Read Tin Hats and Gas Masks for Free Online

wasn’t too well.’
    Something in Anita’s attitude made her say, ‘Did you bring a note?’
    ‘Oh no, miss. He’ll be all right tomorrow I expect. He – er, might even come in this afternoon. If he feels better.’ she added in a rushed sort of voice.
    ‘Thank you, Anita. Off you go then. Get some fresh air, it’s a beautiful day.’
    She went to the staff room where Miss Coventry was already pouring herself some tea.
    ‘Dorothy, would you say that Anita Evesham was a truthful child?’ she asked her colleague.
    ‘Anita? Oh yes. Why?’
    ‘Young Johnny Bookman isn’t here and I simply asked her where he was today, and I’m pretty sure she was lying. But she looked so startled too, and I’m wondering now where he is and what he’s up to. I mean I wouldn’t put it past him to try to make his way back to London. I think he misses his folks terribly.’
    ‘Does he? Mmm. I’ve not had much to do with him, of course. Anita is in my class. She is a very self-assured child for her age, and used to being away from home, I gather. The two of them do seem to be close – of course they are inthe same billet. What did she tell you?’
    ‘Said he wasn’t well, but from her attitude I think she didn’t know he wasn’t here, and she was trying to cover for him. Maybe I’ll ring Mrs Dover.’
    ‘Can’t do any harm. On the whole the evacuees have settled well, haven’t they? And this term, with quite a number gone back life has been easier in the classroom.’
    Miss Clark didn’t have an opportunity to telephone Mrs Dover until after lunch. She had a very strong feeling that something was wrong, yet she didn’t want to make a fool of herself. In the months Johnny Bookman had been in her class she had enjoyed having him there, which was more than could be said for some of her pupils. He was a lively youngster, with an unfortunate habit of swearing as part of his natural speech, but she was hoping to cure him gradually of this. Preferably before he had the rest of the class following suit. She smiled to herself as she waited for the telephone to be answered.
    When it was, her fears were confirmed. Mrs Dover said he had left the house with Anita that morning at the usual time.
    ‘What could have happened to him, Miss Clark? I know we had a bit of a to-do last night, but … you don’t think he’s run away, do you?’
    ‘What sort of a to-do, Mrs Dover?’
    ‘Oh nothing really. He was a bit cheeky that’s all – upset Mr Dover. But he went off quite normally this morning. Have you asked Anita?’
    ‘I will.’ Miss Clark prevaricated diplomatically. ‘Now don’t worry and I’ll do a spot of checking.’
    She called into the headmaster’s room on her way back to her own class, and reported. She was hesitant to do this, because she liked the lad, he wasn’t bad, and she didn’t want to get him into hot water with authority, but on the other hand she was worried about him.  
    The headmaster, who should have retired at Christmas but had stayed on because of the war, looked at her with a hurt expression in his eyes.  
    ‘Oh dear,’ he said. ‘I thought we might have problems with these evacuees. I had better see the little girl.’  
    Anita stuck to her story at first, then she confessed that Johnny had said he would catch her up because he had something important to do first.  
    ‘Probably a simple case of truancy,’ the headmaster said to Miss Clark quietly. ‘I’ll have a word with the Dovers and see if he turns up after school is over. If he doesn’t, then we shall need to inform the police.’  
    ‘Miss, what’s happened to Johnny?’ someone from the front row asked when she returned.  
    ‘Nothing, Colin, why should you think something had?’  
    ‘Well, he’s not here, and he’s always saying he’s going back to London.’
    ‘He’ll be in on Monday,’ she said. ‘Now back to your books children.’  
    The last hour dragged. While her class were writing she had a pile of