A Child's Voice Calling by Maggie Bennett

felt his embarrassment and her heart went out to this honest, sincere young man. It was time to come to his rescue. She glared at the two reprobates. ‘Ye’ll have to excuse my brother, Harry, he missed a lot o’ schoolin’ and doesn’t know any better. Let mepour yer another cup o’ tea, and, er, next time I hear a Salvation Army band playin’, I’ll certainly stop an’ listen.’
    He could only respond with a shy glance in which there was something more than just gratitude. He did not trust himself to open his mouth again for fear of putting his foot in it, but he glowed within because this sweet girl had called him Harry. It made up for her brother’s teasing.
    Later that evening when the table was cleared and the visitors gone, Albert looked very knowing. ‘Hey, Mabel, d’yer know what? I reckon ’e’s sweet on you, ol’ ‘Arry. ‘Is eyes went all moony after yer stuck up for ’im, an’ ’e kept gawpin’ at yer when yer wasn’t lookin’.’
    ‘Go along with yer, Albert, don’t be daft. He’s just one o’ those chaps with good manners who’s nice to everybody. Which is more than can be said for certain other people I could mention,’ she added pointedly. But her eyes softened as she spoke and there was a tender curve to her mouth as she thought about the look in Harry’s honest brown eyes. Some deep instinct within her knew that his was a face to trust.
    Albert stopped his banter, caught unawares by a fact he’d never noticed before. Which was that his sister Mabel at sixteen was a very pretty girl . . .
    ‘Come on, Mabel, it’ll be a lark! We can go up on the train and have a good look round the big shops – an’ go in one o’ those new tea shops where all the office girls show themselves off. Yer never know, we might find a couple o’ nice fellas to treat us!’
    It was the August Bank holiday weekend and AdaClay was determined to have a bit of fun. She was trying to persuade Mabel to spend the Saturday in the West End with her and made it sound tempting. The trouble was that Mabel had never been used to indulging herself and felt that she could not afford such extravagance. After contributing all but two shillings of her wages to the housekeeping, she felt that she should now start saving for Christmas rather than splashing out on a day trip with carefree Ada who didn’t have to count the pennies so carefully.
    ‘Oh, come
on
, Mabel, I’ll treat yer to tea and it don’t cost much just to look in Selfridges windows! I reckon we’ve earned a day out after a week o’ wipin’ little mouths an’ bottoms at the Mission. All work an’ no play, yer know what they say!’ She laughed and poked Mabel affectionately in the ribs.
    Ada’s father was the manager of one of Lipton’s high-class grocery stores and she was generous with her ready cash. In the end Mabel compromised and agreed to go just for the afternoon. After all, her father was home this weekend, and had mentioned taking his wife and daughters out walking in Battersea Park; Albert was working and George out playing with mates from school. It wasn’t as if she’d be missed and Mum wouldn’t be left on her own . . .
    Mabel could not remember a time when she had not felt a tugging sense of duty towards her family, especially her mother. And in recent years there had been times when she’d had to be extra watchful: there had been those rare occasions when Annie Court was found lying on the floor by the children coming in from school – unless Mabel had been able to get home first and save them from the shock. She’d hastily hauled her mother up and got her to bed, laying her on her side and drawing the curtains,saying that it was nothing to worry about, Mum had fainted because of her thin blood. She avoided sending for Dr Knowles, and made light of the matter to Alice, George and Daisy. ‘Just a faint, no need to fuss – don’t tell Mrs Bull or anybody – she’ll be better in the mornin’ after a good night’s