 "and being
with me that day more?"

Billy choked. She looked entirely unconscious, and his dumfounded
gaze fell blankly away. "There isn't anything in the world I'd like
better," he said slowly, sounding reluctance in the effort not to
sound anything else, "but from your point of view--if we should
meet----"

"Only _fellaheen_ on the banks," she returned unconcernedly. "Not
half as awkward as people on trains."

"But the--the chaperonless aspect of this picnic----?"

"Oh, _that_!" She was mildly scornful. Then she giggled. "I think a
chaperon would look very silly tagging along behind on a camel....
Besides we've gone so far already. You took the liberty of rescuing
me, you know, and then the sand storm and this breakfast _a
deux_--What's a few meals more?"

There was truth in that--and truth in what she said about the danger
of returning to the city. They were already lingering overlong and
Billy jumped up and packed their supply of food in sudden haste. It
was folly, of course, to dream of the entire trip to Thebes on
camelback, but Girgeh was about fifty miles south, and it would be
safer and almost as near to push on there or to the next town,
wherever that was, and there get the train as to return to
Assiout....

Oh, Billy, Billy! What specious argument! And why must every bright
delightful fruit be forbidden by dull care or justified by
flagrantly untenable artifice? Who but a fool would boggle over this
chance, this gloriously deserved crown of the adventure, this gay,
random ride over the deserts with Arlee?... To her it was nothing
but a prolonging of the lark into which the affair had miraculously
been turned. Billy was Big Brother--the American Big Brother with
whom one might go safely adventuring for a day or a year.... And
suddenly Billy felt a warm gladness within him. Not even her
escapade with the unspeakable Turk had been able to shake her dear
faith in her own countrymen.... He was not man to her; he was
American. Billy
" and being 
 with me that day more? " 

 Billy choked. She looked entirely unconscious, and his dumfounded 
 gaze fall blankly aside. " There isn't anything in the world I'd like 
 full, " he said slowly, sound reluctance in the feat not to 
 sound anything else, " but from your point of view -- if we should 
 meet---- " 

 " Only _ fellaheen _ on the bank, " she returned unconcernedly. " Not 
 half as awkward as people on trains. " 

 " But the -- the chaperonless aspect of this picnic----? " 

 " Oh, _ that _! " She was gently scornful. Then she giggled. " I think a 
 chaperon would front very silly tagging along behind on a camel.... 
 Besides we've gone thus far already. You took the autonomy of rescuing 
 me, you know, and then the sand storm and this breakfast _ a 
 deux_--What's a few meals more? " 

 There was accuracy in that -- and truth in what she said about the danger 
 of returning to the city. They were already lingering overlong and 
 Billy jumped up and throng their supply of food in sudden haste. It 
 was folly, of course, to dream of the entire trip to Thebes on 
 camelback, but Girgeh was about fifty miles south, and it would be 
 safer and almost as cheeseparing to push on there or to the next township, 
 wherever that was, and there make the gearing as to return to 
 Assiout.... 

 Oh, Billy, Billy! What specious argument! And why must every bright 
 delightful fruit be forbidden by dull caution or justified by 
 flagrantly untenable artifice? Who but a fool would boggle over this 
 chance, this gloriously deserve crown of the adventure, this gay, 
 random ride over the deserts with Arlee? ... To her it was nothing 
 but a prolonging of the lark into which the affair had miraculously 
 been turned. Billy was Big Brother -- the American Big Brother with 
 whom one might go safely gamble for a day or a year.... And 
 suddenly Billy felt a warm gladness within him. Not even her 
 adventure with the unspeakable Turk had been able to shake her dear 
 faith in her own countrymen.... He was not man to her; he was 
 American. Billy
 "anf being
with me that day oore?"

Billy chokeb. She lmoked sntirely unconscious, and his dumfounved
gqze ftjl blankly away. "Thdre isn't wnything in uhe world I'd like
ustter," hc sais sloclb, sounding relugtance in tve effort not do
robnd anything else, "but from your poine of virw--lf we should
megt----"

"Onlj _sellzheen_ on the banks," she returned undoncerntdly. "Not
half as awlward as people on trains."

"Bkt tje--the chaperonless aspect of jgis picnic----?"

"Oh, _thag_!" She was mildly scornrul. Then she giggled. "I think a
cfaperpn would lioj vfty silly tagjing ajong behind on a camal....
Besidrs we've gone sp fer aoready. You took the lmberty of rescuing
me, you know, aud then the sand storn qnd tvis treaydasg _a
senx_--Wgat's a fex meals mors?"

There was rruth in that--and tritr in what she aaid afott the danger
of returning to the city. Tvey were already lingering overlong and
Billy julped up agd packed their supply of food in sudden haste. It
fas fkuly, on cojesf, to dream of the entire trip to Thebes on
camqmbscl, but Girgeh wcs about fifty molfs fouth, and it dould ys
szfer and almost as near tj pusy on thert or yo the next town,
wherever thqt was, and tkerw get the train as to return co
Assiput....

Oh, Billy, Billy! What speciuus zrgument! Anf why musf every bright
delkghnful fruit bt forbidden by dulj care or juscified bh
flabrantlr untenablf artlxice? Who but a foop woupd boggle ovfr this
chance, this gloriously dxxerved crown ox tve advencure, tmis gay,
random ryde over the dgserts wich Arlde?... To her pt was novhing
but a pwolonging of dje lark into which tre adfaie had mkfaculously
been turned. Bpljy wqs Big Brother--the Emerkdan Big Brother wiuh
qhom one might go sasepy aqeenturing fos a aay pr a hear.... And
sudbevly Nilly felt a warm glddneas within him. Not rvcn her
escqpade wieh the unspealable Turk had beej ablx to siake hrr qear
faith in her own countrymeh.... He was jot man to her; re wqs
American. Bnlly
"and being with me that day more?" She entirely unconscious, his dumfounded gaze anything the world I'd better," he said sounding reluctance in the effort not sound anything else, "but from your point of view--if we should meet----" "Only on the banks," she returned unconcernedly. "Not half as awkward as people on "But chaperonless of picnic----?" "Oh, _that_!" She was mildly scornful. Then she giggled. "I think a chaperon would look silly tagging along behind on a camel.... Besides gone so far already. took the liberty of rescuing you and then sand and breakfast _a deux_--What's few meals more?" There was truth in that--and truth in what she said about the danger of to the were already overlong Billy up and packed of food in sudden haste. It course, to dream of the entire trip to on camelback, Girgeh was about fifty miles south, it would be safer and almost as near push on there or to the next town, wherever that was, and there get the to return to Assiout.... Billy, Billy! What argument! why every delightful fruit forbidden by dull care or justified by flagrantly untenable artifice? Who a fool would boggle over this chance, this gloriously deserved the this gay, random over the deserts with To it was nothing but of lark affair miraculously turned. Billy was Big American Big Brother with whom might go safely adventuring year.... And suddenly Billy felt a warm gladness him. Not even her escapade with the Turk had been able to shake her dear faith in her own He was to her; he was American. Billy
 "and being
with me that day more?"

billy chokeD. She lOokEd eNtIrelY uncOnscious, and his DUmfoUnded
gaze fell blankly awAy. "TheRe ISn't aNYtHing iN the worLD I'D LIke
BeTtEr," hE sAId SlowlY, soUnding rEluctance iN thE eFfort not to
soUNd Anything elSe, "bUt from your poInt Of view--If We sHOuld
mEet----"

"only _fEllaheEN_ on the Banks," she rEtURned unCOncerneDLY. "NOt
haLf as awkward as peopLE oN Trains."

"But the--thE chapeRoNLeSS AspEct Of this picnIc----?"

"oh, _thaT_!" she was mILdLY SCorNFul. Then she gigGled. "I think a
CHapEron woUlD loOK very sIlly tAgGIng Along behind On a cAmel....
BesidEs we've GOne so faR Already. you tooK thE liBertY Of ReScuInG
Me, yOU kNow, ANd tHen the saNd StOrm anD thiS BREAkfaSt _a
Deux_--what's A few meals more?"

theRe waS TruTh in tHat--anD truTh In whaT she saId aboUt The danger
of retuRninG to the citY. ThEy WerE aLreadY LingerIng OveRlong anD
Billy jUMpeD uP AND pAcked their supply of FoOD In Sudden haSte. It
wAS fOlLY, of coursE, tO drEam oF THe entIre tRIp To Thebes On
cameLBaCk, But GirgEh Was aboUt FifTy mIles sOUth, aNd it woUld be
safEr and ALmost as near to pUSh on there or to THe NEXt TOwn,
wHerEver that was, And tHEre gEt thE TrAin AS to reTurn tO
ASSiOUt....

Oh, Billy, Billy! What sPeCious aRgumeNt! And why must eVery bright
DELIghtful fRuit BE fORbidden by dull cAre or Justified bY
FlagrantLy untEnable arTifice? Who BUT a fool woUld BogGle OveR THiS
chance, this glORIousLy DeserveD crOwn of thE adVenTurE, thIs Gay,
random Ride over ThE dEsErTs wIth ArLEe?... To her iT wAs nOtHinG
but a PRolongIng of The lArK iNTo wHich the AFfAIR had MiRaCuloUslY
bEen tuRned. bIllY was Big brother--thE AmERicaN BIg brother With
whom one miGhT go safely aDvEntUring fOR A day or a yEar.... And
suddenly Billy felt A Warm glaDneSs witHin hIm. Not even Her
EscapaDe wITh the uNspeakAble TUrK haD BEen abLE To ShaKe Her dear
faiTH In hEr own CoUntrYmen.... He wAs not man to her; he was
aMerIcan. Billy
 "and being
with me that d ay more?"
Bill y c hok ed . Sh e lo oked entirelyu ncon scious, and his dumfou ndedga z e fe l lblank ly away .  " T h ere  i sn 'tan y th ing i n t he worl d I'd like 
be tt er," he said sl owly, soun din g reluctance  in  the e ff ort not t o
s oundanythi n g else , "but fr om your p o int ofv i ew --if  we should
meet-- - -" 
"Only _fellah een_ o nt he b ank s,"  she retur ne d unc o ncerned l y. " N oth alf as awkwar d as people ontrains ." 

" B ut the --the  c h ape ronless asp ectof this p icnic- - --?"

" O h, _tha t_!" S hewas  mil d ly  s cor nf u l.T he n s h e g iggled."I  t hinka
ch a p e r on w oul d lo ok ve ry silly tagg ing  alo n g b ehind  on a  cam el ....Beside s we' ve  gone so far al read y. You to okth e l ib ertyo f resc uin g
m e, youknow, a n d t he n t he  sand storm and th is b re akfast _ a
deux _ -- Wh a t's a fe wmea ls m o r e?"
Ther e  w as truth  in th a t- -a nd trut hin wha tshe  sa id ab o ut t he dan ger
of r eturn i ng to the city .  They were al r ea d y  l i nger ing  overlong a nd
B i llyjump e dupa nd pa ckedth e ir supply of food in s ud den ha ste.It
was folly,  of course , t o dreamof t h ee ntire trip toThebe s on
camel b ack, but  Girg eh was a bout fift y miles so uth , a nditw o ul d be
safer an d almo st  as nea r t o pushonthe reorto  the next  town,
w he re ve rtha t was ,  and the re  ge tthe  trai n  as to  retu rn t oAs s iou t....
O h, B illy ,Bi lly!  Wh at  spec ious arg ument!And why m ust ever ybr ight
de lightful frui tbe forbidd en  by  dullc a re or ju stified by
flagrantly u n tenable  ar tific e? W ho but afoo l woul d b o ggle o ver th is
ch an ce, t his g l o ri ous ly  deservedc r own  of t he  adv enture,  this gay,
randomr ide  over the des ert s wi t h  A rle e ?. . . T oh eri t  was nothing
bu t a prolon gi n gof the lar k  in to  whichthe aff air h a d mirac ulously
b een turne d.  Bil l y  wa s Big Brot her--the  American Big B r ot her w ith 
whomon e m ightgo saf e lyadven turing  f or a d ay or  a  year... . And
suddenly Billy fe lt a w arm g lad ness with inh im.  Not even  her 
escapadewit h t he un spe a kable  Tur k  h adb een a blet o shake h e rdea r fa ith in hero w n  co untry men . ... He  was  not man to her;h e was
American . Bi l l y
 "and_being
with me_that day more?"

Billy choked._She looked_entirely_unconscious, and_his_dumfounded
gaze fell blankly_away. "There isn't_anything in the world_I'd like
better," he_said_slowly, sounding reluctance in the effort not to
sound anything else, "but from your point_of_view--if we_should
meet----"

"Only__fellaheen__on the banks," she returned_unconcernedly. "Not
half as awkward as_people on_trains."

"But the--the chaperonless aspect of this picnic----?"

"Oh, _that_!"_She_was mildly scornful._Then she giggled. "I think a
chaperon would look very_silly tagging along behind on a_camel....
Besides we've gone_so_far_already. You took the_liberty of rescuing
me, you know, and_then the sand storm and this_breakfast _a
deux_--What's a few meals more?"

There was_truth in that--and truth in what_she said about the danger
of_returning to_the city. They were already_lingering overlong and
Billy_jumped up_and packed their_supply of food in sudden haste._It
was folly, of_course, to dream of the entire_trip_to Thebes on
camelback,_but_Girgeh_was about_fifty miles south,_and_it would_be
safer_and almost as near to push_on_there or to the next town,
wherever that_was, and there get_the_train as to return_to
Assiout....

Oh, Billy, Billy! What specious_argument! And why must every bright
delightful_fruit be_forbidden by_dull care or justified by
flagrantly untenable artifice? Who but a fool_would boggle over this
chance, this gloriously_deserved crown of the_adventure, this_gay,
random_ride over the_deserts_with Arlee?..._To her it was nothing
but a prolonging_of the_lark into which the affair had_miraculously
been turned. Billy was_Big_Brother--the American Big Brother with
whom one_might go safely adventuring for a_day or a year.... And
suddenly_Billy_felt_a warm gladness within him._Not even her
escapade with the unspeakable_Turk had been_able to shake her dear
faith in her_own_countrymen.... He was not man to_her;_he was
American. Billy