The Argosy, March 1907 — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Fg SAPS me + me ee - uine pleasure on the trim brown-holland figure and joy-flushed face. An elderly gentleman jogging beside the girl looked down at her with mani- fest approval. ‘Miss Brant,” said he half laughing- ly, wholly admiringly, “ you’re a model for us all. Here the rest of us are cho- king with dust and painfully conscious that we’re making a show of ourselves on these wretched little donkeys, and yet you look as cool and as happy as a child on her first holiday.” 3 “It zs my first holiday,” she answered gaily; ‘““my very first in four years, and I’m enjoying every minute of it. I 2 “ Your first holiday in four years? Then you’ve been to college, I suppose? But f[ ee : “No,” replied the girl, “I’ve been teaching school. And in summer va- cation I’ve been tutoring girls who were preparing for college.” “Teaching school? Youw’re the last sort of girl I should take for a school- ma’am.” ‘Oh, I can be very severe, I assure you. My scholars all hold me in awe. At least, I always like to think so. But I supposed you knew. The party has been together so long that we all know one another’s histories and tastes and characters and most becoming clothes and But I forgot! You only joined us at Port Said. So I suppose there are still a few incidents in our lives that you haven’t learned.” “Yes, I took the Gibraltar-Tangier trip, you know. I hardly feel acquaint- ed with my fellow voyagers. But your name is very familiar to me. Henry Brant, of Brant & Fitch, the brokerage house, you may have heard of. He was = “ He was my father.” The g-eam of fun had now quite died from Madge Brant’s eyes, to be replaced by a momentary shade of sadness. “ Your father? Really, I “ You are surprised that his daughter should be a school-teacher? You know he failed; and soon after that he died. I was left alone, with my way to make, just as I was ready for college. IL took up teaching, and I’ve been at it ever since.” ‘“T am more glad than I can say to ? meet my old friend’s daughter. I’d no ~ Seeing you so much with idea of it. Mrs. Chittenden, I fancied Bs “No, she is no relation of mine. She is a .wealthy New. York woman whose daughter I prepared for college. Mrs. Chittenden seemed to take a liking to me. She was coming abroad for a year, and was kind enough to ask me to come along as her companion.” “I wish you joy of the employment! ”’ the man exclaimed, real pity in his dusty face. “I know her well by reputation. One of the richest women in New York —and one of the .stingiest. joke at my club that she had invited that cub nephew of hers, Barry Clive, to make a tour of the world with her, and that he was afraid of offending her by refusing; and then when he found she was economizing by making a Cook’s tour of it he was furious. It i ‘Pardon me, Mr. Gault,” intervened the girl, “but Mrs. Chittenden is my employer. If you don’t object, sha’n’t we talk of something else? IJ——” She was interrupted. The little cav- alcade had been brought to a stop to permit a troop of native cavalry to jin- gle past. .A fresh cloud of dust had been stirred up, and through it a man who had been riding at the rear urged his donkey at a canter, in order to be rid of the choking haze. He passed so close to Madge that the two donkeys collided, and the shock of the impact almost unseated the girl. The youth, with no word of apology, nor so much as turning to see the result of his awkwardness, galloped on, the heels of his mount engulfing Madge and Gault in a second whirlwind of dust. — The elderly man coughed vehemently, his face purple with wrath. Digging his heels into his donkey’s furry sides, he was about to speed after the youth, but a restraining voice checked him. “ Don’t!” Madge begged. “ He meant nothing by it. It’s only his way.” “His way!” snorted the other, pull- ing back his~ donkey, nevertheless. “Well, it’s a way I won’t tolerate from any one, least of all from a whelp like Barry Clive! Pll make him come back and apologize to you! ”’ ‘Oh, I beg you won't!” cried Madge, in distress. “In the first place, he Gomicboo It ‘was a; Shale —- «on. Le pat =; De 1 S : . — : ; the ~ .. - s - 619 > Soe - " - - + ¢ oF ay,