gnised as such in formal documents."

"Another injustice to women. I shall enter you as Married Man."

"Enter me as anything you like," I said, "only let's get on with the
job."

"Very well; you're down as Married Man."

"Now get on with the children. Muriel first. What about her?"

"But she's away having her education finished."

"Yes," I said, "but she'll be back for the holidays, and she'll want
her sugar then, like the rest of us. And Frederick is away at _his_
school, probably getting much better sugar than we are. He'll be
wanting his ration in the holidays. You'd better put a note about
that."

"A note?" she said. "There's no room for notes on this form. All they
want is a bald statement. And that's just what they can't get. They'll
have to take it with the hair on. I'm cramming in about the holidays,
and I hope Lord RHONDDA will be pleased with all the information he's
getting about our family."

"Keep going," I said; "you've still got the servants to do."

"Yes, but the kitchenmaid's gone, and I haven't engaged another one
yet."

"Don't let that worry you," I said. "Write down--Kitchenmaid about to
be engaged. Name will be supplied later.'"

"You're quite brilliant to-day. There, that's finished, thank Heaven."

"Not yet. You've got to address it to the Local Food Office."

"But I haven't the remotest where the Local Food Office is. It can't
have been there more than a short time, anyhow."

"Hurrah!" I said, looking over her shoulder at the document. "It says
if you are in doubt as to the name of the district of your Local Food
Office you are to inquire of any policeman or special constable."

"That's all very well," she said, "but how are we to find a policeman
in this remote and peaceful place? I've never seen one. Have you?"

"Yes," I said, "I think I saw one last year on a bicycle."

"Well, he's probably arrived somewhere else by this time. He's no good
to us."

"No, but we might find a special constable."

"I'll tell you what," she said, "old Glumgold is a special constable.
I heard him complaining bitterly of having been hauled out of bed
during the last air-raid on London. 'No nigher to we nor forty mile,'
he said it was. He's sure to be among the cabbages. Be a dear and dash
out and ask him."

So I found Glumgold in among the cabbages and asked him where the
Local Food Office was, and he said he'd be gingered if he knew, he
or his old woman either; and that was the question they