The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-09-17
Two on a Tour
ry Troy ALLISON.
Copyrighted, 1907. by Mary McKeon.
copyrighted, 1897. by Mary Mexico

The elevator of the Washington
monument reached the ground after its
solcmnly slow descent of twenty min
2te', &nl Rhoda Jamison, feeling some
what Overawed by the world as seen
from the top of the monument, sat
down on beach near the elevator
door. She needed a few minutes 10 re-
adjust her thoughts and to plan for
the rest of the day.
Rhoda had saved every possible pen
ny from her salary during the school
term in order to take this Washington
"trip aud had determined to crowd as
much sightseeing into her ten days as
any other Washington tourist had
ever done.
She had spent hours with the visit
ing milliner in her town planning ev-
cry detail of the time and had finally
arrived in the city and taken cab d.
rectly to the quiet lodgings she had
recommended. The milliner had, how
ever, forgotten to take into cons!dera-
ton the fact that the girl had never
been accustomd TO n city and TO city
ways ard had therefore failed TO pre-
pare her for the feeling of desolation
and loneliness that grew more and more
oppressive every minute.
The Congressional library had sat
isfied her love of elegance. the capitol
and the White House had seemd like
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 moth
ingneiS. and the things that had been
mere IDEAS and pictures lowered over
her OppresSlvely. and she WAS over
come by her littleness and her loneli-
ness and lOn=cd for some one 10 S0cak
10 her with hint of friendly Interest.
The big. broad shouIlered man sit.
tl2g GU the other end of the beach she
had sem walking down the steps Of
the monument. He had evidently felt
so secure in his superb physical
strength that h, walke,l down to ey-
aC.iIe I"0r" closely the inscrinti.'!< on
the stones that "oul not he studied 81
we'll f.n:! a." elevator.
She saw him take a fountlin pen
from his 10 'ket. adjust II AMI finally
sort package Of souvenir roSt cards
a4d h'=iH writing industrious IL.
81" r"r!rHll"r"l the package ehn hal
bought 10 s"nd her pupils. So sic took
her own pen fronl her hand bag r"d
commenced rnclins her brain for llt:le
things TO write that would amuSe them.
The postal she liked best NJ all. a
daintlly cOiored view OF the monument
Itself. she addressed 10 her mother.
Across II she wrote. IT'S 50 very big.
and feel 50 little and 50 lonely"
She leaned forward 10 flirt bit VI
dust from the tip Of her pen. and a
Whit Of air blew the postal from he-
lap and left II lying at the big mans
feet
He saw 1t there and. thinking be had
dropped one II his own. stepped and
picked It up. reading It lelsurely.
II feel 50 little and lonely" he read.
and. surprised. turned 10 meet the
flushed face 81 the girl.
ats mine" she said. holding out her
hand FOR II.
"I'" - Il feel that way. ,o:' he ask.
ed 81 :"c!v. 'Thnts me cya"''y""'
- sln"'aa'; have call"l ;,r really |
',lt::".' g.. au-r-oro,l. vl.'s ".. frank |
frien@:l' "<< - g glrl w." r#I never
met with n "'g'uustan,-" - q would |
caus" her (" hp suspicious - humanity.
4 r""k"n you are referring ~ the first
part ~ tie sentence. II l. 81 big |
would really seem more suitable"
"That's right" he laughed lopklng at |
lie ~ al. lint that Just proves that |
cau bold mnf" loneliness than you. for
qrn f""'Irg lor"Iy from ~" soles ~ /
my feet t. ~" f";' ~ my new felt hat |
t5"' I ) e.: 10 larson city 20 500 the
s'g.s'S - Wa <hj's',n in
"At least y"n re-" far'ltrr frnn home |
than r11 frn'n S"r'h Carolina" she
"ha't"d 'b~''' ta.s' al,<t!Mcnco from |
"onv"rs"'1 having left hn- with n |
surplus g.. '.u.l.
- v-ae '.',' ,'."s'lng ~,a." ~ these
'h!"2@ 80 -" lay :" he sd "Thcy |
are ilv'n. . p 'ha'b near ,il.r and II
~''l 'inki" e d ''.:~""splr =. got theye
rl"'r:r~ e ,1rl'1~%'l"n. ">f sno we
had Fu,l, ...t ~ ~. so- ..... ,.,,,.rs Ito,