The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-31
NUMBER 2e.

was remarkable He wore a light
tourists suit of tweed and he had,
Furthermore. all the earmarks of being
able to say word or two in English.
AS he bent forward to snap his cam
era a piece of paper waited from
his pocket to the floor.
l pointed to it
You are about to lose something"
| told him "Therer'
Capturing II. he beamed upon me.
"If had lost that ticket" said he,
Il should never have heard the last
Of it from the Elderly Lady and her
friend. You have rescued me from
opprobrium."
He explained further.
From the start of this Journey" hs
said, Il have lost things steadily
first, my brand new suit case, contain
ing my brand new suit; then a full set
of tourists tickets for Italy. all paid
for and stamped; then-well, I've lost
about everything I could lose except
my head. | would have lost that, they
told me. only it was fastened on.
can never thank you enough for saw
ing me the humiliation of losing this"
| informed him that he was under
no obligation whatever; that it was q
joy to have been of service to him,
though of a nature ever so slight, and
the steamer started.
He wandered away from me. taking
snapshots. After a little he wandered
back.
You can't see so well here hs
said 'Coue up where we are
want to introduce you to the Elderly
Lady"
To my surprise. he gave her no other
name. He introduced her simply as
''the Elderly Lady" He also intro
duced me to the son of the Elderly
Lady and her friend. with whom they
were travelling. Wairing ceremony,
after the manner of tourists. he failed
somehow to introduce himself Since
they addressed him as 1.-The Laird" Il
happened that never caught the real
name he should have gone by.
1t was pleasant party. They made
fun out of everything and nothing.
They rejoiced greatly over the man
who sold brackets that spread open 30
wide they frightened US. then shut ND
to space which was no space at all;
who changed places sometimes with
the men who sold coral at so francs the
string. but begged pleadingly to know
what price We would pay for them II
II so happened that we had the making
Of tie price.
Two SOUS" / answered, cor 3,n
whereupon they retired momentarfly,
disgusted. only to return in stronger
numbers and more yociferous, IL possi-
BILE, than before
"Have you seen Pompeii?" asked The
Laird by and by.
'.No." l replied. mot yet am not
sure either that will see it,
Not see PompeiiY he shrieked.
Leave Naples without seeing Pom
peii:"
Don't go on So" implored. 'Tll sec
it! I'll see it! Actually you are turn
ing black in the face"
"When." he d-''tomorrowr
"Yes." | answered, tomorrow"
/ The next day a gabbling guide hur-
ried me through PompeIi- with the We
locity of an infant whirlwind. showed
ME the broken columns, the old foun-
tains, the Medusa heads, with their
faces worn away by hands long dead;
the buried dog. its mouth in the atti-
tude of barking: prints of chariot
wheels. gray walls. through the aper-
tures of which the smoky old peak Of
| the mountain that had done all the
harm glowed purply; charged me .
| miniature fortune and hurried me on
But again through the crumbIng gray
Of the cinder gate
A few yards from the gate stood my
Scotchman, smilingly nobby in his light
suit of tweed.
'T'm glad TO see you," beamed-
"And l to see you." returned be.
"Stand right still there where you are.
Turn sidewise a little. 1 want to take
4 snapshot of you"
But here's a herd of goats. They
ire around me in swarms. They'll take
| me for goat herdess."
"It doesn't make particle Of differ
ence. Stand still. Will you come into
the picture?'' This to the Elderly Lady,
who in a fatigued way leaned against
the gatepost of Pompeii-
NO, thank you," she declined and
disappeared within.
do you know" 1 began when the
ordeal was over, I'm lonesome as an
owl in that old pension of mine at Ma
piles. My room is so big it echoes half
an hour when l cough, and the moon
light comes streaming in at the win
dows and streaming. 1t stays there all
night on the floor. 1t gives me the
blues Pm half dead with the blues.
| That's ALL
Though l spent some subsequent hours
In the endeavor to fathom the mystery,
the reason of my breaking out in this
absurd and childlike manner was al
ways past my comprehension. Per
haps it was because of the glow Of
sunshine leaking on him. or because
he smiled, or because he had an air so
free from care that the temptation to
free myself of mine proved irresistible.
/ never could tell.
He responded readily, as I was sure
he would.
"Come TO see us. then," he said. "We
are ON the same street, at the Grand
hotel 1t is not five minutes walk.
Come tonight Can't your
Il can" | assented. 'Who shall
ask for?"
ASK for Mrs. Webster" said he. ''the
Elderly Lady"
u WILL" | promised. "Goodby, then,
till tonight"
Raising his cap he entered Pompeii,
and l. finding my cabby, went on home
oyer the long gray road of fhe moor fc