Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-30

| ing chances, this looked IKE one
that might bring considerable pleas
ure.
The only thing that made me hesi-
tate was the thought that she might
not be pretty. But that just added
one more big hazard to the adVen-
ture, so l decided to have a LOOK,
anyway. At least, 1 might learn
some more French for L have Deen
here long enough to know what the
expression she knows a little Eng
lish means" The emphasis is on
little" and their knowledge general
J ly consists of '.yes" and mo" and
thank you" OF course, my French
don't total much higher, but you
know the saying Fools rush in
where angels fear to tread" and L
was certainly meditating some rush
ing" and considering my knowledge
of French it sure was foolish.
Preparations For Evening
However, L prepared as well as 1
could and since l then had some 800
francs / began a still hunt for pair
of aviator's boots. This required all
morning and part of the afternoon,
during which time l walked over the
greater part of Paris, l think. And
then when 1 did find the kind and
I style wanted, for L am still as
finicky as ever about my wearing
/ apparel, L discovered the calf of
I my leg was too big for the standard
size. The clerk seemed to think that
was an indication of strong man.
1 Whether that was f1attery or not is
a question. At least, it didn't effect
any reduction in the bill for the
pair had made to order. l would
not dare tell you how much that bill
was for you would have heart failure
sure. Anyway, it put an awful hole
in my bankroll and being out on a
shopping spree / thought 1 might as
we'll spend the rest, for I wanted n
7 helmet, one of those soft leather
kind that fit close to the head. They
don't have any safety features of
course. but they sure lessen wind re-
sistance, and that's a big factor an
these speedy Zang's. Stick your head
out from behind the windshield with
one of those big, cumbersome, head
saving helmets of school days, and
the force of the wind is likely to
snap your neck, while with the kind
I want one might get his goggles
blown Off but there would not be
enough head to make resistance. 1
went into one of the big stores to get
this article, and ask for an. enter
/ prefer.
The floor walker had some trouble
finding her and meanwhile, several
clerks gathered around, and seeing
understood some things they said
they thought l was joking, and had
quite a lot of fun over the fact. In
fact, the floor walker was kept busy
| sending girls back to their counters,
for l seemed to be drawing quite a
few of the "dears," who were Curl
Gus to see this strange animal who
| had wandered into their midst with
| out q guide or protector and spoke
such funny French. Even when I
did find the right department they
! did not have the kind 1 wanted, so 1
must hunt somewhere else. How
ever, l finally discovered what l
wanted, bought clean collar and a
| shoe shine for my might raid" map
! ped out on the subway my route to
too high for me, fortified myself with
a good dinner and a bath and de-
scended on that unsuspecting family.
| Rather ! should say, ascended, for
had to climb to the fifth floor to find
the apartment (They are run the
same way as New York;. And then
I stood outside the door, sans"
wind, nerve and words. I'll frankly
admit was a hundred times as cool
the first time 1 tried 'Veille" than
/ was right then. Anyway, 1 had
climbed that far, so l was going to
see it through, and giving the bell a
yank, 1 waited for Developments.
The Fat Maid
They soon appeared in the shape
of fat maid. "Oh, Lord!" thinks
| /, this is the lady and she's fat.
| had a wild desire to beat it while
still had the chance, for I imagine
one could slide down those banisters
pretty fast but that Shaffer trait of
/ finishing anything begun made me
stick to the ship even if it was sink
ing under the disappointment of a
fat and homely lady. Pretty soon
! had found my voice and spilled the
sentence l had prepared and was be-
ing ushered into the library there
to ponder a few minutes on whether
| the aforesaid fat lady was going to
entertain me. 1t seemed not, for
soon a cute, little chicken entered
and welcomed me with the hand
/ shake of a boy and the excited air of
a girl with her first beau. OF course.
| you won't understand how l could
tell that air, but bet Dad can-asl1
him! She was just a kid, not pretty
enough to fall in love with, but cute
/ enough to suit the most eXacting
| man-and she would only talk i'll
French.
Whether the fact that such bug
game, an aviator and an American
had arrived at her door frightened
/ all her English away / don't know,
but the fact remains that the con-
versation ran along in French the
whole evening. And l was surprised
how large a vocabulary 1 really had.
Taking it all in all, 1 had a most
amusing evening, even if the joke
was on me, because / furnished the
whole family with amusement in my
vain attempt to pronounce the
! French "u." Sure, there was some
more to the family, a young boy
about 10, and fat sister Fortunate
| ly, l directed my attention to the
I slim, cute one, only in a conversa-
tional way, of course, for mother
stuck right by all evening, as we'll as
stout sister; and your promising son
did not even have a chance to
squeeze her hand, let alone her
waist. Not that 1 wanted to, you
know, for 1 am still a good little boy.
Anyway, l caught the last subway
/ train. which by the way, closes aw-
full early-11 p. m, quite pleased
with myself and the little experience
l had had.
/ Brand New Flyers
i The next morning l left for a small
village outside/Paris, where all the
new Zangs are brought, to get mine
and try it out. One would have to be
an aviator to appreciate the beauty
of this place for every Zang is brand
new, not even splotch of oil on the
n s-.A