out the light, and went down the stairs to the main hall.
The hall was quite empty and he stood listening for a moent. There was no sound in the whole building. Funny, fifteen minutes ago the laughter and chatter had been rising to the top floor. He went out through the glass door and into the porch, and was met by a flurry of snow. It was still falling in thick, steady flakes, and although it was only a quarter to four it was almost dark.
As he stood pulling his collar tightly up around his neck a small figure darted up the three steps in front of him, and as she brushed past him, she said, "Oh hello. Hello again. I've forgotten my bag.
Fancy doing a daft thing like that. And it's got me pay in it! " She pushed out her lips and blew the snow away from her face, then laughed before disappearing through the glass door. He went slowly down the steps into the street, and he had just reached the corner when she caught up with him again. , , " Dreadful, isn't it? It's getting worse. "
"Yes. Have you far to go?"
"Pullman Street." As she finished she slipped and one leg disappeared into what had been a gutter but was now an eighteen inch drift. As he steadied her he said, "I know Pullman Street. I can go part of the way with you; we could cut across the Market, they've likely cleared that a bit."
They had cleared the Market earlier in the day but the constant falling had beaten them for the Square was knee high in places. He said to her now, "They're going to find it difficult putting their stalls up tomorrow, and they generally do a roaring trade on Christmas Eve."
She'turned her face towards him as she laughed and said, "We always wait until the last minute and get our turkey at a throw-out price. My mother can remember getting one one
-. _, . ^ i-*^ uig iicc^crs then. But who needs a freezer in this?
"
When they had to step over a drift to get an to the pavement he took her arm and said, "Come on, jump it. One, two, three 1' She squealed as she landed on the other side, then cried, " I've lost me shoe! "
When he dug out the high-heeled shoe he said, "Why didn't you put on something sensible when you knew it. was like this."
"Oh, who wants to be sensible? Here, can I hang on to you while I put it on."
He supported her with his arm around her shoulders and she held on to him as she bent her leg back and put on her shoe. And she squealed again, saying, "Coo 1 it's freezing. Me other one is wet and warm but this is like ice now."
The further they got away from the centre of the town the deeper the snow. In the side roads nobody had bothered to clear it away as yet and when they came to Taunton Square, from where his road lay in the opposite direction from hers, he said, "You're never going to make this on your own, I'd better see you to your door."
"Thanks." She peered up at him through the falling snow.
"It's only about another five minutes' walk. At least it used to be; I don't know how long it will take us now."
"Come on, let's see then." And he laughed as he took her arm.
After they had gone a little way she pulled him to a stop and said,
"Listen 1 Isn't everything quiet, hushed like?"
He listened, then answered, "Yes, nice and quiet, hushed like." He was smiling down at her.
"Do you like things quiet?" They were trudging on again now.
"Yes, moderately so."
"Oh, I don't, I like bustle, plenty of people, talk, noise, laughter life. That's what I like, life."
Although he couldn't see her face he said, "Yes, I can see you do."
Her comment to this was cut off when they both slipped together and overbalanced in the snow. When they righted themselves they had their arms around each other, but only for a second, for, taking her arm again, he made the incident casual by saying, "It's treacherous; you could break your neck."
"We're nearly there; two more streets and up the cutting."
In the cutting they had to walk in single file, lifting their feet high to make progress, and when they came to the end of it she
The hall was quite empty and he stood listening for a moent. There was no sound in the whole building. Funny, fifteen minutes ago the laughter and chatter had been rising to the top floor. He went out through the glass door and into the porch, and was met by a flurry of snow. It was still falling in thick, steady flakes, and although it was only a quarter to four it was almost dark.
As he stood pulling his collar tightly up around his neck a small figure darted up the three steps in front of him, and as she brushed past him, she said, "Oh hello. Hello again. I've forgotten my bag.
Fancy doing a daft thing like that. And it's got me pay in it! " She pushed out her lips and blew the snow away from her face, then laughed before disappearing through the glass door. He went slowly down the steps into the street, and he had just reached the corner when she caught up with him again. , , " Dreadful, isn't it? It's getting worse. "
"Yes. Have you far to go?"
"Pullman Street." As she finished she slipped and one leg disappeared into what had been a gutter but was now an eighteen inch drift. As he steadied her he said, "I know Pullman Street. I can go part of the way with you; we could cut across the Market, they've likely cleared that a bit."
They had cleared the Market earlier in the day but the constant falling had beaten them for the Square was knee high in places. He said to her now, "They're going to find it difficult putting their stalls up tomorrow, and they generally do a roaring trade on Christmas Eve."
She'turned her face towards him as she laughed and said, "We always wait until the last minute and get our turkey at a throw-out price. My mother can remember getting one one
-. _, . ^ i-*^ uig iicc^crs then. But who needs a freezer in this?
"
When they had to step over a drift to get an to the pavement he took her arm and said, "Come on, jump it. One, two, three 1' She squealed as she landed on the other side, then cried, " I've lost me shoe! "
When he dug out the high-heeled shoe he said, "Why didn't you put on something sensible when you knew it. was like this."
"Oh, who wants to be sensible? Here, can I hang on to you while I put it on."
He supported her with his arm around her shoulders and she held on to him as she bent her leg back and put on her shoe. And she squealed again, saying, "Coo 1 it's freezing. Me other one is wet and warm but this is like ice now."
The further they got away from the centre of the town the deeper the snow. In the side roads nobody had bothered to clear it away as yet and when they came to Taunton Square, from where his road lay in the opposite direction from hers, he said, "You're never going to make this on your own, I'd better see you to your door."
"Thanks." She peered up at him through the falling snow.
"It's only about another five minutes' walk. At least it used to be; I don't know how long it will take us now."
"Come on, let's see then." And he laughed as he took her arm.
After they had gone a little way she pulled him to a stop and said,
"Listen 1 Isn't everything quiet, hushed like?"
He listened, then answered, "Yes, nice and quiet, hushed like." He was smiling down at her.
"Do you like things quiet?" They were trudging on again now.
"Yes, moderately so."
"Oh, I don't, I like bustle, plenty of people, talk, noise, laughter life. That's what I like, life."
Although he couldn't see her face he said, "Yes, I can see you do."
Her comment to this was cut off when they both slipped together and overbalanced in the snow. When they righted themselves they had their arms around each other, but only for a second, for, taking her arm again, he made the incident casual by saying, "It's treacherous; you could break your neck."
"We're nearly there; two more streets and up the cutting."
In the cutting they had to walk in single file, lifting their feet high to make progress, and when they came to the end of it she
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