“DEAR FATHER,--Thanks awfully for your letter. I hope you are quite
well. I have been getting on all right at cricket lately. My scores
since I wrote last have been 0 in a scratch game (the sun got in my
eyes just as I played, and I got bowled); 15 for the third against an
eleven of masters (without G. B. Jones, the Surrey man, and Spence);
28 not out in the Under Sixteen game; and 30 in a form match. Rather
decent. Yesterday one of the men put down for the second against the
O.W.’s second couldn’t play because his father was very ill, so I
played. Wasn’t it luck? It’s the first time I’ve played for the
second. I didn’t do much, because I didn’t get an innings. They stop
the cricket on O.W. matches day because they have a lot of rotten
Greek plays and things which take up a frightful time, and half the
chaps are acting, so we stop from lunch to four. Rot I call it. So I
didn’t go in, because they won the toss and made 215, and by the time
we’d made 140 for 6 it was close of play. They’d stuck me in eighth
wicket. Rather rot. Still, I may get another shot. And I made rather a
decent catch at mid-on. Low down. I had to dive for it. Bob played for
the first, but didn’t do much. He was run out after he’d got ten. I
believe he’s rather sick about it.
“Rather a rummy thing happened after lock-up. I wasn’t in it, but a
fellow called Wyatt (awfully decent chap. He’s Wain’s step-son, only
they bar one another) told me about it. He was in it all right.
There’s a dinner after the matches on O.W. day, and some of the chaps
were going back to their houses after it when they got into a row with
a lot of brickies from the town, and there was rather a row. There was
a policeman mixed up in it somehow, only I don’t quite know where he
comes in. I’ll find out and tell you next time I write. Love to
everybody. Tell Marjory I’ll write to her in a day or two.
“Your loving son,
“MIKE.
“P.S.--I say, I suppose you couldn’t send me five bob, could you? I’m
rather broke.
“P.P.S.--Half-a-crown would do, only I’d rather it was five bob.”
And, on the back of the envelope, these words: “Or a bob would be
better than nothing.”
* * * * *
The outline of the case was as Mike had stated. But there were certain
details of some importance which had not come to his notice when he
sent the letter. On the Monday they were public property.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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