The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-09-15

Loru Naldanc'S carriage is at the door,
will you, Mr.. Minton? %
" returned with the requisite inror-
nation; and his lordship, after being
carefully wrapped up, took the arm of
one of his men and went to his carriage.
MIR. Baskerville then asked me to
shut the door and sit down beside him,
and proceeded to give me full and COM
plete instructions as to how was to act.
"It appeared that Lord Valdane had
three daughters, besides several sons.
The youngest of his daughters, when
just sixteen, had caused great Trouble
and distress to her family by falling in
love with violinist, who had come con-
stantly to the house to give one of her
brothers lessons on his instrument.
This had been discovered about year
before, and had given rise to great re-
examinations, and the young lady had
had shown an amount Of obStinacy and
temper which had quito alarmed her
friends, so foreign was it, apparently,
to her nature. She had utterly declin-
ed to give up her lover, and had openly
declared her intention of holding any
communication with him that opportu-
mites might offer. Under these circum-
stances, and in consideration of her
youth, her father determined to send
her to school kept by a English lady
in Il village about fifteen miles from
Brussels, and hoped that year or two
of entire change and absence from home
would make her get over and forget an
affection begun at so early an age. She
was accordingly sent to Miss Slater'S
school, but that lady had just written to
Lord Naldane, at the end of the first
year, to say that she could no longer un-
dertake the education of Miss Naldane,
as her conduct was Of such kind as to
utterly destroy those relations which
should exist between mistress and pu-
pill. Lord Naidane had, therefore, de-
tcrmined to bring her back to England,
and he the more readily consented to
this arrangement as he had had infOr-
nation that Mr.. Arnc had left this cOun-
try for America. Having no servant
to whom he could trust the duty of
escorting his daughter home, Lord Val
dane had come to Mr.. Baskerville, witY
whom he banked, to asl; that some con-
fidcntial clerk might he sent to Antwerp
to meet Miss Naldane, and bring her
home to her fathers house in Eaton
Square. A servant would be sent with
her Us far as Antwerp, where she would
be met by the person chosen to escort
her.
81 asked Mr.. Baskerville if it was
thought that the young lady would re-
turn home willingly.
"'They imagine that she will do so,
said he; she has complained in her
letters, which have been very few, of
her transportation, rs she called it. 1t
is most probable that her youthful pas
sion will have died out. This fellow,
Arne, is described to me as an efcmi-
nate-loolling, though elegant man, but
wanting in many of those manly at
tributes which are to most women the
chief attraction in mans character
"Mr. Baskerville told Inc to come to
him again for paper of instructions
that he would give me, rs we'll as let
ter from Lord Naldune to his daughter,
directing her to place herself under my
charge. He also told me that she would
be accompanied by her maid, young
girl and too inexperienced to be trusted
with the duty Of an escort.
" | returned to my seat and thought
over all that | had heard, and all | was
to do. confess did not like the work
it was not the kind OfsNOrk that | had
barganed for on entering a bank, and
seemed to me to be more the duty Of a
superior servant than of a gentleman. /
knew, however, how much depended
upon my making myself useful to tho
firm, and so l determined to put my
: rpridc into my pocket.
, "Before ! left the office I got my pa,
, per of instructions, and returned home
> to read them, having first received from
the cashier, by Mr., BaSkerville's orders
/ Il sufficient sum to defray all possible
expenses, those Of the young lady anC
e her maid included. i found that | wa,
to start for Dover by that nights mail
, and 90 by the first boat to Ostend, anC
thence to Antwerp. / was instructed tC
; be very firm with Miss NaldanC, ant
| was advised to avoid any attempts Il
! intimacy ON her part. l was simply tC
G be her escort, and as far as possible t.
relieve her of all trouble. She woulC
e expect me, as letter had been writer
e to Mrs. Slater, desiring her to send tht
| young lady to Antwerp, under chargt
0 of a servant"
/ "By Jovc, though" said .Iicrber
D Engleluc, wouldn't just like littl
|, thing Of that sort to do"
e "Wait until you lear the end of m,
n story, and you will think differently,
" said Mr. Minton; "no one likes to b
fooled, and that was what happened t.
n me-"
i 81 started, according to my instruC
, tions, by the night mail for Dover, an,
r, at one o'clock the next day found myseI
| at the door Of the Hotel st. Antoine a
Antwerp. ! inquired if Miss Naldan
e had arrived, and was asked to step up to
drawing-room ON the second floor. n
+. one was in the room when | entered
is hut in few minutes n rcspectablc-look
l. ing, mddle-aged woman came in, wit
an expression of anxiety on her oour
| tenanCe.