Hanno’s Doll by Evelyn Piper Page B

telephoned her and said to expect him. He didn’t know what time he could make Bradley because he was hitching. She had told him she would wait in the office. (On account of Grace.) She had told Grace she had to work late. She hadn’t eaten any lunch which worried Grace, and Grace came up to the office at about five and that was when she said she had to work late. Grace had brought her some supper from the cafeteria on a tray.
    Then he came. Around seven. Then she told him and she cried. He offered her money, but she didn’t want money. She told him Mr. Dietrich was paying her a wonderful salary; she didn’t want money, and he said, What could he do, then? He was married.
    He was very sorry about it. He said he’d go out and have something to eat and think what he could do.
    Miss Mildred said, “He took the sweater. It was all finished. I had it all finished for him, and he put it on and it fitted so nice. Oooh,” she wept. “He looked so handsome in it.”
    â€œ Na, na —” And that was when he had become certain … because of the sweater. Why had he not recognized the sweater when he saw it on the boy? (Why should he have?) Why hadn’t he recognized Miss Mildred’s knitting and known that the boy hadn’t appeared like a devil from hell in a clap of thunder, but prosaically, via Miss Mildred?
    Miss Mildred wailed, “I waited until one o’clock and he didn’t come back, so I went home. I thought he had just fooled me, saying he’d think it over and come back … but now …” She clapped her hand to her mouth and above her mouth, her eyes saw horror. “Something’s happened to him! Something’s happened to him!”
    The “ Na, na ” stuck in his tightened throat. He could only shake his head; of course not, of course not.
    â€œBut he said he’d come back last night. He said he’d come back and then he didn’t.”
    â€œ Said! Kind! He said! ”
    She had flown to the door, to the window, to the telephone. “I have to make sure.… Who should I ask?”
    She thought of the police. Miss Mildred hadn’t been in the college long enough to think of the K.K.K. She had turned from the phone to him, and he had been so frightened, so afraid his face would show his confusion that, to hide himself from her, he threw his arms around her and pressed her face to his chest, saying, “Miss Mildred, Miss Mildred, Miss Mildred.”
    And just then Puppchen came in. Puppchen in her autumn suède, light green, dark green and orange. Puppchen standing just inside the door.
    She said, “I came to take you home for lunch, Hanno.”
    He had tried to keep Miss Mildred’s face pressed to his chest, knowing that Puppchen would understand when she heard Miss Mildred was in trouble, but, on hearing Puppchen, Miss Mildred pulled away, and when she saw Puppchen standing there, so beautiful, she gave a yelp like a stepped-on puppy.
    He said to Puppchen, “Miss Mildred is in trouble, darling.”
    Then poor Miss Mildred yelped like a punished puppy, nose in it. He had to make her feel better. “Miss Mildred, don’t! No need to—My wife can understand, can’t you, darling?”
    The clear voice, “Oh, yes, Hanno.”
    â€œNothing to be ashamed of?”
    She shook her head, so gravely.
    â€œWe understand such things, Puppchen and I. We’re not Miss Metal, metallic.”
    Puppchen moved closer to Miss Mildred. “Don’t cry. Hanno will help you.”
    How kind Puppchen had been! It had been Puppchen’s kindness which had persuaded Miss Mildred and not his bumbling efforts. And Puppchen had helped him, too, because he had not been able to think, only that he must have time to think, and that Miss Mildred must not go to the police before he had time to think. (Yes, by then he did not want to confess to the police, to take whatever was coming to him. Yes,