Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-29
THAT PASSPORT.


Is was such pretty face-what can be
prestier than rosy checked brunette with
merry, dark brown syesi And then it was
% near my own Railway carriages were
not 81 wide IN those days As they are now,
and A. she was not leaning back IN her seat
and kind fate bad placed ne directly oppo-
site her the distance, measured in inches.
bet ween her eyes and mine was not great.
I fixed my eyes. from a sense OF duty. on
fhe newspaper held in my hands but be-
fore Two miantes-sGeh waste OF time IS
even then 1 felt il TO be-had gone by my
glance stole upward TO her face. | gazed
steadfastly ont Of the window ar the flying
landscape, dreary with al the dreariness
OF an English November, bat an invisible
riage again
At last the crisis came.
Ny EYES. half inyolanrarily. sought her
face and encountered hers. The slightest.
faintest suspicion Of an attempt 10 arrest a
smile betrayed itself in the corners OF her
lovely mouth. Istarted, blushssl Il believel
and hung my head like guilty thing But
the next moment had plucked up cour-
age. steadied my voice. looked her in the
face and remarked:
1T j. very cold today"
Her voice, a. she answered me. sounded
severe and condemnatory. and my heart
auaked within me. But what she said was
this.
1T - very singular thar an Enghshman
cannot ocen a conversation without speak
inx u the weather"
l smiled dsprecatingfy. She smiled re-
assaringly. Then / began To talk about
something else than the weather. There is
no necessity for detailing our conversation.
Her manner was not az all bold or for
ward ia spite of her love or banter. IL was
that Of a woman who. though young, was
a woman OF the word In short she con-
versed with me ~ sTiy high spirited intel
Hgsnt girl might have conversed with a
man who had been introduced TO her IN the
ordinary way. / let her know incidentally
something OF my OWE position-that is to
sAy, 1 gave her TO understand that / was a
man OF independent means, OF sound con-
servative principles Though free from in
snlax prejudices) and unhampered By ties
either OF a professional or domestic ma
ture. She was not perhaps so communi-
catfvs as was. but she informed NE that
she was not an English woman-so much
indeed 1 had already guessed-that she
had no near relatives in this country; that
her stay In London would be short, and
that Notwithstanding the season OF the
year sns was soon 20 set out on n hong and
dificuls journey.
My opportunity, then. could not last long.
/ heartily wished that London had been
buift 900 miles from the southern seaboard
we were only going from Dover TO Lon
doo-sand I racked my brains for some
means If continuing our acquaintance aft
er this short journey should be over. Twas
silent. still pozzling over this all important
question. and WHEN at length | suddenly
looked up at my companion found that
she had been sttentively regarding me.
Ny heart beat so unanimously that
found IL difficult TO speak. Probably she
noticed my confusion, perhaps she even
guessed at lis cause, for she said in tone
Of polite indifference.
You Englishmsn are very tail. are you
noCf"
Taller than most foreigners, / mag
ine. was my not too brilliant response.
Almost al toe EngliShmen | know are
above the average height" she observed.
six feet. should say they generally are
Ars YOU SIX Seef9' The question was so
simply put that IL did not seem at all i'm
pertinent.
IL has always been a source OF annoy
ance 70 me that am not and never will
b. able 20 meet that inquiry By simple
YES" That miserable inch Over SIX
feet sounds so well. ron know
N not quite. believe" was my reply.
'sFive feet eleven. think, il my proper
measure
"fndesd.v abe said. with polite show OF
Interest," On the subject. And how tall
should yos suppose NJ" she sdded aft
er = pause. 4 am feet q You would
not think I wss so tall. would you"
ct IS a delightful hesght. cried with
enthusiasm and very tall. I should say.
tor Erenchwoman,' ! added diplomatic
ally
Il did not say was a Frcnehwoman."
she said, With a touch OK rsbuke in Ter
tone
Not Frenehwornanf Then what nation
aItv could she belong tor Her graces
were not those We associate with the Ian
ruid BEAUTIES of Spain or Italy. Besides
it would b. sui unheari OF thing for a
ssuerits O. tr-svsl alone in foreign coun
try. Ny curiosity ges The better q ny po-
Lteness
Pardon me, You are not an American
said.
ssN1 not IN American And 7 should
Mt think 20 "a American rs a foreigner 4
were az Enzlishman
OF conrse 3 could pat no more questions
AMI We sssiI frifte,l en- Co another sahiect.
But ~ we nears,i Tendon che necsssi y
fer dcfrg something 70 improve ny posi-
elem unless 7 vsufed 81 icse sight ~ my
n.aafi f,,l sesfseintsncs altogether. pressed
r.eff uaan rlT mind What couid ! do
Ne esnapantnn ssenisi - have fallen int
a ~es erie. OF 60 bs engaged lu some fneciita
.fs.-, e-ss which Z hardly dared 90 rosss
Fr Bes we rvare grttag frtsbtialir meas
Tersl.,o. something must b. duue
rathiessiv broke in u7Cn Der ~ II abstrae
49,, and sft-r zerne cara 1onalace rernark
boldly expressed a hone thar : mizht -
Allowed se call upou her daring her stag
ia tsrn
SIZE I,e,ked AZ uie 3ouhtfullg anf shoos
f~r heal. hrt As the sause zine slle snail n
ard T did nct isse hope. Perhaps,
tfa1ras. she wafli1 alio'V rse IN SO her oi
f-rra he station. Then [ would gct be-
49, 90 give ~ the eshman.
We srs rettinz clcse 90 LONDON row.
sass rfsa = sieh. K IN I ger your nigga z
fer v.rsg'
1sve No iF1EzaSc. ste rcriiesi; -n0n
a ias,.s uith whirh need rreuais Jon.
Tais sounded lks sursb. fut resolve
tn srT t1ain-
10 .ae~a assfi1inz ear ~ sor vc-ss
.s..nsl =. - ,,f,.us-i 81 81 asiowed 20 ~
de- ~sn sesre service. however slight
Sc seenf5 embarrassed. 1Ellss - nancl