{"product_id":"2940013740464","title":"The Cruise of the Gyro Car","description":"AMONG the passengers who alighted from the train at the terminus of\u003cbr\u003eShepperton, the little village near the Thames, one evening in early\u003cbr\u003esummer, was a young man differing noticeably, but in a way not easy to\u003cbr\u003edefine, from all the rest. He was tall, but so were many; dark, but most\u003cbr\u003emen are dark; bronzed, but the young men who spent idle hours in sculling\u003cbr\u003eor punting on the river were as sun-tanned as he. Nor was it anything in\u003cbr\u003ehis attire that marked him out from his fellow-men, unless, perhaps, that\u003cbr\u003ehe was a trifle \"smarter\" than they. Yet many eyes had been attracted to\u003cbr\u003ehim as he walked down the platform at Waterloo, and many followed him, at\u003cbr\u003eShepperton station, as he stepped out of the compartment and doffed his\u003cbr\u003esoft hat to a young girl, who stood evidently awaiting him, and whose\u003cbr\u003eface lit up at his approach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hullo, kid!\" he said, in the young Briton's casual manner of greeting.\u003cbr\u003e\"Where's George?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"He'll be here in a minute or two,\" replied the girl. \"I am glad to see\u003cbr\u003eyou, Maurice.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Thanks. How's Aunt?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The same as ever,\" said the girl with a smile. \"Have you brought your\u003cbr\u003eluggage?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Just a valise. The porter has it. Take it to that fly, will you?\" he\u003cbr\u003eadded, as the man came up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh! Wait a minute,\" said his sister, laying a hand on his arm. \"George\u003cbr\u003ewill be here in a minute.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"That means ten, unless George has reformed. Well, well, children must be\u003cbr\u003ehumoured.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBrother and sister stood side by side chatting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe porter set the valise down by the fence. We may take advantage of the\u003cbr\u003edelay to explain that Maurice Buckland was one of the secretaries of the\u003cbr\u003eBritish agency at Sofia, and had come home on short leave. It was nearly\u003cbr\u003etwo years since he was last in England. Affairs in the Balkans had been\u003cbr\u003ein a very ticklish condition, the focus of interest to all the\u003cbr\u003echancelleries of Europe. A grave crisis had just been settled peaceably\u003cbr\u003eafter a long diplomatic game of Puss in the Corner, and Buckland was at\u003cbr\u003elast free to take his well-earned holiday.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe showed an impatience far from diplomatic as the minutes flew by, and\u003cbr\u003ehis younger brother George did not appear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Really, Sheila--\" he began after five minutes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Please, a little longer,\" interrupted his sister. \"George has a surprise\u003cbr\u003efor you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Has he, indeed! The greatest surprise would have been to find him\u003cbr\u003epunctual. What is he cracking his wits on now?\"","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47070205411568,"sku":"2940013740464","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013740464_p0.jpg?v=1763589627","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013740464","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}