The Make-Believe Man | Page 6

giving more space than seemed necessary to that
young Irishman and to the young lady he was coming over to marry.

There had been pictures of his different country houses, pictures of
himself; in uniform, in the robes he wore at the coronation, on a polo
pony, as Master of Fox-hounds. And there had been pictures of Miss
Aldrich, and of HER country places at Newport and on the Hudson.
From the afternoon papers Kinney learned that, having sailed under his
family name of Meehan, the young man and Lady Moya, his sister, had
that morning landed in New York, but before the reporters had
discovered them, had escaped from the wharf and disappeared.
"'Inquiries at the different hotels,'" read Kinney impressively, "'failed to
establish the whereabouts of his lordship and Lady Moya, and it is
believed they at once left by train for Newport.'"
With awe Kinney pointed at the red funnels of the Mauretania.
"There is the boat that brought them to America," he said. "I see," he
added, "that in this picture of him playing golf he wears one of those
knit jackets the Eiselbaum has just marked down to three dollars and
seventy-five cents. I wish--" he added regretfully.
"You can get one at New Bedford," I suggested.
"I wish," he continued, "we had gone to Newport. All of our BEST
people will be there for the wedding. It is the most important social
event of the season. You might almost call it an alliance."
I went forward to watch them take on the freight, and Kinney stationed
himself at the rail above the passengers gangway where he could see
the other passengers arrive. He had dressed himself with much care,
and was wearing his Yale hat-band, but when a very smart-looking
youth came up the gangplank wearing a Harvard ribbon, Kinney hastily
retired to our cabin and returned with one like it. A few minutes later I
found him and the young man seated in camp- chairs side by side
engaged in a conversation in which Kinney seemed to bear the greater
part. Indeed, to what Kinney was saying the young man paid not the
slightest attention. Instead, his eyes were fastened on the gangplank
below, and when a young man of his own age, accompanied by a girl in
a dress of rough tweed, appeared upon it, he leaped from his seat. Then
with a conscious look at Kinney, sank back.
The girl in the tweed suit was sufficiently beautiful to cause any man to
rise and to remain standing. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever
seen. She had gray eyes and hair like golden-rod, worn in a fashion
with which I was not familiar, and her face was so lovely that in my

surprise at the sight of it, I felt a sudden catch at my throat, and my
heart stopped with awe, and wonder, and gratitude.
After a brief moment the young man in the real Harvard hat-band rose
restlessly and, with a nod to Kinney, went below. I also rose and
followed him. I had an uncontrollable desire to again look at the girl
with the golden-rod hair. I did not mean that she should see me. Never
before had I done such a thing. But never before had I seen any one
who had moved me so strangely. Seeking her, I walked the length of
the main saloon and back again, but could not find her. The delay gave
me time to see that my conduct was impertinent. The very fact that she
was so lovely to look upon should have been her protection. It afforded
me no excuse to follow and spy upon her. With this thought, I hastily
returned to the upper deck to bury myself in my book. If it did not serve
to keep my mind from the young lady, at least I would prevent my eyes
from causing her annoyance.
I was about to take the chair that the young man had left vacant when
Kinney objected.
"He was very much interested in our conversation," Kinney said, "and
he may return."
I had not noticed any eagerness on the part of the young man to talk to
Kinney or to listen to him, but I did not sit down.
"I should not be surprised a bit," said Kinney, "if that young man is no
end of a swell. He is a Harvard man, and his manner was most polite.
That," explained Kinney, "is one way you can always tell a real swell.
They're not high and mighty with you. Their social position is so secure
that they can do as they like. For instance, did you notice that he
smoked a pipe?"
I said I had not noticed it.
For his holiday Kinney had