The Washington herald., 1907-05-31
TWO ON 4 TOUR.
BY TROY ALLISON.

The elevator Of the Washington Monu-
ment reached the ground after its sol
emnly slow descent of twenty minutes.
and Rhoda Jamison. feeling somewhat
overawed by the world as seen from the
top Of the monument, sat down on a
b snch near the elevator door. She need
ed a few minutes 10 readjust her
thoughts and TO plan for the rest Of the
day
RhOda had saved every possible penny
from her salary during the school term
in order to take this Washington trip,
and had determined 10 crowd as much
sightseeing into her ten days as any other
Washington tourist had ever done.
She had spent hours with the visiting
milliner in her town, planning every de-
tail Of the time. and had finally arrived
in the city and taken cab directly TO
the quiet lodgings sHe had recommended.
The miliner had, however. forgotten TO
take into consideration the IA Z that the
girl had never been accustomed to a city
and TO city ways, and had therefore
failed 10 prepare her for the feeling Of
desolation and loneliness that grew more
and more oppressive every minute.
The Congressional Library had satisfied
her love Of elegance. the Capitol and the
White House had seemed Ike old friends
from the pictures in the geography and
history from which she had taught for
months-but in her classes she had been
the personality. Here she seemed to
dwindle into nothingness, and the things
that had been mere ideas and pictures
lowered over her oppressively. and she
was overcome by her littleness. and her
loneliness and longed for some one TO
speak 10 her with hint of friendly inter-
est
The big, brOad-shOuldered man sitting
on the other end Of the bench she had
seen walking down the steps Of the monu-
ment He had evidently felt so secure
in his superb physical strength that he
walked down 20 examine more closely
the inscriptions on the stones that could
not be studied so well from the elevator
She saw him take a fountain pen from
his pocket. adjust H. and finally sort a
package Of souvenir postcards and begin
writing industriOusly.
She remembered the package she had
bought to send her pupils-so she took her
own pen from her handbag and COM
menced rscking her brain for little things
to write that would amuse them.
The postal she liked best of all, a dain-
tily colored view Of the Monument itself
she addressed 20 her mother. Across il
she wrote, It's so very big-and / feel
so little and so lonely"
She leaned forward TO flirt bit Of dust
from the tip Of her pen, and Whit Of air
blew the postal from her lap and left il
lying at the big mans feet.
He saw & there, and, thinking he had
dropped one Of his own. stopped and
picked it up, reading It leisurely.
Il feel so little and lonely he read
and surprised. turned to meet the flushed
face Of the girl
It's mine," she said holding out her
hand for il.
DO you feel that way, too?" he asked
eagerly. That's me. eXactly.'
I shouldn't have called you really
| little" she answered with the frank
friendliness OF a girl who had never mel
with a circumstance that would cause hei
10 be suspicious of humanity. Il reckon
you are referring to the first part of the
/ sentence-Tt IS so big would really seen
more suitable
That's right" he laughed. looking al
the postal. but that just proves that
can hold more loneliness than you, for
am feeling lonely from the soles Of my
/ feet 10 the top Of my new felt hat that
bought IN Carson City TO see the sights o
Washington in"
at least you are farther from hom'
| than I'm from South Carolina sh'
chatted. three days abstinence from con
versation having left her with a surplu:
on hand.
7 was Just sending some Of these things
| 20 the boys" he said they are livins
| in A shack near mine, and it will tickle
/ en- immensely to get these pictures o.
civilization. You see, we had been GU
there for two years digging away for golC
without any success. and just as wet
fallen into a fit Of gloom and shortage il
grub. why, we struck II rich.
/ How lovely-did you find 1t in chunks
| her eyes sparkling like q Child's.
That's about the size Of it, he laugh
cd with a whole-souled heartiness h
hadn't experienced for days; we sur
found It in large-sized pieces, and jus
| thought Id take Q vacation to see IN
world. I've never been East before
DO you like it?' She failed TO put
much doubt as to the charms Of Wash
| ington in her tone as she might have pu
/ half an hour earlier
! I've been about the loneliest peTsOl
! the dome ever shadowed. I could get Of
very we'll in the daytime, but I've wante
/ to sit round the fire at night and tall
! IL over with the boys. How long are yO
/ going to stay?" he asked eagerly.
Ten days. I've been here three Hi
face heightened visibly.
III be here a whole month" he adde
! dolefully. Why don't you stay longer? ?
you see l haven't struck il rich-il
/ huge chunks. The trustees of my schO0
are rather parsimonious lot
Il don't know much about Eastern Ell
/ quette, but 1 wonder if it wouldn't b
/ tolerably proper for US to do some sight
4 seeing together this afternoon" he sal
/ with a touch Of boyish shyness.
Il wonder2" she said slowly.
The Joy Of companionship settled III
| question for them, and he called at he
/ boarding house morning after morning
/ guidebook in hand, the plan for the da.
| already laid out.
They had left the trip to Arlington 70
L.. last afternoon Of her stay. and a
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