Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-04-27

the Minute New York, indeed From
the cooked red feather in her hat to
the dainty spatted boots Jane Gerson
appeared in Woodhouse's eyes a per-
feet, virile, wildly alive American
girl. He'd met her kind before; had
seen them browbeating bazaar mer-
chants in Cairo and riding desert don
keys like strong young queens. The
type appealed to him.
The first stiffness of informal meet
ing wore away speedily. The girl tact
fully directed the channel of ~conversa-
ton into lines familiar to Woodhouse.
What was Egypt like? Who owned
the pyramids, and why didn't the own
ers plant a park around them and
charge admittance? Didn't he think
Rameses and all those other old pha-
raohs had the right idea in advertising
putting up stone billboards to last all
time? The questions came crisp and
startling; Woodhouse found himself
chuckling at the shrewd incisiveness
of them. Rameses an advertiser and
the pyramids stone hoardings to carry
all those old boys fame through the
dSCos LIZ hCNCl lOOhCQ VII IACln Ill
that light before.
Il say, Miss Gerson, you'd make an
excellent business person, now, really"
the captain voiced his admiration.
"Just cable that at my expense to
old Pop Hildebrand, of Hildebrand's
department store, New York." she
flashed back at him. I'm trying to
convince him of just that very thing"
REALLY, nova department shop!
What, may l ask, do you have to do
for-ah-Pop HildebrandY"
ooh, I'm his foreign buyer" Jane an
swered, with a conscious note of pride.
I'm over here to buy gowns for the
winter season, you see."
"And this Hildebrand, he sends you
over here alone just to buy pretties for
New York's wonderful women? Aren't
you just a bit-ah-nervous to be over
in this part of the world-aloneT"
Not in the least" the girl caught
him up. "Not about the alone part, l
should say. Maybe I'm fidgety and sort
of worried about making good on the
job. This is my first trip-my very
first as a buyer for Hildebrand. And.
Of course, If l should fall DOWN.
Fall DOWN. Woodhouse echoed,
mystified. The girl laughed and struck
her left wrist a smart blow with her
gloved right hand.
There l go ~again-slang; vulgar
American slang you'll call it. II I
could only rattle off the French as
easily as / do New Yorkese I'd be a
wonder. l mean I'm afraid l wont
make good"
"Ohi"
But why should I worry about COM
ing over alone" Jane urged. Lots of
American girls come e here alone
with an American flag pinned to their
shirt waists and wearing a Baedeker
for a wrist watch. Nothing ever hap
pens to them"
Captain Woodhouse looked out on
the flying panorama of straw matched
houses and fields heavy with green
grain. He seemed to be balancing
words. He glanced al the passenger
across the aisle, a wizened little man.
asleep. In a lowered voice he began:
"a woman alone-over here on the
continent at this timel Why, livery
much fear she will have great dif1cu-
ties when the-ah-trouble comes"
"Trouble?" James eyes were ques
tioning.
81 do not wish to be an alarmist,
Miss Gerson," Captain Woodhouse con
tinued, h~esitant. Goodness knows
we've had enough calamity shouters
among the Unionists at home. But
have you considered what you would
do-how you would get back to Amer
lea in case of-war?" The last word
was almost a whisper.
"War?" she echoed. "Why, you don't
NEAR all this talk in the papers is
as serious, yes,' Woodhouse an
swered quietly; very serious"
"Why Captain Woodhouse, I thought
you had war talk every summer over
here, just as u papers are filed each
spring with gossip about how Wagner
is going to retire from the game or the
Yanks are going to be sold. It's your
regular midsummer outdoor sport over
here this stirring up the animals"
Woodhouse smiled, though his gray
eyes were filled with something not
mirth.
al fear the animals are-stirred, as
you say, too far this time" he re-
sumed. "The assassination of the
Archduke Ferd"-
Eyes, l remember l did read some
thing about hat in the papers at home.
But archdukes and kings have been
killed before and no war came of it.
In Mexico they murder a president be-
fore he has a chance to send out AT
home cards."
Europe is so different from Mexi-
CO." her companion continued, the lines
Of his face deepening. 81 am afraid
you oyer In the states do not know
the dangerous politics here; you are SO
far away; you should thank God for
that. YOu are not in n land where