The Washington herald., 1921-03-06

on bench In the ShelbyviiIe sta
tion, waiting to see which train she
took and only just managed to
wake up in time.
And when I told her why I had
come as respectful and earnest >as
j could. And told her everything
about myself. and what was max
Ing, and how that all I asked was
Just to get acquainted with her and
try to get her to like me.
s"she, smiles a little. and bIushes
some. but her eyes never get mixed
up. They look straight at whatever
she's talking to.
never had any one talk like
this to me before. Mr.. Pescud,' says
sne. What did you say your name
is-John?
John A. says !.
And you came mighty near
missing the train at Powhatan June
tfon. too says she with q laugh that
sounded as good as q miIeage-b book
TO me.
How did you know 1 asked.
Men are very clumsy said she.
I knew you were on every train. 1
thought you were going to speak to
me. and I'm glad you didn't
Then We had more talk; and at
last kind of proud, serious look
came on her face, and she turned
and pointed finger at the big
house.
The Ailyns.' says she. have
lived in Elmcroft for a hundred
years. We are a proud family. Look
a that mansion. 1t has fifty rooms.
See the pillars and porcbes and
balconies. The ceilings In the re-
ception-roms and the ballroom are
twenty-eight feet high. Ny father
Is lineal descendant of belted
earls.'
"T belted one Of 'em once in the
Duquesne Hotel, In Pittsburgh says
I, and he didn't offer to resent IL.
He was there dividing his atten-
tion between Monongahela whiskey
and heiresses. and he got fresh
NOf course she goes on. my
father wouldn't allow a drummer
to set his foot in Elmcroft. II he
knew that I was talking to one over
the fence he would lock me in my
room
would you let me come therer
says I. Would you talk to me IL 1
was to call? For. I goes on, If
you said might come and see you,
the earls might be belted or sus-
pendered, or pinned up with safety
pins. as far as 1 am concerned
IT must not talk to you.' she
says, because We have not been in
troduced. 1t is not exactly proper.
So I will say goodbye. Mr.
Say the name says I. You
haven't forgotten IT.
"Pescud,' says she, a little mad.
"The rest of the name" de-
mands. cool as could be.
John says she.
"'John-what? I says.
John A. says she, with her
head high. Are you through. nowT
TIN coming to see the belted
earl tomorrow I says.
He'll feed you to his fox
hounds says she, laughing.
If he does. it'll improve their
running says I. I'm something OF
a hunter myself
I must be going in now says
she. I oughtn't to have spoken to
you at all. hope you'll have a
pleasant trip back to Minneapolis
or Pittsburgh, was II. Good bye!"
"'Good night says i, and 1t
wasn't Minneapolis. what's your
name, first, pleaseT
"She hesitated. Then she pulled a
leaf of a bush, and said:
my name Is Jessie says she.
GOOD night, Miss Allyn says L.
The next morning at eleven
sharp. I rang the door bell of that
Worlds Fair main building. After
about three-quarters of an hour an
old niger man about so showed
up and asked what / wanted. /
gave him my business card, and said
wanted to see the colonel. He
showed me in.
Say, did you ever crack open a
wormy English walnut? That's
what that house was like. There
wasn't enough furniture in it to
fill an eight-dollar fat. Some old
horsehair lounges and three-legged
chairs and some framed ancestors
on the walls were all that met the
eyes. But when Colonel Allyn comes
in, the place seemd to light up.
You could almost hear a band play
ing, and see a bunch Of old timers
in wigs and white stockings dane
ing a Quadrille. 1t was the style