Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1916-07-06
By ALAN HINSDALE


A day or two later I went to Rome
and put up at that same hotel. The
morning after my arrival I breakfasted
in the same dining room with them
But they did not appear to notice me.
and I refrained from looking their
way when they were looking mine.
Their next stopping place was Flor.
ence, and, having learned that it was
their policy to express their trunks, ]
did pot find It difficult to trace them.
But this time an overconsciousness Of
guilt sent me to a different hotel.
Florence is contracted, and was sure
to meet them in the picture galleries
And so l did. The mother passed me
with high head, but the girl I admired
showed signs Of consciousness.
And 80 I dogged che footsteps Of
these persons till I cornered them In
an inn In Switzerland so small that our
rooms were very near together. Each
one of their party had sleeping room
At the end of the hall was the moth.
er's; opposite was the older daughter's
next to the mother was the little girls
and next to the little girl was my
apartment.
In the middle Of the night I was
awakened by soft hand laid on my
forehead.
Feel better, dearieT
The voice was feminine, and, since ]
had heard It before, I knew 1t to be
that Of my charmer. Realizing that my
masculine tones would not be mistaken
for a child's, simply made no reply
The girl took my hand, and l knew
that she was surprised at its size, for
-sha eEssls9t sS=hssa esstated: Indeed,
innze - q Dee05d0 sDzsz9(
she had made a mistake, for without
a word she hastily left the room.
The next morning while dressing !
noticed on the floor little gold pin of
the safety kind. Picking 1t UP, put 1t
| In nv portemonnaie. knew very we'll
that my visitor of the night before had
dropped it. I knew also that 1t was
my bounden duty to return her prop
erty, though it was Of very little value
but at the same time that to return II
would be embarrassing to her. there
fore took no action in the matter.
It was evident in the morning that
the little girl was indisposed, for she
was not In the breakfast room with
her mother and sister. 1t was also
evident from that sisters appearance
that she was much embarrassed by O
consciousness Of having the night be-
fore got into the wrong room. knew
that II returned what she had
dropped would make n mistake.
thought over various methods Of re-
] turning 1t that might not appear In
delicate, but none Of them satisfied me
Besides, wished to keep 1t for q
souvenir.
I wondered If the girl was not In
some such position as I. Did she not
wish to apologize for her intrusion, and
was she not prevented by delicacy?
lam ashamed to confess that 1t was
she who solved the problem between
US. One morning she came out of bel
room at the same time that came Out
Of mine. She paused, hesitated, ther
said to me:
II owe you an explanation. The
other
"Don't give yourself any concern a:
TO that" I said. 81 understood at
once you had made mistake. In thu
morning found pin OH the floor tina
you had dropped"
I took tho article from my pocke
and handed 1t to her. She received it
smiled, half poutingly, half amusedly
and went her way.
| But the ice was broken. The mex
time she met me in the hotel sht
| nodded to me and dropped passing
remark. Before very long was hant
and glove with the party and attend
ing to the thousand and one things II
which a man Is needful to women
especially when they are travelling
abroad. 1t is perhaps not necessary tt
add that / improved the time and be
fore any Of us returned to America
had achieved an engagement condi
tional upon my credentials being salts
factory. They were found to be so
and now when we two travel abroad
we go together. One Of our favorit'
tours Is over the route We Travelled
| e., ind
ance.