye, William dear. If Father brings me home any chocolate, I’ll bring it in to you. I will – honest. Thanks for the Gooseberry Eyes.
Goodbye.’
    ‘Goodbye – and don’t worry about me,’ he added bravely.
    He put another Gooseberry Eye into his mouth and wandered round aimlessly to the front of the house. His grown-up sister, Ethel, was at the front door, shaking hands with a young man.
    ‘I’ll do all I can for you,’ she was saying earnestly.
    Their hands were clasped.
    ‘I know you will,’ he said equally earnestly.
    Both look and handclasp were long. The young man walked away. Ethel stood at the door, gazing after him, with a faraway look in her eyes. William was interested.
    ‘That was Jack Morgan, wasn’t it?’ he said.
    ‘Yes,’ said Ethel absently and went into the house.
    The look, the long handclasp, the words lingered in William’s memory. They must be jolly fond of each other, like people are when they’re engaged, but he knew they weren’t
engaged. P’raps they were too proud to let each other know how fond they were of each other — like the man and girl at the pictures. Ethel wanted a brother like the one in the pictures
to let the man know she was fond of him. Then a light came suddenly into William’s mind and he stood, deep in thought.
    Inside the drawing-room, Ethel was talking to her mother.
    ‘He’s going to propose to her next Sunday. He told me about it because I’m her best friend, and he wanted to ask me if I thought he’d any chance. I said I thought he had,
and I said I’d try and prepare her a little and put in a good word for him if I could. Isn’t it thrilling?’
    ‘Yes, dear. By the way, did you see William anywhere? I do hope he’s not in mischief.’
    ‘He was in the front garden a minute ago.’ She went to the window. ‘He’s not there now, though.’
    William had just arrived at Mr Morgan’s house.
    The maid showed him into Mr Morgan’s sitting-room.
    ‘Mr Brown,’ she announced.
    The young man rose to receive his guest with politeness not unmixed with bewilderment. His acquaintance with William was of the slightest.
    ‘Good afternoon,’ said William. ‘I’ve come from Ethel.’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘Yes.’ William fumbled in his pocket and at last drew forth a rosebud, slightly crushed by its close confinement in the company of the Gooseberry Eyes, a penknife, a top and a piece
of putty.
    ‘She sent you this,’ said William gravely.
    Mr Morgan gazed at it with the air of one who is sleep-walking.
    ‘Yes? Er — very kind of her.’
    ‘Kinder keep-sake. Souveneer,’ explained William.
    ‘Yes. Er – any message?’
    ‘SHE SENT YOU THIS!’ WILLIAM SAID GRAVELY
    ‘Oh, yes. She wants you to come in and see her this evening.’
    ‘Er – yes. Of course. I’ve just come from her. Perhaps she remembered something she wanted to tell me after I’d gone.’
    ‘P’raps.’
    Then, ‘Any particular time?’
    ‘No. ‘Bout seven, I expect.’
    ‘Oh, yes.’
    Mr Morgan’s eyes were fixed with a fascinated wondering gaze upon the limp, and by no means spotless, rosebud.
    ‘You say she – sent this?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And no other message?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Er – well, say I’ll come with pleasure, will you?’
    ‘Yes.’
    Silence.
    Then, ‘She thinks an awful lot of you, Ethel does.’
    Mr Morgan passed a hand over his brow.
    ‘Yes? Kind — er — very kind, I’m sure.’
    Always talkin’ about you in her sleep,’ went on William, warming to his theme. ‘I sleep in the next room and I can hear her talkin’ about you all night. Jus’
sayin’