Welsh Journals

and long-extended wink. As he climbed into his pony-cart he told me that twenty-nine pounds and sixpence had been collected for the great day when the hero himself was to return. Maybe thereT THE TRANSITION OF TRAVERS EXACTLY what induced Travers to enlist, after all, is rather difficult to relate. For more than six months after the outbreak of war, and the call for men and still more men, he was at his accustomed place in the office. And that was not particularly surprising, although most of his colleagues about the same age had responded to the national call. for his was a reflective disposition, and it was clear that, instinctively, he was opposed to war with all its horrors, which were ever present in his imaginative mind. He was twenty-five years of age, tall and loose- limbed, with an open honest face, but rather pale, and with a tendency to stoop, caused by spending the greater part of the day poring over ledgers in one of the large offices in the city. and devoting most of his spare time to reading assiduously the works of such writers as Ibsen, Tolstoi, Turgenev, Mere- dith, and Henry James. But, although intellectually he had been captured by the modem spirit in art and literature, following eagerly the progress of Shaw, Chesterton, and Wells, at heart he was almost as conscientious as a typically good young man from one of the late Samuel Smiles' books. He had undergone the discipline of digesting several ex- haustive treaties on the history and art of book- keeping, tracing its various stages up to the general adoption of the double entry system, the value of which was proved by the certificates he had won showing proficiency in this direction; and, largely owing to understanding parents, and a wise and sympathetic tutor in the class in literature he had attended in his late teens and early twenties, he was tolerably well versed in the old masters-Shakes- peare. Goethe, Wordsworth and the rest, which gave him a mental balance that was well needed. The enlightenment thus gained obviously accen- tuated Travers' natural abhorrence to war, and, it must be confessed, he had no great faith in the conduct of the foreign affairs of this. or other, countries. Indeed, he was an enthusiastic member of several societies formed for the purpose of im- proving the world, and demonstrating how it should be a wedding, too, then," he chuckled, and as he flicked the pony, Shon winked once again, and drove away. T.Q. be run. When, then. after war was declared Travers followed, as usual, his ordinary avocations, little surprise was felt; it was recognized that he would endeavour to do what he thought to be his duty and. after a few months it was taken for granted by his colleagues that he did not feel called upon to take a militant part in the great struggle. He was known to hold strong views on secret foreign policy. On many occasions he had vigorously protested against the mass of humanity being used as pawns in the diplomatic game. But subtly and surely changes were observed by his closer friends as the war went on. On the policy of frightfulness he spoke in scathing terms. Usually reserved in the presence of ladies, of late he had been surprisingly communicative to Miss Frances Hill. It was certainly true that he had known this particular young lady since his school days, and that may have given him confidence. Miss Hill's closest friend at this time said something to her about love, and mentioned the name of Travers. Miss Hill grew rather reserved-and said nothing. Had such a suggestion been made to Travers, he would have stammered-and feebly repudiated it. Miss Hill was a nice girl, a little over twenty years of age, with blue eyes, an abundance of fair hair, and a natural, womanly manner, which was her chief charm. Of late she and Travers seemed to meet with more than usual frequency. He finally invited her to spend an afternoon by the seaside. They decided to go to Sully. It was a glorious afternoon in early spring. They sat facing the sea, which was very calm. The country behind them was showing signs of new life, and seemed to breathe a message of hope and confidence. The sky was beautifully blue-a dome of peace and beauty. But the beauty of the scene appeared to be wasted on the both of them. Miss Hill looked troubled and perturbed Travers seemed to be at war with his soul. It's this inaction that worries me u- Travers spoke with some emphasis-" the feeling that all