The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-10-13

II az n Yer with all the air Of n martyr
He had travelled pretty much all
over the world. and he was not with
out resources. but the prospect of a TWEEN
ty-five hundred mile journey alone filled
him with dismay. The country he knew;
the scenery had long since lost its at
fractions for him; countless newsboys had
failed TO tempt him with the literature
they thrust in his face, and as for his
fellow passengers well. he preferred to
he alone. And so il was that he gloomily
mOtiOned the porter to his boxes and
mounted the steps with WEAKNESS.
AS it happened, Mr.. Grenfall Lorry did
not have a dull moment after the train
started. He stumbled on a figure that
leaned toward the window in the dark
passsgeway. With reluctant civility ne
apologized: a lady stood up to let him
pass. and for an instant in the half light
their eyes met. and that is why the miles
rushed by with incredible speed.
Mr.. Lorry had been dawdling away the
months in Mexico and California. For
years he had felt, together with many
other people, that a sea voyage was the
essential beginning Of every Journey he
had started round the world soon after
leaving Cambridge: he had fished through
Norway and hunted in India, and shot
everything from grouse on the Scottish
moOrs TO the rapids above Assouan. He
had rUn in and out of countless towns
and countries on the coast of South Amer
lea; he had done Russia and the Rhone
Valley and Brittany and Damascus; he
had seen them all-but not until then did
il occur to him that there might be some
thing Of interest nearer home. True, he
had thought of joining some Englishmen
on a hunting tour in the Rockies, but that
had fallen through. When the idea of
Mexico did occur to him he gave orders
TO pack his things, purchased intermifI-
IL H.
al his club. and was off in no time to the
unknown West.
There was a theory in his family that
it would have been a decenter thing for
him to stop running about and settle
down to work. But his thoughtful father
had given him a wealthy mother, and
earning a living not a necessity, he
failed TO see why it was a uuty. Work
is becoming to some men, he once de
clared. like whiskers red ties, but 1t
does not follow that all men can stand it,
after that the family found him hope
less" and the argument dropped.
He was just under 80 years. as good
looking as most men, with no one de-
pendent upon him and an income that had
withstood both the Maison Doree and a
dahabe on the Nile He never tired of
seeing things and peoples and places.
There's game TO be found anywhere, he
said, only it's sometimes out Of season.
if l had my way-and Millions should
run a newspaper. Then all the excite
ments would come to me. As it is-Im
poor. and so l have to go all over the
world after them"
This agreeable theory of life had worked
well; he was a little bored at times-not
because he had seen too much, but be-
cause there were not more things left to
see. He had managed somehow to keep
his enthusiasms through everything-and
they made life worth living He felt. roo.
q certain elation-like 4 spirited horse
at turning toward home, but Washington
had not much 10 offer him, and the thrill
did not last. His big bag and his hatbox
pasted over With foolish Labels from
Continental hOtels-were piled in the cor
ner Of his compartment, and he settled
back in his seat with a pleasUrable sense
Of expectancy. The presence in the next
room Of a very smart appearing young
woman was prominent in his conscious
ness. 1t gave him an uneasiness which
was the beginning OF delight. He had
seen her for only second in the passage
way, but that second had made him hold
himself a little straighter why is it,
he wondered, that some girls make YOU
stand like foOtm2n the moment you see
them?" Grenfal had been in love too
many times TO think of marriage; his
habit OF mind was still general. and he
classified women broadly At the same
time he had a feeling that in this case
generalities did not apply well; there was
something about the girl that made him
hesitate at Labelling her "CIass A or B or
Z. What II was he did not know but
unaccountably-she filled him with an af-
fected formality. He felt like bowling TO
her with q grand air and much dignity.
And yet he realized that his successes had
come from confidence.
At luncheon he saw her In the dining
car. Her companions were elderly per
sons-presumably her parents They
talked mostly in French-occasionallv
using German word or phrase The old
gentleman was stately and austere-wit1
air of Difference to the young woman
which Grenfau did not understand His
appearance was very striking; his face
pale and heavily lined; moustache and
imperial gray; the eyebrows large and
bushy, and the jaw and chin square AMI
firm. The white-haired lady carried her
head high with unmistakable gentiIity
They were all dressed in travelling suits
which suggested something foreign. but
not Vienna nor Paris; smart, but far from
American tastes.
Lorry watched the trio with great in
terest Twice during luncheon the young
woman glanced toward him carelessly
and left an annoying impression that she
lAoLu 4LDl seen ulIIl AS they left the ia bic
and passed into the observation car. he
stared at her with some defiance. But
she was smiling, and her dimples showed,
end Grenfall was ashamed. For some
moments he sat gazing from the car win
dow-forgetting his luncheon-dreaming
When he got back to his compar tnnent
he rang vigorously for the porter. A
coin was carelessly displayed in his
fingers. do you suppose you could find
out who has the next compartment.
porter"
I don't know their name, sub, but
they's goin' TO New York lis as fas' AS
they can git thuh. ] ain Ak UNI no uues-
tions. cause thuh's somethin' bout UNI
makes me feels if ain got no right to
look at UNI even"
The porter thought a moment
Il don believe it'll do yuh any good.
sub, to try to shine up to tina young Iady.
She ain the sawt. can tell yuh that. I
done see too many guhls in ma time"
What are you talking about? I'm not
trying to shine up to her. I only want to
know who she is-just out of curiosity"
Grenfalrs face was trifie red