How had he
ever dared aspire to this beautiful woman, and the thought of his
effrontery took him by the throat.
He stood by the gangway as the passengers came off, an
interminable throng, slow moving, teetering on the slats, a gush
of funnelled humanity, hampered with bags, hat-boxes, rolls of
rugs, dressing-cases, golf-sticks, and children. At last Miss
Latimer was carried into the eddy, her maid behind her carrying
her things, lost to view save by the bright feather in her
travelling bonnet. The seconds were like hours as Raymond waited.
He had a peep of her, smiling and patient, talking over her
shoulder to a big Englishman behind her. Then, as the slow stream
brought her down, she stepped lightly on the wharf, turned to
Raymond, and, before he could so much as stammer out a word, flung
her arms round his neck and kissed him.
"Did you really want me?" she said; and then, "You gave me but two
hours to catch the old Touraine!"
THE MASCOT OF BATTERY B
Battery A had a mascot goat, and Battery C a Filipino kid, and
Battery D a parrot that could swear in five languages, but I guess
we were the only battery in the brigade that carried an old lady!
Filipino, nothing! But white as yourself and from Oakland,
California, and I don't suppose I'd be here talking to you now, if
it hadn't been for her.
I had known Benny a long time--Benny was her son, you know, the
only one she had--and when I enlisted at the beginning of the war
Benny wished to do it, too, only he was scared to death, not of
the Spaniards, but his old Ma! So he hung off and on, while I
drilled at the Presidio and rode free on the street cars, and did
the little hero act, and ate pie the whole day long.
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