""When that April with his showers sweet..." ""the drought of March hath pierced to the root..." ""and bathed every vein in such liqueur..." ""from which virtue engendered is the flower, ;" ""When Zephyrus seek with his swete breath..." ""inspired hath in every holt and heath..." ""the tender croppes..." ""and the young sun hath in the Ram his half cours y-ronne..." ""and smale foweles maken melody..." ""that slepen all the night with open eye" ""so priketh them nature in their corages" ""then longen folk to go on pilgrimages..." ""and palmers for to seken stranger strands..." ""to distant shrines known in sundry lands, ;" ""And especially from every shire's end of England..." ""to Canterbury they wend..." ""the holy blissful martyr for to seek... that them hath helpen when that they were weak. "" "600 years have passed." "What would they see, Dan Chaucer and his goodly company today?" "The hills and valleys are the same." "Gone are the forests since the enclosures came." "Hedgerows have sprung." "The land is under plow... and orchards bloom with blossom on the bough." "Sussex and Kent are like a garden fair... but sheep still graze upon the ridges there." "The Pilgrims' Way still winds above the weald... through wood and break and many a fertile field." "But though so little's changed since Chaucer's day... another kind of pilgrim walks the way." "Alas, when on our pilgrimage we wend... we modern pilgrims see nojourney's end." "Gone are the ring ofhooves, the creak of wheel." "Down in the valley runs our road of steel." "No genial host at sinking of the sun welcomes us in." "Ourjourney's just begun." "Chillingbourne!" "Canterbury, next stop!" "Chillingbourne!" "Chillingbourne!" " Canterbury, next stop!" "Next stop, Canterbury!" "Canterbury?" "Hey, that's my station." " Sorry, folks." "Thanks." " Watch it." "Watch it." "Thanks, pop." "I'll sit the next dance out." "Ah." "You'll break someone's neck one of these days." "Yourn too, I shouldn't wonder." "Don't you know there's a bylaw against getting out of a moving train, penalty 40 shillings?" "Why don't you light up the names of your stations?" "How do you expect folks to read the signs?" "I don't." "Nor don't the company." "I'm here to call out the name of the station." "Why wait till the train gets going?" "Now look here." "In the first place, I called out the name of the station..." "Ioud, precise and clear, while the train was stationary." "You had ample time to alight." "Ample." "I heard you with my own ears calling out Canterbury after the train started to move." " He called out, "Canterbury, next stop."" " See?" "But I'm going to Canterbury, darn it." " The train's going to Canterbury." " And you're stopping here at Chillingbourne." "Well, son of a gun." " What time is the next - - 8:57." " 8:57?" " A.m." " Here, what do those stripes mean?" " Sergeant." "Well, they're the wrong way up." "He's a sergeant." "See?" "Cut the quiz questions, pop." "What kind of a place is this with no train all night?" "This is the kind of place where people sleep at night." " Are you all right, Sergeant?" " Yeah." "I'm for Chillingbourne Camp." " Okay." "Ticket, please." " Right." "Here we are." "You can keep yourn." "Miss." "Here." "These two gentlemen will accompany you to town hall." "Why do you think I need an escort?" "No young lady must go alone at night." "Mr. Colpeper's orders." "This way, please." " Who is Mr. Colpeper?" " Local magistrate, justice of the peace." " Say, pop, is there a hotel in this place?" " They'll tell you down at town hall." "Town hall?" "I said don't tell me this whistle-stop is a town." "Chillingbourne was constituted a municipal borough in the year 1085... 407 years before Columbus discovered America." "I didn't mean to hurt your civic pride, pop." "Granted, sonny boy." "And my name's Thomas Duckett, stationmaster, acting." " Mine's BobJohnson, sergeant, also acting." " Peter Gibbs, sergeant, underpaid." "Nice to know you both." "Now, where's this hotel?" "I'll give your town hall a miss." "You can't do that." "All visitors must report to town hall." "Mr. Colpeper's orders." " That guy again?" " How do I get to the camp?" " Last bus." "You'll catch it if you hurry." " Where?" " Marketplace by town hall." " How do we get there?" " Charing Street and follow your nose." " Where's Charing Street?" " Through that gate." " Right." "Let's go." " Here." "Wait a minute." "Have you all got torches?" " Not me." " I have." " I'll show you a real flashlight." " Put that light out!" " What's wrong with it?" " Everything." " It does the job, doesn't it?" "It'll do your job if the police catch you flashing it on." " You won't catch no 8:57." " A.m." " Okay, okay." " Shall we go?" "If you're going to catch your bus." " Yes." "That's right." " See you in the morning, pop." "You'll be clever if you do." "I don't come on till 12:00." " P.m.?" " A.m." " And keep an eye on young lady." " Check." "Why do railway companies always have gates like this?" "I'll go ahead and shine my torch for you two." "Don't blind us." " What are you doing?" " What's going on?" " What's that?" " What's what?" " Oh, my goodness." "It's my hair." " Hair?" "Somebody came out of nowhere and poured something on it." " Hi!" "Where are you?" " What's wrong with your hair?" " It's some sticky stuff." " Sticky stuff?" " Your hair's full of it." " So this is England." "Never a dull moment." " Listen." "Somebody up the street." "Quick, Bob." "Searchlight." "There he goes." "Hey, soldier!" " Can you run, miss?" " Watch me." "Hey, Bob." " There he goes, round that building." " Come on!" "This way." "We'll head him off." " Come on, Bob." "You take the river." " Okay." "What's that?" "Oh, it's me, darn it." " Any luck?" " Not a sausage." "Now, you wait here." " What, alone?" "No fear." " Think we missed him?" " Well, we couldn't have." " It's a cinch he didn't double back." "He's inside." "Nowhere else he could be." "Let's find the door." " Here it is." " Is that a bus?" " Sounds like it." " What's going on out here?" " Is this the town hall?" " It is." " Then that's my bus." "You can handle this, Bob?" " Sure." " Good hunting." "Let me know what happens." "Good evening." "Where's my bag?" " In the road." " Peter Gibbs is my name, First Battalion, the Loamshires." " Here." " A man is in this building." "A soldier." "He must have got in through one of the windows." "Just a minute, miss." "And who might you be?" " My name's Alison Smith." " She's going to work here." " I'm going to work on Mr. Colpeper's" " May I see your identity card?" "Identity card nothing.!" "What kind of a cop are you?" " American." " Anything the matter, miss?" " Matter?" " Somebody's poured some sticky stuff on my hair." " Sergeant, the Glue Man's out again." "While you're looking us up in the Domesday Book, he's making a getaway." " Door there.!" " And what about my hair?" " Just a minute, if you please." "One thing at a time." " Are you the incident, miss?" " Yes." "Look." "My hair's full of it." " Oh, it's the Glue Man, all right." " Glue Man?" "Let me have a look, deary." "Oh, we'll soon see to that, all right." "What is this, an old Chillingbourne custom?" " He's in the town hall, Sergeant." " Who is?" "Your Glue Man." "We chased him down the street, and he's in this building." " Door there.!" "What's up, Ernie?" " It's him, the Glue Man." " Where?" "I heard the whistle, up on the church tower." "I ran all the way." "I ran" " I" " I dropped - bumped into a soldier running across the square." " He caught the Chartham bus." " Nuts!" "That was Peter Gibbs." " And who may he be?" " The soldier who was with us when it happened." "Well, why don't you search the building?" "You leave that to us, miss." "We may be slow in Chillingbourne compared with London ways... and we ain't no G-men neither, but we know our duty and we have our methods." "Ernie Brooks, you get back to your fire-watching." "If you hear anything, blow your whistle, as arranged." " All right, Bertie." " Sergeant Bassett when on duty, if you please." "Constable Ovenden, you will accompany me on a tour of the building." "You will kindly stay here with the young lady." "Uh, sergeant, is it?" "Yeah." "SergeantJohnson." "Say, can't I come too?" "This guy may be dangerous." "Have you got a gun?" "This is Chillingbourne, SergeantJohnson, not Chicago." " Better use your torch." " Say, what kind of a crack is that?" "I come from Oregon." "Getting tired of this old Glue Man spoiling our games." "You shouldn't be." "It saves you money the way you play." "I wonder when they're gonna give us our electric light." "Oi." "There's a light in the courtroom." " There's someone in there." " Yeah." " Ready?" " Yes." "Come on." "Let's take him by surprise." " Anything wrong, Bassett?" " Sorry, Mr. Colpeper." "We didn't know you were still up here." "I see." "All right." "Can you make me a cup of tea?" "I'm sure you've got a kettle on downstairs." " Here's my cup." " Yes, sir." " Sir, the Glue Man's out again." " How do you know?" "An American soldier and a girl chased him here, sir." "What girl?" "What American?" "Well, the girl who was the incident, sir." "Isn't that right?" "Yes, Sergeant." "She's come to work for you, sir." "On your farm." "She's a land girl." "There must be some mistake." "You say they chased the Glue Man here?" "Yes, sir." "They insist he's somewhere inside this building." "Well, what are you standing talking for, Bassett?" "Get on and search it." "Yes, sir." " Gee, what a job." " Is it coming out?" " Beg your pardon, ma'am?" " Any better?" "Well, I've got considerable on me, so there must be less on you... but there's still plenty on you." "Here you are, miss." "What on earth am I to do?" "Soap's no good." "Hot water's the only thing." " Miss Grainger's boiling a kettle." " You seem to be an expert." " She's the 11 th incident." " What about this glue-throwing character?" "Captain, you don't mean to say you let him get away from you?" "He got away- if ever he were inside." " Now we shan't be long, deary." " Nice work." "Put another kettle on, Miss Grainger, and make some tea." "Mr. Colpeper's fire-watching." "Oi." "Here's his cup." " Who's Mr. Colpeper?" " Magistrate." "Wants to see you." "Oh, he does?" "Okay, ma'am?" " Mmm." " Let's give it another whirl with the hot water." "I guess Mr. Colpeper can wait a while." "Here." "We know how to handle this." "Still a bit sticky, sir." "Glad to meet you." "Welcome to Chillingbourne." "You're the first American soldier we've seen." " Bad luck missing your train, Sergeant, uh " " Johnson, sir." "Johnson." " Say, what's that?" " That's the old ducking stool." "Very sensibly used for silencing talkative women." "Are you there, Mr. Colpeper?" "Excuse me." " That you, Brooks?" " You're showing a light, sir." "Sorry, Brooks." "Very careless of me." "We take our blackout seriously in East Kent." "This your first time in England?" " Yes, sir." " Do you like it?" "Sure, but I haven't seen much else but Salisbury." "You've seen something if you've seen Salisbury." "It's a fine town." "Yeah." "It's got some swell movies." "Really?" "You're a great moviegoer, SergeantJohnson?" "You bet." "It's a great thing to sit back in an armchair... and watch the world go by in front of you." "The drawback is, SergeantJohnson... that people may get used to looking at the world from the sitting position." "I don't quite get you." "Then when they really do pass through it, they don't see anything." "Shall you be going to a movie in Canterbury?" "Is there anything good on?" "This voucher will get you a room in the Hand of Glory." "That's the inn." "One of the men will take you over." "There's nothing to pay." " Thanks." "That's swell of you, but I can pay." " No, no." "You're our guest for tonight." "Okay." "Thanks a lot." "That's all right." " Pity." " Pity?" "Pity when you get home and people ask you what you've seen in England, you'll say..." ""Well, I saw a movie in Salisbury... and I made a pilgrimage to Canterbury and saw another one."" "You've got me all wrong." "I know that in Canterbury I have to look out for a cathedral." "Do look out for it." "It's just behind the movie theater." "You can't miss it." " Oh, take the sergeant over to Mrs. Foster." " Yes, Mr. Colpeper." "And ask the young lady to come in." "Good luck, Sergeant." "Good night, sir." "Colpeper." "Colpeper." " Up here, miss." " Thank you." "I'm sorry about the incident, miss, uh " " Alison Smith." " Miss Smith." "I've been sent by the War Agricultural Committee." "I wish they'd telephone before they send people." "You wrote." "They sent me." "I want a farm laborer." "You have to take what you can get these days." "You've got me." "I can do the work." "I'm sorry, Miss Smith." "You refuse to employ me because I'm a girl?" "Miss Smith, there's a camp near this village full of soldiers." " I know." " Oh, you know?" "I'm not interested in soldiers." " Perhaps they're interested in you." " Let them." "They mean nothing to me." "Aren't you afraid to stay here?" "Why should I be afraid?" " After what's happened to you." " Didn't you hear it?" " What?" "Somebody moved." "In there." "Nonsense." "It isn't nonsense." " Somebody's there." " How could there be?" "I've been here the whole time." "Why don't you want to open it then?" "Here's some more." "Uh, Mrs. Foster won't be long now, miss." "Can I help you?" "Well, I've seen some topsy-turvy things in this war- and the last - but to see guests doing real work for me... no, miss." "Do you know Mr. Thomas Colpeper?" "Do I know Mr. Colpeper?" " You a Londoner, miss?" " Mmm." "Well, what would you say if I was to ask you, do you know who's the lord mayor of London?" " But I don't." " Ye " " You don't?" " No." " Well, aren't you ashamed?" " Not a bit." "I see." "That stone interest you, miss?" "It comes from the old road... what some folks call the Pilgrims'Road." "Yes." "From the bend." "Up there on the hill." "What do you know about our bend?" " I've seen it." " When?" "Three years ago." "Ah." "Then it weren't our bend you saw." "It weren't uncobbled then." "No, but the bend was there all the same." " Is it excavated now?" " Yeah." "The whole bend." " Who gave the money?" " Council." "I'm glad they changed their minds." "They didn't." "We changed our magistrate." " For Mr. Colpeper." " For Mr. Colpeper." "Here." "How do you know about our bend?" "I spent the whole of my holiday here once." "I don't call you to mind." "We camped outside the village in a caravan." "Uh" "There ain't been no caravanners up by our bend... for the past, uh, eight years." " That's all you know." " Ah." "Except, uh " "You ain't a ge-geologist?" "No." "He was my fiance." "Girl, you can come up now." "Your room's ready." "Coming." "Good night." "Good night." "If you're stopping tomorrow night I shall have the Elizabeth Room free." "She slept there." " Who?" " Queen Elizabeth." "There's an American in it now, but he's going in the morning." " Is his nameJohnson?" " Are you the girl?" "Yes." "We washed it, but it's still full of glue." "Revolting." " Extraordinary thing to do, isn't it?" " Silly, I call it." "You'll have to wash your hair again, several times." " I'll send you up a kettle." " Thank you." "This is your room." " Who is it?" "It's me." "Alison." "Is that you, Bob?" "Gee, ma'am." "I didn't know you were stopping here too." " Why didn't you tell me last night?" " Well, I didn't know myself." "I didn't get that job." " Sorry about the job." " Oh, never mind about that." "What I want " "Let's see now." "Since you didn't get the job... that means you're going in with me on the 8:57?" "That's just what I wanted to talk to you about." "Bob, would you mind very much not catching the 8:57?" "Would I mind?" "I've got to meet a buddy in London." " Well " " And I want to get to Canterbury first." " I promised Ma." " Well, we can go in on the evening train together." " And I've written to Peter Gibbs." " What's he got to do with it?" ""Dear Sergeant Gibbs, you'll have heard by now that the Glue Man got away." " But he didn't get far."" " Hmm?" "You mean they've got him?" " No." " What kind of a quiz is this?" "You met Mr. Colpeper, didn't you?" "Yes." "He got me this room." "And a swell room it is." "What about him?" "There's something about him I don't like." " And he's got a Home Guard uniform." "Oh, don't laugh, Bob." "What I want to do is to snoop around in the village." "Peter can do that at the camp." "And I want you to help me, Bob." "You need about as much help as a flying fortress." " 8:00, sir." " A.m. Or p." "M?" "What?" " Tea, sir." " I take coffee for breakfast." "You can have coffee for breakfast, sir." "That's early morning tea." " Can't I have early morning coffee?" " Oh, no, sir." "Oh." "What's that?" " What, sir?" " That window there." "House the other side of the street." " That street seems kind of narrow." " The upper story overhangs." "They do say two six-foot men could shake hands across the street, sir." "Why would they want to do that?" "It's only what they say, sir." "Oh come, come, come" "To the church in the wildwood" "Come, come, come to the church in the vale" "Morning." "Limey mirror." " Hello there." " Hello." " What are you doing?" " Standing." " What's your name?" " Leslie." "What's yours?" " Bob." " Are you a soldier?" "Sure." "Can't you see my uniform?" "I've never seen a uniform like that." "What do those stripes mean?" "I seem to have heard this one." "I tell you they mean sergeant, and you tell me what?" " They're the wrong way up." " Correct." " Could you use a quarter?" " Quarter what?" " A quarter of a dollar." " That's a shilling." "Catch." " Thank you very much." " You're welcome." " Are you an American soldier?" " I have that honor." " Mother." " Yes." "What?" " This is an American soldier." " Don't point, dear." "It's rude." "Gee-up now." "Come on." " See ya later." " Okay." " Good morning." " Good morning, ma'am." " Sleep well?" " Yes, thanks." "Sure is mighty lonesome lying in the middle of that bed." "There are only three like it in all England." "They say that two six-foot men couldn't shake hands across that bed." " Why would they want to do that, ma'am?" " Depends on who's in it, young man." "You'll miss the Canterbury train." "Thought I might take a ride in with Miss Alison this evening." "Well, you better think again, because she's stopping." "I woke up this morning saying to myself..." ""Susanna Foster, are you mad to let a great, strong girl like that go... when you need someone yourself on the farm?"" " Was I right?" " I guess you ain't often wrong, ma'am." " She's a nice girl." " Is she having breakfast?" "No." "She's at wheelwright's." " Up north, was you?" " Yes." " Northumberland?" " Yes." " Sheep farming mostly." " Yes." "Ah, they don't know nothing about farming up there." "You'll find things a sight different down here." "Yes." "Jim had to cut the tire off." "Know what the tire is?" " Yes." " Then he had to sole it down." " Know what soling down means?" " No." "Ah, well, soling down means, uh..." " soling down, see?" "Jim gouged out the ends of the spokes." "Then he had to look at them fellyjoints." " Do you know what felly joints is?" " No." "Ah." "You ought to know that." "He had to open them fellyjoints three-eighths of an inch." "You better remember that... just in case Susanna Foster asks you what was wrong with the wheel." "Thank you." "Mr. Horton, what was your job before the war?" "Mine?" "I've been a blacksmith for 37 years." "My father was a blacksmith and his before him." "I was selling things in a department store before the war." "I wonder how you would look behind a counter, Mr. Horton." " Horton behind a counter?" " American army, eh?" " BobJohnson's the name." " Sergeant, ain't ya?" " Mmm." "This is, uh, Sergeant BobJohnson of the American army." " Morning, folks." " Morning." " Morning." "Nice place you've got here." " So you didn't catch the 8:57." " No, ma'am." "You look as though you belong around here already." " Do I?" " Sure do." "I thought I'd stick around today myself." "Thought I might have a chat with Mr. Colpeper." "I hear he knows a lot about the old Pilgrims'Road." "Ah." "So you're interested in that old road, are you?" "Well, the wheel's finished." "What are you standing round for?" "Put her on the cart." "Yes, sir." "I'm crazy about that old road and... those old Canterbury pilgrims." "Ah." "Them was the days for a wheelwright." "Mind that strut, boy." "Have you got the linchpin, Ned?" "George?" "Yes?" " Did you hear the news last night, Mr. Horton?" " There wasn't nothing on the wireless." "Oh, no." "I didn't mean that sort of news." "I mean what happened here last night." "We get all our local news at 6:00, miss." "You got a local newspaper?" " No." "That's when the pub opens." "What happened?" " Your Glue Man was on the warpath last night." " Who was he after this time?" " Me." " Oh." "You." "I suppose that'll learn you not to run around at night." "On the contrary." "I shall go out every night until I catch him." "Aren't likely." "Come on then." "Get her down." "Back." "Can I give you a hand there, ma'am?" "Thanks, Bob." "I'd rather do it alone." "Back." "Elm." "Yeah." "And chestnut." " Do you get much sweating in your elm planks?" " Oh, average." "At home we build two at a time." "For steadiness." "Side by side." "Well, so do us." "To tie them longer strips together." " Sewn last winter." " Is that how you do it in America?" "It's how we do it in my part of America." "But we take off the strips when we put the planks away in stock." "Well, so do us." "How long do you allow for seasoning timber?" " Ayear for every inch of thickness." " Same here." "You can't hurry an elm." " No." "But some folks try to, all the same." " Yeah." "Capitalists." "Can't stand to see their money lie idle a piece." " And the war." " Why the war?" "Folks go mad." "They cut oak at midsummer." " No." " I'm telling you, yes." " Oak should be cut in winter." " Course." " Or the spring." " That's right." " And beech in the fall." " And plank it out " " At Christmas." " Yeah." " That's how my dad taught me." " Ah." "You was well brought up." " In the timber business, was you?" " Lumber." " Oh." " My granddad had the first mill in our parts." " Yeah." " Dad" " He was a cabinetmaker." "I cut my teeth on wood shavings." "Cut his teeth on wood" "Dad" " He made my cradle out of cedar of Lebanon." "He said what was good enough for Solomon... was good enough for a Johnson ofJohnson County." "Gee, I can smell that cedar now." "Ah." "Can I bum a ride off you, ma'am?" " Jump in." " Looks like a good way to see the sights." "Just a minute, missy." "We have our dinner at midday." "I'd like to have you join us, Sergeant." "That is if you ain't got nothing better to do." " Thanks a lot." "I'd be glad to." " Ah, that'll be fine." "Get up." "Hey, Mother?" " Yes, Jim?" " One extra for dinner." " I was thinking of a cottage pie, Jim." " Ah, well, think of a good big un." "Nice piece of weatherboarding, that water mill." "I must ask the old gentleman who built it." "I'll bet it was a Horton." "How did you manage to get round Mr. Horton in that way?" "I believe you are a detective." "We speak the same language." "I'm English, and I don't speak their language." "He knows about wood, see, and so do I." " That's it." " That was it." "Oh, look at that house." "What a perfect place." "I wonder whose it is..." "and what it's like at the back." "Whoa." "What wouldn't I give to grow old in a place like that." "Tom." "Breakfast." "Beats me." "Last night I could have believed anything." "But this morning... if ever a man looked - looked right, he did." "Yeah." "It don't add up." "But, you know, Alison, things don't add up in life." "Look, Bob." "Are you positively off tonight?" "Positively." "But I'll see you before I go... and tell you what I find out from old Jim Horton." "What I'll find to do the rest of the afternoon I don't know." "There's a movie." "It's Saturday." "They have a matinee." "What?" "Go to a single feature?" "Not me." " Write some postcards." " I'll have to do that to the folks from Canterbury." " Write to your girl." " I don't write my girl anymore." "How do you expect her to write to you if you don't write to her?" "You've got that in reverse English." "She doesn't write to me anymore, so I don't write to her." " That's the way it is." " That's the way it is." "Perhaps she has written." "I haven't had a letter in seven weeks." "Sometimes the mail's lost by enemy action." "A ship might have gone down." "Yes." "A ship might have gone down... the address might have been wrong... there are a hell of a lot ofJohnsons in the army... maybe she was ill, maybe her mother was ill." "I've had all the maybes." "I cabled her." "I haven't heard a thing." "She was a swell girl, Alison." "We used to talk." "She liked the woods." "She learned some of the birdcalls I taught her real well for a girl." "She caught her first rainbow with my rod." "Two and a half pounds." "She broiled it herself." "We've been walking in the woods often, following the trail... and haven't said a word for two hours... and then both said the same thing together." "What do you figure it means when that happens?" "It means love." "It means no letter in seven weeks." "I don't believe this enemy action stuff." "All the other fellas get letters from their girls." "If a ship goes down, it can't just be... that particular part of the ship where my letters are dumped that goes down, can it?" "Well... so long, Alison." "I hope you don't mind my calling you by your first name." "I shall miss being called ma'am." "Time marches on." "Which way does your road go... ma'am?" "He knows." "I hope up that hill." " Why that hill?" " That's where the Pilgrims'Road runs." " Along that hill?" " Yes." "From the bend at the eastern edge of the hill... pilgrims saw Canterbury for the first time." " You've seen it?" " Yes." "With a friend of mine." " Boy or a girl?" " Boy." "I hope he writes to you." "No, he doesn't." "Maybe the mail was lost by enemy action." "No, Bob." "As it happens, he was lost by enemy action." " He was a pilot." " Shot down?" " Yes." " Sorry." "I hope you'll have better luck." "Get up." "I'm Prudence Honeywood." "My sister telephoned you were coming." "Glad to see you." "We're shorthanded here." " Smiler brought you along all right, I hope." " Yes, Miss Honeywood." " Not afraid of work, are you?" " No." " Can you tie sheaves?" " Yes." " Cart muck?" " Yes." " Lift potatoes?" " Yes." " Lead a harrow?" " Not very straight." "Neither can I. Can you spud wheat?" " Yes." " Spread lime?" " If I have to." " You'll have to." "Know anything about hops?" " Not a thing." " Hmm." "Most of the hands are in the fields today." "You'd better stay here this morning." "You can put your bag in that shed." "See you a little later." "Sue tells me you had a frightening experience last night." "Wasn't frightening." "It was just unpleasant." " Hmm." " And annoying." "I thought so." "It's happened to other girls." "None of them died." "My sister likes to dramatize things." "You know the type." " Do I know them." " Well, do you or don't you?" " I worked in a London store before the war." " Selling things?" "Yes." "Garden furniture." "Picnic baskets." "All that sort of thing." " Did you like the job?" " Not much." "It was better than selling ordinary furniture." "I used to imagine my deck chairs in beautiful gardens... and my picnic baskets opened in the woods and fields." "So you like gardens and the country?" "Mmm." "Hope you won't miss your London store here." "I shan't." "You get up at sunrise." "But you don't have to queue for the bus." "It's hot and sweaty this time of the year." " You should see the stores in August." " Hmm." " The flies are the very devil." " So were the customers." "That's your room over there." "The end one." " You won't get much of a view, I'm afraid." " You should have seen the view from my room in London." "Was it a long street with every house a different sort of sadness in it?" "It was a long row of back gardens... and the tall, sad houses were all the same." " Ghastly in winter." " Airless in summer." " You seem to know them." " The only man who ever asked me to marry him wanted me to live in a house like that." "I'm still a maid." " Miss Honeywood." " Call me Pru." "You might as well." "I don't like Prudence - name or quality." "Pru and Sue we've always been." "She likes Susanna." "You spoke of other girls who had the same experience as I had last night." " Do you know any of them?" " Yes, I have one working in the hopyards." " Fee Baker." " I'd like to talk to her." "Well, you'll see her when you take their dinner down." "That way." "Whoa there." "Hold it." " What's for dinner?" " Scotch eggs and apple dumplings." "Good." " You're Fee Baker, aren't you?" " And you're Alison Smith." " Yes." " Are you working for Pru?" "Yes." " Where are you from?" " London." "Oh, I've got an uncle in London." "He's a policeman." "His father was a policeman too." "Very good dancer." "The uncle, not the father." "Are you fond of dancing?" "Am I!" "There aren't many boys around here who can tell their own feet from their partner's." "Lots of soldiers." "No good dancers among them?" "I wouldn't go out with a soldier for a hundred pounds." " Why?" " The Glue Man's a soldier." "Everybody knows that." " He wears a soldier's uniform." " And what makes a civilian a soldier?" "A uniform." "Besides, there weren't any old Glue Man here before the soldiers came." "Suppose he isn't a soldier." "What are you driving at?" "Suppose he's a civilian." " Someone in the village." " In uniform?" "Supposing he wore a uniform to make the girls afraid to go out with soldiers." "That might be any one of a dozen." " Might be a glue woman." " Why?" "Don't be soft." " Take Ernie's family." " Who's Ernie?" "Another uncle?" "No." "My Ernie." "He's with the Eighth Army." "Do you think his family like me going out with strange soldiers?" "But a girl must live." "I'm sure I'm right." "Well, suppose you are." "Where does it get you?" "And why worry?" "You weren't the first." " Do you know the other girls?" " Of course." "There's Dorothy Bird." "She's the post-girl." "Susan Cummings, Polly Finn " "Hold on a tick." "If nobody else cares..." "I'm going to find out what can be done about this glue business." " I can tell you that." " You can?" "Hot water." "Plenty of hot water." " What's the idea, frightening my horse?" " I suppose you weren't scared." "Why don't you keep your beastly carriers off the Pilgrims' Road?" "I know that voice." "Hey, Alison." "This is Peter Gibbs." "I thought you didn't get that job." "Who'd you steal this cart from?" "I'm working for Mrs. Foster." "And if you don't take your carriers out of the road at once..." "I'll tell her what happened, and she'll report you to your C.O." " It was the C.O.'s idea." "We didn't know who was in the cart." "I didn't even know it was a girl." " You're just an objective." " I don't believe a word." "And I'm in a hurry." "Well, we're not." "You're our prisoner, but we'll exchange you for some information." "What have you been up to?" "Have you got a plan?" "What's Bob doing to earn his keep?" "Archie!" "This is Miss Alison Smith I told you about." " Archie here had an Agnes." " A Gwladys." " Go on, Archie." "Tell the tale." " Well, that's all there was to it." "Love's young dream." " Glue." " What next?" "There wasn't any next." "She went home like a scalded cat." " And that was after dark?" " Conditions were perfect - until the Glue Man came." " What was the girl's name?" " Gwladys." "She spelt it with a "W." Class." " Gwladys what?" " How should I know?" "Wasn't a lasting friendship." " It happened to her." " What date?" "Half a mo." "Archie's my witness." "I'll get all the dope." "Okay, Archie." " And talking of dope." " What's that?" ""Colpeper Institute, Chillingbourne." "Admission free." ""Each Saturday at 7:30 p.m. A lecture illustrated by lantern slides..." ""will be given by Thomas Colpeper..." ""J.P." ""For members of H.M. Forces only." "After the lecture an open discussion will be held." "Smoking permitted." "Attend the whole series and bring your friends." "Admission free."" " They're stuck up all over the camp." "That's the fourth in the series." " Well?" " Well, how about it?" "Be useful." " It says members of H.M. Forces only." "Aren't you in the army?" "Women's Land Army?" "Isn't that H.M. Forces too?" " Yes, it is, but - but the lecture's tonight." " What's wrong with tonight?" " I've got a job." "I'm working here." " You are?" "Good." " And it's my first day." " Well, what's wrong with it?" " Nothing." " Well, can you be there?" " Yes." "I suppose I can, if I finish in time." " Well, can you finish in time?" " Yes." "If it's important." " Important?" "To detective work, every clue's important." " What clue?" " Did I say clue?" " You did." " I meant glue." "Don't be late." ""Notheavenitselfuponthepasthaspower..." ""but what has been has been... and I have had my hour. "" "Are you from the States?" " Yes." " I got a brother there." " That so?" " "Butt" City." ""Butt" City?" ""Butt" City, Montana." "Oh, yes." "Of course." "Name of Isaac Wells." "Maybe you know him." " Tall fellow?" " Short and fat." " Can't place him." " Pity." " Good evening." " Evening." " Coming to the lecture?" " Yes." "In a minute, sir." "I come from Three Sisters Falls, Oregon." "I come from the Seven Sisters Road, London." "Put it there." "Pleased to meet you." "You sure are a whole mess of sisters ahead of me." " Good evening." " Good evening." "I'm glad to see such a big house." "The last time I was to speak" " It was July the 11 th, I think- there was an audience of one." "He was reading his evening paper." "I waited for a bit." "Then I asked him, "Uh, shall I start?"" "He said, "Start what?" I said, "Didn't you come to hear me lecture?"" " He said, "No, I'm waiting for the pubs to open."" "We waited till 5:30, then we adjourned the lecture and both went to the pub." "Uh, would some of you mind doing the blackout, please?" "And I hope there are going to be plenty of questions." "Will somebody start the ball rolling now?" "Yes, sir." "May I ask why you want to lecture us at all, sir?" "Well, you see, it's a form of human weakness." "It's only human nature when you hear something interesting to want to pass it on to somebody else." "Well, I know a lot of interesting things about this part of the country... and I feel the urge to pass some of them on to you." "Good evening." "You'll find a place at the back there, I think." "Good evening, SergeantJohnson." "Would you like tojoin your two friends?" " Yes, sir." " Good evening, Miss Smith." " Good evening, Mr. Colpeper." " Say, won't you come back and join us?" "Well, uh, I wouldn't like to, uh, presume." " Sure." "Come on." "We'd like it." " Straight?" " Sure." " Oh, that's very kind of you, I'm sure." "Don't mind if I do." " Friend of mine." " Good evening, all." " Evening." " Good evening, Sergeant." " Big news." " What?" " Tell you later." " What about your train?" " Brother, you can take my" " Shh!" "I was born here, and my father was born here." "You're here because there's a war on." " You'd rather be in your own part of the country." " You're telling us.!" "That's why none of you like being here very much." " But suppose there was peace again." " And holidays again." "Well, you'd like to spend your holidays in a beautiful and interesting part of the country." "And if you were to ask any man who knew England well, "Where shall I go to?"" "10-to-one he'd say, "Go to Kent."" " Well, you're in Kent." " And how.!" " Don't rub it in." " Where's the wife and kid?" " Only passing through." "I know." " Who named Old Kent Road?" " Watch yourself." "I don't know what you are in civil life." "You might be cook, clerk... a doctor, a lawyer, a merchant." "Let me remind you that as much as 600 years ago... doctors and lawyers and clerks and merchants... were passing through here on the old road which we call the Pilgrims' Way." " And cooks." " Yes." "And cooks too." " Blimey." "Cook's tour.!" "These ancient pilgrims came to Canterbury to ask for a blessing or to do penance." "You, I hope, are on your way to secure blessings for the future." " Any questions?" " Uh, I was thinking, sir." " Yes?" " What have we got to do with this old road... and the people who traveled along it 600 years ago?" " Hear!" "Hear!" " Isn't the house you were born in the most interesting house in the world for you?" "Don't you want to know how your father lived?" "And his father?" "That's all right, but how do we know it really happened?" "Well, there are more ways than one of getting close to your ancestors." "Follow the old road, and as you walk... think of them and of the old England." "They climbed Chillingbourne Hill, just as you did." "They sweated and paused for breath, just as you did today." "When you see the bluebells in the spring and the wild thyme... and the broom and the heather... you're only seeing what their eyes saw." "You ford the same rivers." "The same birds are singing." "When you lie flat on your back and rest... and watch the clouds sailing, as I often do... you're so close to those other people... that you can hear the thrumming of the hoofs of their horses... and the sound of the wheels on the road... and their laughter and talk... and the music of the instruments they carried." "And when I turn the bend of the road... where they too saw the towers of Canterbury..." "I feel I've only to turn my head... to see them on the road behind me." "Like it?" "How about you?" "Makes a nice change." "Now I'd like to show you some drawings and photographs... of things we found in recent excavations." "Hey, Bob." "Movies." "I don't like free shows." "Something always goes wrong." "First I'll show you the bend on the Pilgrims' Road." " See?" "Sorry." "I always do that." "Somebody mind undoing the blackout?" "Oh, thanks." "Perhaps our friend will be able to fix it." "He only looks after three Bren carriers." "Pity." "I shall only be able to show half the slides." "By the way, if any of you are really interested, drop in at my house at any time and have a chat." " Thank you." " Are you interested, Miss Smith?" "Why shouldn't she be?" "I'm interested too." " Otherwise we wouldn't be here." "Right?" " Right." "What interests you especially?" "Well, what you were saying." " Of course, we know we don't know anything about that sort of thing." " Oh, yes, we do." " Do we?" " We know all about the old road." "We know that the pilgrims weren't the first to use it." "Quite right." "In Surrey it was used by the Romans." " Here in Kent it certainly goes back to the Iron Age." " I thought this was the Iron Age." "Pipe down." "It's very interesting." "A geologist found some Belgian coins not far from here some time ago." "Last time I was in London I inquired at the British Museum about them, but..." "I'm afraid they have no record." " I have them." " You have them?" "Yes." "They were left to me by the man who found them." "I'd be very grateful if one day you let me see the coins." "Anytime." "After my luggage gets here." " I wouldn't keep them very long." " I'm going to give them to this museum." "Not for you." "Thank you." "Very much obliged." "May I ask for the blackout again, please?" "Here we go." "The bend on the Pilgrims'Road." "Put that light out!" "Okay, okay." "Why pick on me?" " Gee!" "I forgot!" " What?" " The proof." "I've got it!" " Tell us about it." "Not here." "Topography plays an important part in my expose." "Hi, buddy." " Have a cigar?" " Mmm." " Is this Charing Street?" " I" " I" " I" "Th-That" "Th-That's right." " Leading into marketplace?" " Uh, the" " I" " I" "That" "Th-That's right." " That building there is the town hall?" " I" " I" " I" "That's right." "Now, Mr. Colpeper's office is the second story window?" " I" "That" "That" " I" "That's right." " Thanks." "Are you by any chance the village idiot?" "I" "That's right." " There." "Anyway, he is right." "I checked it this afternoon." " So where does it get us?" " You'll see." "Now, we came down this street." " Th-Th-That's right." " That's right." " We didn't see a light in the town hall." " That's right." "You're killing me." "When we were in the town hall the police found Mr. Colpeper in his office." " Later I saw him there, and so did you." " That's right." "When I was with him in his office... the janitor, or somebody, tapped on the window... and said we were showing a light outside." "I saw him pull the curtain myself." " That's very interesting." " We hadn't seen a light, so it follows " " That he wasn't in his office." " Right!" " Maybe he was in such a hurry to draw the curtain when he got back that he never noticed " " That's right." "Ah." "That's the first real clue we've had, Alison." "Yes." "I still can't believe that he's the Glue Man." "Well, what motive could he possibly" " Is that a bus?" " Sounds like it." " Come on." "We must run." "See you tomorrow after church, Alison." " Good night." "Don't worry about a motive." "Good night." "Peter's like the Campbells in reverse - always going and never coming." "Cigarette?" "Thank you." "That was clever of you to work that out." "Yes." "Wasn't it?" "Make a swell letter home." ""BobJohnson solves village mystery."" "But I forgot." "I" " I don't write home anymore." "We shall need the watchman's evidence." " Hmm." " You didn't even hear what I said." "I'm sorry, Alison, but I just can't forget that girl." "A fella goes to war and into all kinds of dangers and " "What do you find so dangerous just now?" "I don't mean just now." "But I mean, you -you go and fight in a foreign country and " "I bought her some writing paper." "I write her every time we stop." "And not one line from that blonde." "I guess Ma was right." "She says blondes are no good." "What color's your hair, Alison?" " Blonde." " No kidding!" "Come on." "I'll take you home." "And tomorrow I'm going to organize the local guerrillas." "Hello there." "Can I speak to you for a minute?" " Excuse me." "Do you mind not shouting?" " You bet." "What's cooking?" "A battle." "Combined operation." "Backpedal." "I get it." "Say, Colonel " "General." "General Holmes." "This is Commander Topp, in charge of our landing craft." " Mind if I come aboard?" " Not at all." " At your own risk of course." " Sure." "Bring her aside." "Here I come." " Can we have a talk now?" " Shh-shh-shh-shh." "I'll put a scout ashore." "Okay, onto the bank." "Would you mind taking a paddle?" "Sure." "Fire, boys, fire!" "Surprise attack!" "Take cover.!" "Take cover.!" "Aim at the cannon!" "Aim at the cannon!" " Come on.!" "Charge the gap.!" "Come on!" "Follow me!" "Quick!" "The river!" "Surrender, General." "You are outnumbered." "It's useless to fight on." "All right." "Hello, General." "Nice work." " They've four more than us." " Sure." "Why didn't you pick sides?" "'Cause my men must have berets and I've only got six handkerchiefs." "Well, that's different." "Now the battle's over, would your two armies lease-lend you two generals for a while?" " What's lease-lend?" " Never ask that question again, son." "If the isolationists were to hear you back home, they'd be mighty sore." "Who are the isolationists?" " Shortsighted folks." " Why don't they buy spectacles?" "From what I hear, that's just what they are doing." " Now, here's two quarters." " He means two shillings." "One for each army." "The smaller army will get a bigger share, but that's right too." "Catch." " Thank you very much." " Thank you." "Is there some place around here we could have a powwow?" "On the hill." "Yahoo!" "Looks like this isn't the first time this place has seen a battle." " No." " No." "Now see here, you've heard about the Glue Man, haven't you?" "Don't be scared." " I'm not scared." " Nor am I." "Good, because I'm on his trail." " The Glue Man?" " Yes." " You want to catch him?" " That's the idea." "Now, if this was the States every kid in the village would lend a hand to get him." " How?" " I'll tell you." "I want you to help me check some things." " Are you game?" " Yes."