Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-02-28
HOW THE ICE
WAS BROKEN
by ALAN llINsDAIE

young women. but until saw ceftatn
lady on a steamer on my way from
! New York to Naples had not seen the
one to absorb me would have given
much for an Introduction. but there
was no one to introduce me. As soon
us we reached port made detective
| OF myself In order to learn where she
| was going with view TO following her.
She was travelling with an elderly lady
and girl Of twelve. The lady | pre-
sumed to he her mother the girl her
sister On reaching Naples l was
Obliged to lose sight Of the family. but
went the rounds Of the hotels until
found them. Then. too. had the good
| fortune to he ON the same train with
them on trip to PompeiL
| Usually Americans travelling abroad
make one another's acquaintance with
out Formally. but In this case nothing
occurred to warrant my opening con
versatiou with them. The older woman
seemed TO he very ofiish the girl re
| firing. and was fearful Of intruding
So there we were-I wishing to be On
A StN1dl ihiH WIN AnC kaAt. WV 0VuVk-
less wishing for the companionship Of
young man. but kept apart by con
| ventions.
when they had left Naples learned
from the clerk OF the hotel where they
had stopped that they had expressed
their trunks to certain hotel In Rome
/ A day or two later | went to Rome
+, and put UP at that same hotel The
| morning after my arrival breakfasted
In the same dining room with them
But they did not appear to Notice me.
and refrained from looking their
way when they were looking mine.
Their next stopping place was Flor.
| ence. and having learned that II was
their policy to express their trunks.
1 did not find II difficult to trace them.
| But this time an overconsciousness Of
\ guilt sent me to different hotel
| Florence is contracted. AMI | was sure
to meet them In the picture galleries.
| And 80 did. The mother passed me
with high head. but the girl admired
| showed signs OF Consciousness.
And so dogged the footsteps Of
these persons till 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 daughters;
uext to the mother was the little girls,
and next to the little girl was ms
| apartment
| In the middle OF the night was
awakened by soft hand laid on my
| forehead.
| Feel better. deariey'
The voice was feminine. and. since ]
had heard II before. knew II to b.
| that of my charmer. Realizing that my
masculine tones would not I've mistaken
FOR cliii's. | simply made no reply
The girl took my hand. and knew
that she was surprised at Its size. TO,
she evidently became agitated- Indeed
she must have become conscious that
she had made a mistake. for withou,
word she hastily left the room.
| The next morning while dressing |
noticed on the foor little gold pin OF
the safety kind. Picking II vi, put 1.
IA Try portemonnaie. knew ve-- we,.
that my visitor Of the night before had
dropped IT, knew also that II wa,
my bounden duty to return her prop
erty. though 1t was Of very little value
but at the same time that to return 4
would be embarrassing to her. there
fore took no action In the matter.
1t 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 q
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.
wondered II 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?
1 am ashamed to confess that 1t was
she who solved the problem between
us. One morning she came out Of heI
room at the same time that came out
of mine She paused. hesitated. then
said TO me:
II owe you an explanation. The
other
Don't give yourself any concern as
to that | said. Il understood al
once you had made a mistake. In the
morning found pin on the floor thai
you had dropped"
took the article from my pocket
and handed 1t to her. She received II
smiled. half poutingly. half amusedly
and went her way.
But the ice was broken. The mex
time she met me In the hotel shs
nodded to me and I dropped passing
remark. Before very long was hand