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Newspaper Page Text
THE WHITE FEATHER By Frank Filson (Copyright; 1916, W. G. Chapman.) Geoffrey had his eyes on the girl, like the rest of the passengers in the London "tube." She was- a remarka bly pretty girl, in a big hat and wearing costly furs, and she held a feather of snowy whiteness in her hand. And then she handed it to the young man who sat two seats away from her, remarking: "I think this belongs to you, sir." The young man flushed crimson, opened his mouth, gaped, and began to stammer. "I tried to enlist, buf they wouldn't take me." "Then why are you not wearing an armlet?" inquired the young woman. The young man, as the train stopped opportunely at a station, got up and darted from the car, followed by the amused laughter of the pas sengers. The girl walked into the next car and Geoffrey, now interested in this incident of English life, followed her. Presently she sat down opposite a very stout man with a flaming tie. "Please let me present you with this feather, sir," said the girl. The man's mouth opened, just as the other man's had done. He blus tered. "I am over 40 and I don't have to enlist They wouldn't take me." "Forty-one is the limit," answered the girl decisively, and with aston ishing deftness she actually succeed ed in placing the feather in the stout ' man's buttonhole. The stout man tore the feather from his buttonhole, angrily shook his fist in the girl's face and dashed from the car. The passengers, in cluding Geoffrey, roared. Five minutes later, when Geoffrey's thohts were wandering, the girl turned w.:d held out the feather to iim. ... "Will you not take and wear your badge of honor, sir?" she asked. Geoffrey was utterly taken aback. He had never dreamed of such an in dignity. He saw the eyes of all in the car on him. "Will you please give me your card?" he asked, ignoring the prof fered feather. "What do you mean?" she de manded angrily. "I mean that you are a public nui sance, said Geoffrey, "and I intend to prosecute you." "I shall do nothing of the sort" "Then I shall accompany you un- V Shook His Fist in the Girl's Face til we meet a policeman," said Geof frey. He had turned the tables, for the girl sat back in her seat with a face as red as a peony and the laughter that followed was decidedly at her expense and not at Geoffrey's. She did not deign to answer him, but when she rose- the young man 0 tefeA