Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-02-27
.
WHY WECHOSE
THE NILE
Successful Courtship of a
Truthless Lover
By MACPHERSON WILTBANK
By MACPHERSON wILTBANK
Copyright by John BrizDen Walker

quite Our little adventures
generally meet us unexpectedly-as 1t
were, from around the corner
In this vein my Uncle Toby was
wont to discourse at great length. No
circumstances. according to him, are
hopelessly dismal and humdrum. For
who a tell, be would say. at what
moment some unforeseen event may
transform the most wearisome situa-
ton into one very bearable and per-
haps downright inviting? Or, If not
that, at least uncommon. which is all
you sufferers from boredom can rea-
sonably demand.
So he would argue. And l at an
early age imbibed his philosophy and
later in life have never found reason
to doubt its truth.
And that my Uncle Toby, while he
lived. was far from happy and that !
in my time have suffered from ennui
as much as any mar proves. no more
than the truth of that very trite say
ing, Theory and practice are two very
different things" or. to quote my
uncle once more. philosophy. though
a good horse III the stable. is but a
sorry jade when once upon the road"
/ was in the midst OF Il ediou rail-
way journey when these thoughts
from the past drifted lazily through
my mind. What u chance Is there
here, / unused. for the Intervention OF
a merciful Providence. Ten hours OF
travel still before me and the conven
tional amusement of a traveller already
exhausted-books and magazines. even
the buffet. grown equally repulsive
The prospect appalled, me. In despair
1 turned from the window and fell to
searching among my fellow passengers
for some means of beguiling the time.
Sitting at the extreme end of the
car, l was in a position. to rake the en-
tire line without a. turn of my head
began with my vis-a-vis on b left
and, finding him at first sight devoid
OF interest, passed on to the occupant
of the chair beyond.
This was an exceedingly pretty girl
l could see her profile clearly; also a
mass OF golden hair and a little pink
ear and a daintily gloved hand. She
was SO pleasing an object that | de-
voted fully five minutes to her. But at
length. finding her rather a tantalizing
study, l was for passing on In my
search when suddenly her chair swung
round and we two confronted each
other, face to face. hardly three yards
apart
Whether some lurch of the train or
the fair one herself was responsible
for the movement, had not time to
brightly and cried:
why. Mr.. Cushingi How strange
we did not see each other beforei Are
yen going through to New York;"
Now, although my name is Fftzhugh,
not Gushing. and I had eve to my
knowledge set Eyes on the pretty crea-
ture who spoke, ! was already OF my
feet, shaking her hand and speaking
like an old friend The porter placed
a stool for me near her chair, and we
fell into conversation quite naturally.
"How odd we should have metl" she
began in a soft clear voice that Won
me to her at once.
Its very delightful" | replied. -"
was sinking into a state of melancholy
before you spoke"
$50 was l." she answered frankly.
'You see. | knew you at once. but |
was afraid you did not know me.
However, when ! saw yon staring at
me for five minutes at a stretch-oh.
yes, ! saw it ALL decided that you
must have recognized the likeness"
While | was heating about for an
answer she vent on gayly:
"And where are you from now-Af-
RIGA, Ceylon. KalamazooY'
mo-" said /. entering gradually into
the spirit OF the thing; you haven't
guessed it Try again This was a
polite stroke. for il gave me a mo
ment to recall my geography.
II give ii up AHntie always says
your address is the antipodes. but just
where that is depends depends
"Upon me point OF view" sug
gested.
Eyes; that's it But you haven't an.
swered my question"
'aTibet." | said boldly.
She clapped her hands with delight.
Then. settling herself in her chair. she
said. "Now, tell me all you saw. for
it's a place | have always been dying
to hear about"
"What a devil of a chap this fellow
Gushing must be-" thought |. Being
myself rather a quiet. stay at home
young man. with no opportunities, or,
indeed. inclination, for verifying the
atlas By experience, | found myself in
rather a tight box. ! was In no way
relieved by her next remark.
Before you begin. though, draw me
a little map of the country, marking
the chief cities, mountains and rivers
and all that Then what you tell me
will ho CO rnunh oyoororn