AFTER MANY YEARS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 236, 24 June 1918, Page 6

AFTER MANY YEARS

ROMANTIC INCIDENT ON THE ' QUAY. Some weoks ago nn Australian soldier, who was visiting Wellington, found himself about halfway along I/ambton Quay at lunch time, and feeling peckish' ho made to look for some place of refreshment. At the very moment of his decision his eye caught that of a young lady, and, prompted by some instinct he could not explain himself, he addressed her.

"Excuse me, miss," he said. "I'm a stranger here. ' Could you tell me where I could get a decent meal?" The lady, who waa a little taken aback at first at being.suddenly addressed by a man in khaki, pulled herself together (as 1 she afterwards explained it), and informed the stranger that if he continued down tho street a little he would find a restaurant. "I don't know this town," said the eoldior. "Would you mind if I walked with you as far as the place?" The lady was beginning to think that the "plot was thickening," but, consoling herself with the thought thnt it only meant a hundred yards' walk to the restaurant, she complied cheerfully eriough. So they walked on. They had not, however, proceeded more than ten yards when the soldier, much to the lady's surprise, said, with somo hesitation: "I hope you won't think I'm rude, miss, but would you mind telling mo your name ?"

After taking a moment to recover from . her surprise, she him her name. . ' \ "Do you know," he said, "you must be my sister!" Tho rest of the little scene- may well bo left to the imagination. He was right—she was his sister. Years ago, whon but a lad, he had run away to spa from his home in an Australian city. He remained away from Australia for some years, and when at last he returned and attempted to find his family, he found that they had gone away somewhere; nobody knew where, and he had never beon able to find a trace of them until Hie psychological impulse, seized him to speak to his own sister on Lambton Quay. The family had come to New Zealand, and settled in Wel : lington.