Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-08-14
TWO AND A
GUIDEBOOK
By M. MACLEAN HELLIwELL


ment She had been in the beautiful
capital of her country nearly twenty
hours, and she had seen nothing
lutely nothing-of it. Nearly twenty
hours of the few precious days of her
visit gone in impotent, heartbreaking
waiting for Jupiter Pluvius to exhaust
himself and retire in favor of old Sol.
AS fresh gust of wind drove vol
ley of raindrops in a yet fiercer on
slaught against the glass and dashed
them in scurrying streams down the
dripping asphalt the girls head dropped
despairingly and she sighed.
The young man who for some time
had been watching her sympatheticaly
over his book now threw it aside and
stepped to the other window.
what a day. he said as the ivy.
clnging desperately to the wall, was
tossed hither and thither by the bois-
ferrous wind.
The girls face frightened, and she
turned to him impetuously
"Oh, thank goodness you have spoken
at last! / was going to start the con-
versational ball myself. l simply
couldn't stand the silence any longer.
Do you know 1 have not uttered one
word this morning since 1 ordered my
breakfast. It's an unprecedented rec
ord, but the strain has been awful"
She dimpled roguishly, and faint flush
rose in her cheek. He might think her
very bold, this handsome young stran-
ger, but she really could not help 1t.
The limit Of her silent endurance had
been reached. She must speak or-per-
ish
But the idea of boldness never enter
ed the young mans head. He was
thinking how very pretty she was, how
soft and curly her hair, how piQuant
her dimpled smile and how becoming
the little tinge of pink in her round
cheek. He laughed in comprehending
sympathy.
"Why, wanted to speak to you long
ago, but didn't like to venture. Isn't
1t the very dickens of day? Who
could go sightseeing in this?" as a
fresh fury ratified the windows.
The girls face fell again.
"Who, indeed?" she echoed discOnso-
lately. Think of coaxing all winter
for just three days of Washington and
having the whole of one of them like
this
at is rather rough" said the young
man. "I'm in precisely the same box
myself-that is, for coaxing, read man
aging. But it only increases ones ago.
ny to look at it. Won't you sit down"
He turned a rocking chair with its
back to the window, and as Barbara
dropped into it he threw himself into
the sofa corner opposite.
us this your first visit to Washing.
TOM" he asked.
"My very first. Father comes here
on business every spring, but he hates
to be bothered and l could never per-
suade him to bring me before. He
poked his head into my room before
was up this morning to say that he
would probably not see me again to-
day as he had oceans of business to
do and an official dinner tonight, and
he enjoined me most emphatically not
to think of going out as long as it
rained. l have written letters to every
one | can think of, and if it doesn't
clear after luncheon I'll go to bedw
The young man laughed and looked
at his watch.
why, it's quarter to 3" he said.
Suppose we have luncheon now, if
you will honor me, and perhaps the
outlook will be brighter by the time
we have finished"
The girl rose with alacrity.
I'm ravenous," she declared, "but
l simply could not face that great din
ing room again all by myself. l posi-
lively cannot swallow unless | have
some one to talk to while I'm eating.
My breakfast this morning was mar
tyrdom."
That luncheon was the jolliest meal
Barbara had ever eaten and, she main
tains, the most delicious. When it was
over and they adjourned TO the stately
drawing room her companion left her
for minute. When he returned he
brought with him a couple of books and
a huge bunch of violets.
These" he explained, when Barba-
ra had arranged the flowers upon her
person to her satisfaction. ARE guide
books-One to Washington in general,
the other TO the Congressional library in
particular. AS the rain god is still in
command of affairs, suppose we just
do the capitol and library right here
where we are. It's really, when you
think of it, much the more satisfactory
way. If we went to the actual build
ings we'd have to walk our feet off on
the hard floors. We'd have to lose our
breath climbing innumerable stairs or
else have our brains added by being
jerked up and down in elevators We'd
dislocate our necks fitting our heads
back to see.the pictures on the ceilings
And at the end of the day we'd proba-
bly, come back to the hotel cross, tired
and dissatisfied, having doubtless for
gotten to look at the one thing above
all others we particularly wanted TO
see. Now, with these valuable little