The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-22

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you'll believe it. that calmly terrible
Lucy.
Melissa's most winning Characteristic,
however, as it seemed 10 ms. was her
perfect frankncss- As we whirled along
on our way across England she told US
everything about herself, her family,
her friends, her neighbors and the popu-
lation Of Kansas City ia general. Not
obtrusively or egotiftically-of egotism
Melissa would be wholly incapable-but
in n certain timid. confding, half child
like way, as Of the lost little girl, that
was absolutely captivating. "Oh, no.,
ma'am," she said, in answer to one of
Lucy's earliest questions, 81 didn't come
over alone. l think I'd be afraid to. /
came with n whole squad Of us who were
doing Europe. A prominent lady in
Kansas City took charge Of the whole
lot. And / got as far as Rome with
them, through Germany and SwitEer-
land, and then my money wouldn't run
to il any further; so / had 10 60 back.
Travelling comes high in Europe, what
with hotels and fees and having to pay
to get your baggage checked. And that's
how / came to want an escort"
Bernard smiled good waturedly. "Then
you had only n fixed sum" he asked, ito
make your European tour with
THAT is SO, sir" Melissa answered,
looking up at him quizzically through
those pretty gray spectacles. I'D put
away quite a little sum Of my own TO
make this trip upon. II was my only
chance of seeing Europe and improving
myself q little. / knew when / started
l couldn't go all the round trip with the
rest of my party, but / thought I'd set
out with them anyway and go ahead as
long as my funds held out, and then
when l was through I'd turn about and
come home again."
"But you put away the money your
self" Lucy asked, with a little start of
admiring surprise.
"Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered sage
ly. 81 know it. l saved it."
"From your allowaneeY' Lucy sug-
gested from the restricted horizon Of
her English point of view.
Melissa laughed a merry little laugh
of amusement. "Oh, no." she said;
''from my salary"
From your salaryr Bernard put in,
looking down at her with an inquiring
glance.
Eyes, sir; that's it," Melissa answered.
all unabashed. you see, for four years
/ was a clerk in the postoffice." She pro-
nounced it "clurk," but that's a detail.
"Oh, indeedl' Bernard echoed. He
was burning to know how, l could see,
but politeness forbade him to press Me-
LISA on so delicate a point any farther.
Melissa, however, herself supplied at
once the missing information. my "a
ther was postmaster in our city" she
said simply, under the last administra-
tion-President Blanco's. you know
and he made me one of his clerks of
course when he'd gotten the place, and
as long as the fun went IN ! saved all
my salary for a tour in Europe"
"And at the end of four years." Lucy
said.
.'Our party went out" Melissa put in
confidentially. $50 when the trouble
began my father was dismissed, and ]
had just enough left to take me as far as
Rome, as / told you"
Twas obliged to explain p~arenthetical-
ly, to allay Lucy's wonderment, that in
America the whole personnel of every
local government Office changes almost
completely with each incoming presi-
dent.
''That's SO, sir" Melissa assented, with
q wise little nod. "And as l didn't
think it likely our folks would get in
again in a hurry--the country's had
enough of us-I just thought I'd make
the best of my money when I'd got ii"
"And you used it all up in giving
yourself a holiday in Europe?" Lucy ex
claimed, half re~proachfully. To her
economic British mind such an expendi-
ture of capital seemed horribly wasteful.
Eyes, ma'am," Melissa answered, all
unconscious of the faint ~disapproval i'm
piled in Lucy's tone. "You see, I'd
never been anywhere much away from
Kansas City before; and ! thought this
was a special opportunity to go abroad
and visit the picture galleries and cathe-
drals of Europe, and enlarge my mind
and get a little culture. To us a glimpse
of Europe's an intellectual necessary"
"Oh, then, you regarded your visit as
largely educationalr" Bernard put in
with increasing interest. Though he's
a fellow and tutor of Kings, l will read
lily admit that Bernard's personal tastes
lie rather in the direction of rowing and
football than of general culture; but
still, the American girls point of view
decidedly attracted him by its novelty
in a woman
sThat's so, sir" Melissa answered
once more in her accustomed afirma-
tive. 81 took it as a sort of university
trip. / graduated in Europe. In Amer
lea, of course, wherever you go, all you
can sees everywhere just the same,
purely new and American. The Ian
guage, the manners, the type don't vary;
in Europe you cross a frontier or a rib
bon of sea, and everything's different.
Now, on this trip of ours, we went first
to Chester, to glimpse a typical old Eng
lish town-those Rows, OH! how lovely!
and then to bennington, for War
wick castle and Kenilworth. Kenil-
worth's just glorious, isn't it?-with its
moldering red walls and its dark green
ivy, and the ghost of Amy Robsart walk
ing up and down upon the close shaven
~ .