What Timmy Did | Page 2

last.
"How's my godson? Flick still in the land of the living, eh?"
"Thank heaven, yes! That dog's the one thing in the world Timmy cares
for, I sometimes think."
He felt that she was smiling now.
She heard the question:--"Another three minutes, sir?" and the hasty
answer:--"Yes, another three minutes," and then, "Still there, Janet?"
"Of course I am. We'll expect you on Friday, Godfrey, by tea-time, and
I hope you'll stay as long as you can. You won't mind having your old

room?"
"Rather not!" and then in a hesitating, shamefaced voice:--"I needn't
tell you that to me Old Place is home."
It was in a very kindly voice that she answered: "I'm glad you still feel
like that, Godfrey."
"Of course I do, and of course I am ashamed of not having written
more often. I often think of you all--especially of dear old George--"
There came a pause, then the words:--"I want to ask you a question,
Janet."
Janet Tosswill felt quite sure she knew what that question would be.
Before linking up with them all again Godfrey wanted to know certain
facts about George. While waiting for him to speak she had time to tell
herself that this would prove that her husband and Betty, the eldest of
her three step-daughters, had been wrong in thinking that Godfrey
Radmore knew that George, Betty's twin, had been killed in the autumn
of 1916. At that time all correspondence between Radmore and Old
Place had ceased for a long time. When it had begun again in 1917, in
the form of a chaffing letter and a cheque for five pounds to the writer's
godson, Betty had suggested that nothing should be said of George's
death in Timmy's answer. Of course Betty's wish had been respected,
the more so that Janet herself felt sure that Godfrey did not know. Why,
he and George--dear, sunny-natured George--had been like fond
brothers in the long ago, before Godfrey's unfortunate love-affair with
Betty.
And so it was that when she heard his next words they took her entirely
by surprise, for it was such an unimportant, as well as unexpected,
question that the unseen speaker asked.
"Has Mrs. Crofton settled down at The Trellis House yet?"
"She's arriving to-day, I believe. When she first thought of coming here
she wrote John such a nice letter, saying she was a friend of yours, and
that you had told her about Beechfield. Luckily, The Trellis House was

to let, so John wrote and told her about it."
Then, at last, came a more intimate question. The man's voice at the
other end of the telephone became diffident--hesitating:--"Are you all
right? Everything as usual?"
She answered, drily. "Everything's quite as usual, thank you.
Beechfield never changes. Since you were last here there have only
been two new cottages built." She paused perceptibly, and then went
on:--"I think that Timmy told you that Betty was with the Scottish
Women's Hospital during the war? She's got one of the best French
decorations."
Should she say anything about George? Before she could make up her
mind she heard the words--"You can't go on any longer now. Time's
up." And Radmore called out hastily:--"Till Friday then--so long!"
Janet Tosswill hung up the receiver; but she did not move away from
the telephone at once. She stood there, wondering painfully whether
she had better go along and tell Betty now, or whether it would be
better to wait till, say, lunch, when all the young people would be
gathered together? After all Betty had been nineteen when her
engagement to Godfrey Radmore had been broken off, and so very
much had happened since then.
And then, in a sense, her mind was made up for her by the fact that a
shadow fell across the floor of the hall, and looking up, she saw her old
friend and confidant, Dr. O'Farrell, blocking up the doorway with his
big burly body.
"D'you remember Godfrey Radmore?" she asked as their hands met.
"Come now, you're joking surely. Remember Radmore? I've good
cause to; I don't know whether I ever told you--" there came a slight,
very slight note of embarrassment into his hearty Irish voice--"that I
wrote to the good fellow just after the Armistice, about our Pat. That
the boy's doing as well out in Brisbane as he is, is largely owing to
Radmore's good offices."

Mrs. Tosswill was surprised, and not quite pleased. She wondered why
Dr. O'Farrell had not told her at the time that he was writing to Godfrey.
She still subconsciously felt that Godfrey Radmore belonged to Old
Place and to no one else in Beechfield.
"I didn't know about Pat," she said slowly. "But you'll be able to thank
him in person now, for he's coming on Friday to