MORNING SERIAL

THEY sat on the curved iron seats, the women with hands crossed over laps, the old men leaning forward on their sticks, watching in quiet meditation the colour and pageantry that moved before them.

“Ieuan!” “Yes?” His face brushed her hair as he turned to speak to her. He felt a warm tingling in his blood.

“What made you go to work at Bevan’s?” His face clouded for a moment.

“Why do you ask that, Sally?” She nipped a blade of grass and played with it between her fingers.

“Well … I should think it’s no place for you. You should have gone into something better — an office, or — ” “An office!” He smiled. “No, not that, Sally. But there are other things I would like to do. You don’t think I relish being at the foundry?” “Then why don’t you leave it, Ieuan?” “I intend to. I hate the foundry and everything to do with it.” “Then you — you have something else in mind?” “Yes, Sally. I’m getting out from Bevan’s as soon as I’ve had a chance to sit my exam — you bet I am. I’m not going to be a moulder for the rest of my life. Mam can do what she likes about it.

I’m old enough now, anyway, and I’ve had eighteen months at the foundry — eighteen months too long.” Sally was silent for a while.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Ieuan pressed her gently.

She laughed. “They’re worth more than that, Ieuan.” “Then tell me, and I’ll give you twopence.” She brushed the blade of grass from her lap.

“I was thinking what a waste of schooling it was to put a clever boy like you into a job where there’s no chance of getting on. What made your mother do such a thing?” “Oh, there’s plenty of chances to get on in the foundry, Sally. One can become a charge-hand or a foreman,” he teased.

“I don’t mean that, Ieuan. It’s—it’s so wrong to have had a good education, and then to throw it away.” “But I’m not throwing it away, Sally. I tell you, I’ll be out of the foundry before this year’s gone — that is, if I’m lucky.” “Mr. Griffiths told me you were hoping to matriculate, and then trying to get a scholarship. You’ll pass, Ieuan. I know you will. All the boys at the County used to talk about you, how clever you were.”