Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-07-28
OUR CHAPERONE (
A True Tale Of a Short Vacation
b. Joan ke.or;ck ssnlS
~~@A+~~~-

TO the DuIuSA, lOL II HoS OAAO
thing Templeton was cut out for 1t was
TO be host on just such an occasion. He
was not the owner of the boat-nat>
urally; for a bachelor, fond OF good
living and of ease, has very little use
for craft OF that nature; but he was
the sole lessee for the period of one
! week, during which time he and his
seven guests. his cook, his coachman,
his butler and his man of all work
late captain of the Norah J.-cruised
along the Erie canal and enjoyed life.
lie had chartered the boat from the
captain for the purpose of taking his
friends off for a novel outing, and they
had unanimously accepted the invita-
ton; and in order 10 edd TO the novelty
of the occasion Templeton had i'm
pressed mis- own coachnan into the
service TO 10 the driving. The captain
went along to help them over such diff
ticulties as might arise, as well as to
use language suited to their surround
ings when language became necessary.
1t was also to be the captains duty to
look after the boat and to see that
everything pertaining TO the apart
ments therein was kept in shipshape
order.
At first Capt. Jack was 10th 10 char
ter his vessel but he was Influenced to
change his mind by two conSidera-
tions The first was that his craft was
| a new one and was as yet unpaid for,
! and the second was check with Tenn
pleton's name signed to 1t which would
make that payment matter of COM
parative ease. This, added to the fact
that Templeton wanted him to go
along and keep an eye upon his be-
loved craft, induced him to consent,
although he demurred slightly when
Templeton announced his intention of
taking his driver along.
Whats the use o. him?" asked Capt.
Jack 'He amt had no experience
drivin' canalboats, have hep"
NO." said Templeton. ''But he has
driven my brougham about New York
for two years running, and hasn't met
with an acci ent yet. | guess n man
who can manage a team on broadway
can get along OF ~he Erie canal"
But 1 don't see the captain be-
gan.
well, you needn't see," said Temple
ton "I don't ask you to see. I'm 60
ing to have him whether you see or
not. He's a good driver, and l have
confidence in him. I'm not going to
trust my life and the lives of my guests
20 the hands of an utterly unknown
Jehu."
but what are you afraid OFF, per-
sisted the captain.
what am ] afraid of?' retorted
Tempieton. DO you suppose Tn go-
ing to .ake the chance of being run
away with on n cana.boatY'
The capta3n's laughter could have
been heard for 0 mile when TeInpleton
said tbis.
"All right he said; "iet him go. I'll
rig up seat for him on the bow in
regular tally-ho style
The captain was rs good as his word,
and when we stepped aboard of the
NOrah !. there was comfortable
place for us aII, with the promised
coachman's seat on the bow.
The saloon passengers upon this yoy
age consisted of Templeton, Barlow,
Parker and myself; of Miss Hawkins,
of Pittsburgh, Miss Bronson and Miss
Rcming ton, of New York, and, TO
cha pcron the party, the demure little
widow of our old friend Horace Tis-
sington. zF
Mrs. Tlssington was the ideal chap
ero. In the first place she was not
more than 30 years OF age. She was
pretty, and Of n sweet, sunny disposi-
tion--though somewhat severe when
her lot was cast in such places as she
now found herself. She wes never
under any circumstances disagree
able; but she gave everyone TO under
stand by her superior manner that she
realized to the full the responsibilities
which had deyolved upon her; and she
exacted from all that recognition of
her authority without which her influ
ence as LADY superior" would have
been absolutely nil.
In terms she never expressed disap-
proval # our acts, nor did she have
much occasion 30 to do; but frequent
ly we could tell from her demeanor
that she would prefer that we com
ported ourselves with greater dig
MY, anu Oul lCi liCi NdS buSR
that nothing further was necessary.
We reformed on the instant, though it
must be confessed our reformation
was usually merely temporary.
Caddy Barlow, more often than any
of the rest OF us, came beneath the ban
of her displeasure, and that was be-
GAUGE he was of the irrepressible order
of mankind. He would sing comic
songs on unlooked-for and innppro,
pirate occasions, and he had also n
pcnchant for unhitching the little row
boat attached to the stern OF tho
Norah j.. and, in company with Miss
Hawkins, taking Il run up the canal a
mile or two ahead Of us, until reach
ing some hamlet on the line of the ser
pcntlne stream. he and his fair com
panion would buy up all the rock
candy, peanuts and all the similar in
edibles they could find.
Upon these occasions Mrs. Tissing-
ton wns always properly disturbed. OF
course It was all right that Barlow and
MIss Hawkins should 20 rowing upon
the canal, and. personally, Mrs. Tis-
slngton had no objection to their doing
so; but In her official capacity It
seemed 20 her that che should set her
face against II, and she did so in her
own very charming way.
Then, too, Parker and Miss Reming
ton found a great deal Of time TO Dc
with each other. Many IN evening.
when The reHt OF NJ were ia the bow.
playing bsnjos and singing the latest
popular song with more vim than at
tention TO the score, or telling stories,
or In some regrettable instances in
dulging In gossip, 1t would suddenly
transplre that Parker and Miss Rem
ington would turn up missing. Where
upon Mrs. Tissington, full Of her re
sponsibility. would develop an uncasi-
ness which soon communicated itself
to the rest of us, and was generally
not nl.ayed untIl the truant pair were
found sitting ut the other end Of the |
boat. and suspiciously far apartl
AS for myself and Miss Bronson do |
not like to say very much. for Miss |
Bronson is now the wife of an Italian |,
npbleman, and am welded to an Amer |
lean noble woman. It must suffice for |
me to say, without entering upon any |
details whatBoever, that while wo |
never needed the kindly Intervention |
of "a chapcron We sometimes detected |
In the lady's remarks upon social OBJ |
servauccs, or the lack OF them, certain |