TRAVELLING COMPANIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11510, 5 October 1915, Page 1

TRAVELLING COMPANIONS.

THE RESERVE OF THE ENGLISH. (By GEORGE A. BIRMINGHAM, in! tho " Westminster Gazette.") The great liner, with lic-r 150 firstclass passengers, left at four o'clock in the "lifter noon. The 150 passengers suit-led down, and. each' in his own way. prepared to bo comfortable or very uncomfortable for a, week. Next morning Mr Chester, who never suffered from seasickness, sat down in the smoking-room and lit his pipe. Mr Chester was an Englishman. .Had ho been an American he would have lit a. cigar. Sir William Benson also sat down in the smoking-room and lit a pipe. He, too, was an Englishman. Mr Chester did not look at Sir Wil j liam. Nor did Sir William even glance at Mr Che iter. ; After dinner Mr Chester lit his pipe again and ordered a glass of Benedictine. Sir William, sitting on the next seat, lit his pipe and ordered a liqueur brandy. Neither man looked at tho other. Next morning Sir William was in the smoking-room first. Mr Chester entered ten minutes later. They sat near each other. Sir William glanced at Mr Chester. Mr Chester looked tho other way. On the third morning Mr Chester looked at Sir William. Sir William 1 was, as it happened, looking at Mi* Chester. Their oyefe met. They both' turned round and looked in the oppo* site directions. On the fourth, morning Sir William' nodded when Mr Chester sat down. Mr Chester, making a barely perceptible! motion of his chin, nodded back. On the fifth day Mr Chester said' " Morning." Sir William considered the situation) for a minute. He was not a man whd rushed headlong into friendships. Then) ho, too, said ''Morning." On the sixth day—this was not one of the very swift ships—Sir Williams si>oke. "Goiii"- across?" he said. "Yes," said Mr Chester. ei Are* you?" Unless they had embarked with the) intention of committing suicide in mid j Atlantic, it was obvious that they must both bo going across. Neither man had compromised himself by giving infor-* mation about his private affairs. After dinner that night Mr Chester spoke. " Beastly thing this war," he said. Sir William sipped his brandy and' replied. ■ Beastly," he said. Next day, the seventh of the voyage; the steamer slipped slowly past the Statue of Liberty. Mr Chester and Sii* William stood together on the deck. "Pleasant trip," said Sir William. "Very," said Mr Chester. Half an hour later a dozen fussy tugg were pushing their noses against tho great liner's stern, guiding her into 1 her dock. " Hope we'll meet again," said Sir William. "My name's Benson." '"'Thanks,'' 5 said Mr Chester; "mine's Chester" The Custom House officers, the porters, the travellers and the friends who had come to meet them, ran round' and round each other in the shed on< tho quay. Sir William Benson and' Mr Chester stood, together again, calm aa carved images in the tumult. i "Happen to know Charlie Benson P"' said Mr Chester; "man in the Bth) Lancers." " Brother- of mine," said Sir Wil- 4 liam. "Married my cousin," said Mr Ohes-' ter; " Bessie Chester." Sir William pondered this) fact. "Funny thing," he said, "running into .you like this. 1 * ' "'Damned lucky.,'' said Mr Chester; "hate travelling alone." " Much pleasanter to have someone to talk to," said Sir William. Then Mr Chester was drawn away and made to give an assurance to a Custom House officer that ho had brought a dress suit to America in or J der to wear it, .and with no intention) of selling it. Sir .William said the same

thing about his shirts. They had one more glimpse of each other as they left the shed. "Might be going home together,"' said Sir William. •• Hope so," said Mr Chester. " Hate travelling alone. Beastly dull busi j ness."