Idle Ideas in 1905 by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome
page 88 of 189 (46%)
page 88 of 189 (46%)
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"Well, you haven't hurried yourself," grumbled the old man, "and blarm me if now you haven't forgotten the wood." I was lunching with an Englishman in a London restaurant one day. A man entered and took his seat at a table near by. Glancing round, and meeting my friend's eyes, he smiled and nodded. "Excuse me a minute," said my friend, "I must just speak to my brother--haven't seen him for over five years." He finished his soup and leisurely wiped his moustache before strolling across and shaking hands. They talked for a while. Then my friend returned to me. "Never thought to see him again," observed my friend, "he was one of the garrison of that place in Africa--what's the name of it?--that the Mahdi attacked. Only three of them escaped. Always was a lucky beggar, Jim." "But wouldn't you like to talk to him some more?" I suggested; "I can see you any time about this little business of ours." "Oh, that's all right," he answered, "we have just fixed it up--shall be seeing him again to-morrow." I thought of this scene one evening while dining with some Russian friends in a St. Petersburg Hotel. One of the party had not seen his second cousin, a mining engineer, for nearly eighteen months. They sat opposite to one another, and a dozen times at least during the |
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