Miami Military Institute - Bayonet Yearbook (Germantown, OH)

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8 THE BAYONET Just tell Briggs, your lawyer, to straighten things out and I 'll see about the passage today. Now do n't say no. I 'll try, but four days is n't much time. Just before you came up I swore that I 'd seize the Erst oppor- tunity to break away from this- pointing out of the window-and I 'll go with you Saturday. Good work. I must be off, and I 'll have everything ready. After Wells left Beckwith tele- phoned Briggs, and made an appoint- ment Within the hour. He slapped on his ulster and made his way out into the detested crowd. He walked along briskly and soon came to the building in which his law- yer's oilice was located. He opened the door that led to the left and a woman passed out before him. As she passed he noticed her drop a small black purse. He picked it up and handed it to her. He was struck by her appearance. Tall, dressed in black, and a heavy veil dropped from the little hat that 'fitted over her jet black hair, and beneath it he noticed two pink little ears snugly tucked under the wealth of hair. She raised the veil, thanked him and disappeared as if by magic. The fog had com- pletely obliterated her, and for the 'drst time in his life a panic seized him, but she had gone. Could any- thing be more maddening? He turned slowly, entered the corrider and made his way to the left. He tried to straighten out his af- fairs. Now, Briggs, you do this I do n't feel very well, and I 'm aw- fully busy. Straighten this out be- Q Q

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isa-,- -..- ,M iiiii-.-?, THE BAYONET 7 A FLAT TIRE. A monotonous, sickly drizzle had beset London for several days, and the faint spark of the street lamps was barely discernible thru the heavy curtain of fog that hung over the street. The yelling of teamsters, noise of automobile horns and the sound of the crowd as it jostled and 'pushed its way along, filled the air The very atmosphere was oppressiveg the rain dropped from the eaves in a half- hearted fashion. The crowd itself was disagreeable, the hack horses in the streets steamed as they pulled their heavy burdens here and there, motors without chains were in con- stant danger ofl skidding,' and the creak of those with chains and the continuous shifting of gears could be heard above the bustle ofthe street. .From his apartment in 'his club John Beckwith looked out gloomily upon the scene 'of struggling hu- manity before him. His man had just lighted the lights, and left him looking out thru the rain-streaked window: The muffled noise as it came up to him from below disgusted himg I say, disgusted him because' he loathed it,'and then he'said to him- self: I :ve never seen anything' to equal it. lWhy do. I stayihere? Noth- ing to keepvme. I might as well be seeing the world, if for no other pur- pose than being away from this de- testable mob. I'll wait and seize the Hrst opportunity to get away. Beckwith, as we see by his words, was entirely independent. His father had left him with more than enough. He had always been rich, his family . I , - before him had been rich, and he was at ease with his fortune. There was nothing in him of the' 'nouveau riche. ' ' He was at ease in any company of men, but his Qwe cannot sayj dislike, rather ignorance of women, gives us a theme on which to write. He had never known many women. His mother had died when he was very young, and an old aunt, his father's sister, was his only woman ac- quaintance. . He picked up the evening paper, turned from the window and started to read. Presently! Kelly, his' man, entered ' p Mr, Wells, sir. Show him in, Kelly. Yes, sir. 5 p Wells was an American, we may say more, he was from, New York and a very intimate friend of Beck- with. He had met him whenghe hap came to England with his crew to row against Oxford, and since then they had been warm friendsj ' Virgil, I 'm so sick of this city that I do n't know.-what to' do. Can you help me out?'T4 - ' l Indeed I can. The Maurtania sails -Saturday. Todays is Tuesday. You have never been in the United States. Come, now, make me a visit. I 've asked you often enough. Now accept my invitation. Sail Saturday? Why, my dear boy. ' Yes, Saturday. You people over here are horribly slow. You have lots of time. Get Americanized. See if you can do it.

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4' . I j , r THE BAYONET 9 with the Farnsworths and just stop- pedefor aminute to say: Well, good bye, n1y'boy. Good bye, Aunt, Martha, and I 'll keep my eye open for the Sheldon girl. She islvery well recommended, but she might have a worth, too. Never mind about that, John, my boy. 'fGood bye. Two days later saw Beckwith at the pier ready to disembark. Wells had not yet came. Soon he drove up and his man brought up his luggage. A little late, Iohn. Was just say- ing good bye to some old friends from the United States, the Sheldonsg' mighty ine people. Oh, yes! Is there a beautiful daughter of an unfortunate speculator? If so, I've heard of her before. Yes, that's the one. How did you know? She sails for America in a month. Well, I would certainly like to see her. I've heard of her so many times in the past week. The Maurtania had a very unevent- ful crossing, and Beckwith had noth- ing to do but think of the girl in the fog. Upon landing, however, be was so taken up with the sights of won- derful New York that he scarcely had time to think of anything else. Wells jvas an ideal host and did everything in his power to show his guest a good time. One day he CWellsj suggested that they motor to his country place and see ' a 'little of rural America The next day was set for the start, and at 7 dclock the motor drove up to theldoor, and in a few, minutes they ,., , , ., . .. ,,,.-., .- 1,13 were gliding in and out among the vehicles in the crowded streets. Af- ter a while the houses became fewer, and truck gardens and patches of cabbage here and there told them they were nearing the city limits. , Over the smooth pike the machine gathered momentum, and under the skillful hand of Wells spun along at a great clip. Thru villages, up-and down hills, thru fields of grain the road led, and the pretty little houses, with their well-kept lawns and outbuildings, told Beckwith that there was country life in America, that all was not noise and bustle.' I ' He had been in the city over a month, and, although New York was different than London, he wanted to be away from cities, and the country was a relief. They had just passed a picturesque little stone house, way back from the road, with a Hagstone walk leading up to it. Along the walk ran 5. well- trimmed box-wood hedge, and near the white fences old flowers could be seen growing inprofusion. The place attracted him, and he thought he would like to live in such a house, plain, simple and comfortable. just then a report rang out and Wells let out his clutch and coasted to the side of the road. ' 'Flat tire, Beckwith! ' So I hear. Well, we can stop here and eat the lunch in that basket and tix the tire and move on. We are only about Eve miles from my place, and we are in no hurry. I'll ix itand you can run up to that house and see if you