The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-12-04
JOHNsON'S ROMANCE
BY HAROLD CARTER.

Hale told this story at the club. It
had no moral, and the end was sad;
still, there was something in the tell
ing of it that held US. Archie Croth-
ers had leo OF by saying that there
was romance in every life, even In
that of the most prosaic of mortals.
III you know where to look" said
Hale. Then, after pause: Il never
spoke of my friend Johnson, did II"
Nobody present had heard of him,
and Hale took up his story.
'You can Judge the prosaic nature
Of the man from his name. Nobody
called Johnson ever figured as hero
Of fiction. He was little, sandy
haired man of about thirty, with one
hobby: travelling.
johnson worked for an insurance
company in New York and he used to
spend his vacation every year visit
ing all sorts of little places that no.
body thinks about. This happened to
him in a little town somewhere in
Nova Scotia, with a big cathedral in
1t that had been erected century ago,
when the town was bigger than 1t is
today.
johnson found the little place all
afiutter, for party Of visiting royal
ties was staying in 1t. Being an in
quisitive sort of man he learned that
Princess Alicia was there with her
father, the prince of Stuttgart, and
that the young duke of Gronstadt was
to arrive the same day. The princess
and the duke were engaged, but they
had never met.
johnson arrived on a Saturday
night, and on Sunday morning he
went to the cathedral to worship. He
noticed that lot of people seemed to
be going, but, being simple-minded,
he did not connect their presence
there in such numbers with any desire
The floor pews were all packed, so
Johnson went up into the gallery.
That was packed too, except for one
pew toward the end, containing room
for half dozen occupants, and an
other pew behind 1t. These two pews
were surrounded by a brass rail, and
1t occurred to Johnson that they were
probably private. However, the only
occupant of the front pew was a very
pretty young lady, with parasol and
prayer book, and the pew behind
had no occupants at all. Johnson
hesitated the fraction Of a second, and
then he sat down in the young lady's
pew.
HE saw her looking at him rather
strangely, but just then the service be-
gan, and, after an instant Of hesita-
ton, the young lady extended her
prayer book toward him.
II can't tell you whether or not
Johnson had ever been in love, but
undoubtedly he was at that moment.
The girl was about twenty-three or
four, rather fair, with a pair of blue
eyes whose glance Johnson found
himself trying to catch. At last he
did catch them, and there was such an
expression in them that Johnson did
not know whether he was kneeling
on his knees or his shoulders.
"They kneeled down side by side,
and neither of them was paying the
least attention to the sermon. If love
at first sight Is not myth, that was
a case of 1t. Johnson caught the
girls glance again, and now the look
was unmistakable. And still neither
of them knew what the clergyman
was saying or doing. They were in a
fairyland together, alone in the midst
of the crowd that packed the cathe-
dral
"The girl was 80 close to him that
Johnson's mouth was almost against
her ear. Their hands touched over
the prayer book. Now she was speak
ing.
"'This is very unconventional she
whispered.
YES answered Johnson.
"'If you knew how l have longed
to meet you, and yet how frightened
have been,' she said. When did
you arrive?'
Last evening" answered Johnson;
and 1t all seemed perfectly natural to
him.
"'We arrived yesterday, too said
the girl, raising her eyes to his
Hush! Don't let the people see that
we are talking. We must preserve
decorum, mustn't we?'
What Is your name" he whis-
pered. I must see you. Where are
you staying?'
The girl looked at him with eyes
that dilated in terror. Who are your
she gasped.
"'My name said Johnson very
slowly-it seemed to him that that
was insignificant just then-'my name
is Johnson
He was quite unprepared for what
followed. For the girl suddenly
walked out of the pew, hurried out,
then fastened madly away, and all
eyes in the cathedral followed her.
Johnson was too paralyzed to stir for
full minute. Then he hurried after
har Rut tho oirl uao pnubara e. No