Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-02-17
But she could not keep the trouble and
the question out of her eyes.
CHAPTER TT

CHAPTER ii.
am an old fool. Here l am still
| fortnight later lingering on in a town
which know by heart, every corner in
/ which, every church, every picture
have seen till L am tired-all on ac-
| count of the little girl whom L have
| picked up at the station, perfect
stranger, fifteen days ago.
In the first place, there is kind of a
plot going on against the poor little
| thing, which the mother, even If she
| fully sees 1t, is powerless to prevent.
How can L prevent it, or do anything
at all in the matter you may we'll ask?
1 can't answer; and vet l keep on put
ting off my departure one day after
another, with vague notion Of being
of use to Effie, who certainly does
cling to me as l scarcely could have
thought possible on SO short an ac-
quaintance. And this is how it is.
My first glance at Colonel Hall set
tied that gentlemen's character In my
mind. A ruined roue, one of the sort
of people one sees about Monte Carlo,
with face full of records, deep fur
rows of dissipation dug in it, and the
look of one who perpetually turns night
into day; but yet a man who has always
kept afoat somehow by good luck, good
friends, or the desperation that makes
a courageous person surmOunt every
thing. No mistakIng the caste to which
this man belongs. nor the sort of
tailor he patron1zes (and probably
never pays. And he knows every
body, and does not seem to be cut by
anyone, SO far as L have been able to
see; and as this place is on very high
road to everywhere, of course a number
of "smart" people have foated across
US, even during the time We have been
here SO 1 cannot help allowing that
he IS what he calls himself, and no ad-
venturer. Some of my acquaintances,
however, who know him, have thrown
the light l expected on the situation.
Where did Ned Hall pick up that wo-
man? Is she very richp And what
him for?' one of them said to me. The
man who said this is a man whose ac-
auaintances are many and various, and
who is not at all Puritanicsl. That L
am one of them myself arises solely
from the fact that he has known me
ever since he was born, and to do him
justice ne has no objection to decent
pee ole. He gave me hint, however,
as b. went away. 'If you care about
that lit girl as you seem to do, get
her ont of Ned Halls clutches as soon
as you can" "How can L get her out
of his clutches?" said L; she is her
stepfather, and 1 am a stranger. "
"Then mind you keep her clear of
Freddy" said this oracle. How could
keep her clear of Freddy? What a
ridiculous custom that Is, by the way,
of the ''smart," to call all their own
kind by such familiar namesi OF
course, / could think of this young
man only as Freddy, as if loved him,
whereas l knew nothing about him, and
disliked his look extremely. But 1
did wnat was the only thing L could do.
/ fingered on, much to Johnson's dis
gust, untiI-by a lucky accident for
me, brought about by one of those con-
fdences among the maids, which are
SO much more explicit and straightfor.
ward than any thing among us, she be-
came interested, too, and instead OF
looking sulky threw herself into Effie's
interests heart and soul.
"Do you think Miss Drummond, -
she said to me one day, as she was get
ting something out of one of the boxes
II had asked for 1t in fear and trem.
bing expecting every moment that John.
, son would ask me severely if it was my
wish that she should unpsck every
thing, in this place where we had ip-
tended to stay only two days? But in,
stead of putting such an unanswerable
question to me this was all she said:
, "Do you think, Miss Drummond,
as our young lady is quite happy with
. her map"
! "What a question, Johnson" said /,
but very quietly, for my state of mind
was most concilIatory; "why shouldn't
she be happy with her mother? She
is very fond of her mother, l an
, sure"
| "Thst may be, said johnson; she
, was kneeling down with her head over
} the box, and sometimes was not very
audible in consequence. There's nat
ural affection, of course, and 1 DOM
. say as L don't like Mrs. Hall myself, ,anc
( Miss Ferris (the maid of course), says
, as a kinder person doesn't exist; but nc
beadpiece, and that easy taken in.
: Here there was a little lapse, or L should
not have allowed my maid to discourse
upon the gossip of the servants, you
may be sure-but finally this came out
from under the cover of the box: Says
, as how the ma has only got an annuity
| and the rich one is Miss Effie, and that's
, why the Colonel means to marry her tc
his nephew right OF"
johnson, said /, severely chow
| dare you come and talk to me of what
Mrs. Halls maid or some other serv.
ant"
"And that Master Freddy" SAID
/ johnson, going on with perfect com
posure, as she lifted out the things
wanted and put them on the bed, ''is 6
bad lot"
"What can do2" 1 cried in de
, spair.
johnson had her back to me, laying
out my things. 81 know what I'd do
I'd ask her to come along of us t,
Naples, and IL nice companion she'd h
be for you, too. And I'd pack and un
pack for her and do her hair, willingp
johnson said
To say that had already thought o
this plan, and, indeed, had insinuatet
it by several hints and suggestions, viii
, , make it apparent to every one what
great comfort and relief it was to MI
when johnson "spoke up" to use he
own phraseology, like this. put m,
plans before Mrs. Hall that very day
81 think" 1 said, ''you have don'
Milan so very completely, and Colone
Hall seems to be longing so for hi
dear Riviera again, don't you thinl
you could spare Effie to make a littl'
run with me further south?'
Eflle did not say anything, but sh'
lifted her eyes to me with such thanks
:. in theml Her mother fidgeted anC
, grew nervous, though she put her hanc
etfusively on mine, as she had a way o
> doing, and thanked me as the kindes
|, friend In the world.
"I sm sure she would like it of al
things; but then she has never seen tn
Riviera"
"Of course" said L, 1--WE could come
,, back that way"
"Oh, DEAR" said Mrs. Hall, wish