Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-02-11


uldnced ouer her shoulder and foILolUed
her pen as she tCrotC
lucy looked across the table at me
ID face of blank horror. "Oh, Ver-
|n." she cried, ''what are we ever to dol
nd an American at thati This is Just
oo ghastlyy
4 laid nown my coffee cup and glanced
back at her in surprise. "Why, what's
up9" l exclaimed, scanning the envelope
closely. ga letter from Oxford, surely.
Mrs. Wade, of Christ Church, thought
! knew the hand. And she's not an
American"
"Well, look for yourselfv Lucy cried,
and tossed the note to me, pouting.
took it and read. I'm aware that have
the misfortune to be only man, but it
really didntstrike me asquite SO terrible.
"DEAR Mrs. HANCOCK George has
just heard that your husband and you
are going for trip to New York this
summer. Could you manage to do us
very great kindness2 hope you won't
mind it. We have an American friend
Ia Miss Easterbrook, of Kansas City
niece of Professor Asa P. Easterbrook,
the well known Yale geologist, who very
much wishes to find an escort across the
Atlantic. If you would be SO good as to
take charge Of her and deliver her safely
to DR.. Horace Easterbrook, of Hoboken,
on your arrival in the states, you would
do good turn to her and at the same
time confer an eternal favor on yours
very truly, EMILY WADE"
Lucy folded her hands in melodramatic
despair. "Kansas City!" she exclaimed
with shudder of horror. "And Asa P.
Easterbrookl A geologist, indeedl That
horrid Mrs. Wade! She just did it on
purposer'
SIT seems to me-" put in regarding
the letter closely, "she did it merely be-
cause she was asked to find chaperon
for the girl, and she wrote the very short
est possible note, in perfunctory way,
to the very first acquaintanc she CHANGED
to hear of who was going to America"
vermont" my wife exclaimed, with
very decided air, "you men are such
simpletons! You credit everybody always
with the best and purest motives. But
you're utterly wrong. lean see through
that woman. The hateful, hateful
wretch! She did it to spite mel Oh, my
poor. poor boy; my dear, guileless Ber-
nard"
Bernard, l may mention, is our eldest
son, aged just twenty-four, and Cam
Y,,-sJ IInfa ~ A1,+n Oh
and though he's dear, good fellow and
splendid longstop I couldn't myself
conscientiously say l regard guileless-
ness as quite his most marked character
istic.
"What are you doing?' I asked as
Lucy sat down with a resolutely deter
mined air at her writing table in the
corner.
''Doing:" my wife replied, with some
asperity in her tone. "Why, answering
that hateful, detestable womanP'
I glanced over her shoulder and fol-
lowed her pen as she wrote:
"MY DEAR Mrs. WADE-It was indeed
delight to us to see your neat little
handwriting again. Nothing would give
us greater pleasure, I'm sure, than to
take charge of your friend, who, I'm
confident, we shall find most charming
companion. Bernard will be with us, SO
she won't feel it dull, l trust We hope
to have very delightful trip, and your
happy thought in providing us with a
travelling companion will add, no doubt,
to all our enjoyment-especially Ber-
nard's- We both join in very kindest
regards to Mr.. Wade and yourself, and I
am ever yours most cordially,
''LUCY B. HANCOCK"
My wife fastened down the envelope
with a very crushing air. "There, that
ought to do for her," she said, glancing
up at me triumphantly. II should think
she could see from that, if she's not as
blind as an owl, I've observed her afro
cious designs upon Bernard and mean to
checkmate them. IF, after such letter,
she has the cheek to send us her Yankee
girl to chaperon. shall consider her lost
to all sense of shame and all notions of
decency. But she won't. of course. She'll
withdraw her unobtrusively." And Lucy
flung the peccant sheet that had reused
all this wrath ON to the back of the fire.
place with offended dignity.
She was wrong however. By next
evenings post second letter arrived,
more discomposing, If possible, to her
nerves than the first one.
MRS. Lucy B. Hancock, London:
s'DEAR MADAM learn from my friend
Mrs, Wade, of Oxford college, that you
are going to be kind enough to take charge
Of me across the ocean. thank you for
your courtesy and will gladly accept your
friendly offer. If you will let me know
by what steamer you start Twill register
my passage right away in Liverpool.
E Also, If you will be good enough to tell
me from what depot you leave London,
nnd by what train, I will so along with
you in the cars. I'm unused to travel
alone. Respectfully,
MELISSA P. EAsTERBRooK."
Lucy gazed at it in despair. "A
creature Like thatr' she cried, all horror
struck. "Oh, my poor, dear Bernard!
The ocean, she says! Go along with You
In the carsl Melissa p Easterbrooki"
Perhaps I said tentatively, ''she
may be better than her name. And at
any rate, Bernard's not bound to marry
hertz
Lucy darted at me profound volumes
of mute feminine contempt "The girls
pretty she said at last. after q long.