Americans -- Europe -- Fiction; Europe -- Fiction; Psychological fiction; Young women -- Fiction
“It’s a pity you haven’t got one of my cards!” said Miss Miller.
“Her real name is Annie P. Miller,” the boy went on.
“Ask him HIS name,” said his sister, indicating Winterbourne.
But on this point Randolph seemed perfectly indifferent; he continued to
supply information with regard to his own family. “My father’s name is
Ezra B. Miller,” he announced. “My father ain’t in Europe; my father’s
in a better place than Europe.”
Winterbourne imagined for a moment that this was the manner in which the
child had been taught to intimate that Mr. Miller had been removed to
the sphere of celestial reward. But Randolph immediately added, “My
father’s in Schenectady. He’s got a big business. My father’s rich, you
bet!”
“Well!” ejaculated Miss Miller, lowering her parasol and looking at
the embroidered border. Winterbourne presently released the child,
who departed, dragging his alpenstock along the path. “He doesn’t like
Europe,” said the young girl. “He wants to go back.”
“To Schenectady, you mean?”
“Yes; he wants to go right home. He hasn’t got any boys here. There is
one boy here, but he always goes round with a teacher; they won’t let
him play.”
“And your brother hasn’t any teacher?” Winterbourne inquired.
“Mother thought of getting him one, to travel round with us. There was a
lady told her of a very good teacher; an American lady--perhaps you know
her--Mrs. Sanders. I think she came from Boston. She told her of this
teacher, and we thought of getting him to travel round with us. But
Randolph said he didn’t want a teacher traveling round with us. He said
he wouldn’t have lessons when he was in the cars. And we ARE in the cars
about half the time. There was an English lady we met in the cars--I
think her name was Miss Featherstone; perhaps you know her. She wanted
to know why I didn’t give Randolph lessons--give him ‘instruction,’ she
called it. I guess he could give me more instruction than I could give
him. He’s very smart.”
“Yes,” said Winterbourne; “he seems very smart.”
“Mother’s going to get a teacher for him as soon as we get to Italy. Can
you get good teachers in Italy?”
“Very good, I should think,” said Winterbourne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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