The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-01-06

ssCAY, Phil, come into my study a
minute; l want to have talk
with you."
~AIl right, my lord" was the jocose
reply; "I'm always at your disposal.
I'm another minute Phil had turned
down his trousers, lighted cigarette,
and. leaning back in big armchair,
was waiting expectantly. took OF
my oYercoat, lighted my pipe, and, aft
.er preliminary cough, began;
"Say. Phil-pardon my colossal nerve
but are you very fond of Alice Clarke
For a moment there was pause.
The very incandescent light seemed to
flicker in amazement; mouse scam
pered across the floor abashed, and
blushed inwardly at my own boldness.
Phil looked amazed for moment,
knocked the ashes from his cigarette
and smiled very bland smile.
SIS this joke?"
1'I'm in dead earnest"
swell, to be truthful, think that
Alice Clark is queen, but that's about
as far as it goes with me. We are old
friends. and good friends. You under
stand?"
| heaved little sigh of relief, took a
long inhalation of the subtle smoke and
said, very laconically: I'm glad oft.
"Why?" Phil asked.
swell, n'importe; just follow me" l
replied, with a relieved and knowing
smile.
One August, when I was ten years
old, my old bachelor Uncle Bob, a
great sufferer from hay fever, went up
to Macl1inac island, that haven for hay
feverites. and incidentally took me
with him for travelling companion.
Well, Phil, l was a star! Poor Uncle
Bob was relieved of his hay fever, bu,
almost contracted paresis worrying
over me. In the first place, it was devil
ish rough on Lake Huron, and Uncle
Bob, besides being afflicted with NAL
de mer in its most hideous form,
caught me smoking sly cigarette.
Really, thought that he was going to
have the blind staggers or something
equally as horrible. After that use
more discretion and fewer cigarettes
1.-TWO days after leaving home we
steamed up to the dock at Mackinac.
Uncle Bob climbed out of his nest, and
after giving his wings preliminary
flap or two, grabbed me by the hand
and toted me ashore into that unholy
mass of noisy porters, scottish Indians,
drunken cabmen and fiippant hotel
mattresses that surrounded the gang
plank. Uncle Bob picked out re-
.spectable looking cabby, who drove us
in his ancient carriage to the Grand
hotel, grand only in proportions and
name. Here we engaged two rooms,
great sepulchtal chambers, as gloomy
and hideously bare as receiving vault
An a potters' field. The atmosphere
peryading the entire hotel was as
gloomy as our rooms, for cold north
.eastwind was blowing hard, ,enveloping
everything in dull, damp mist. was
miserable. All day long l strolled
around those big verandas, almost get
ting into fight with Reginald Snyder,
ttAc Bun Va q LCtlOlt
sly cigarette and was terribly home
sick, until / cried myself to sleep at
night.
II was standing one morning with
Uncle Bob on the hotel veranda, just in
front of the main entrance, as a very
=swell-looking carriage drove up, and
handsome woman, accompanied by her
little eight-year-old daughter and
French maid, alighted and came up the
.steps toward US. / was rather blase
youth, but I'll bet my eyes popped ou,
at the sight of that little girl She was
a perfect little princess; not one of the
seraphic kind, but roguish-looking,
sblonde-haired little beauty, and her
.mamma was perfect queen. Before
could collect my senses this little party
of beauty had passed into the hotel.
Uncle Bob was visibly affected but
was absolutely swept off my feet
@After that / began 10 get pensive.
Instead Of reading Nick Carter read
sAnderson's Fairy Tales and imagined
myself saving my little princess from
all sorts of ruffians, giants and wild
beasts, ! moped about the hotel pray
ing heaven earnestly for chance to
save her from some terrible calamity