The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22

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''Doilars amt everything, marm." "a
Nr. Elijah L. Poggson. I've made =
pile, and It amt perhaps q small on
But there's nothing but trouble ahea
There's my daughter: she's nne girl. It
her clear duty to me and her country
marry British lord. There's Lord Telft
and Lord Bulper and the Earl Of Hurley
select from. They'll ali jump. But 81
says she'd ruther have no truck with lord
She don't vally them a cent. She'd ruths
marry a man she really loves and live
cottage. Did you ever hear such gall
1t makes me downright sick. What's II
good Of my slavin' all my life and goin
downtown every day II my daughters &
ing to keep house in cottage?"
1T is only an expression, you see." sal
Lady William NOVEL;. with q compassion
ate smile. .It does great credit to you
daughters heart. but expect the cottag
che cortcmplates would be one standfn
in extensive grounds and with all tn
latest improvements. including the electri
light
"a cottage at Newport, maybe" said MI
Poggson. And a lord. But she says sh
hain't no use for lords. And then there
more gall. My secretary-he was rea
cute. down to every trick in the game Of
the ether side. This side he seems to hav
developed into puffeet fool. This o.,
country is too local for him. He dom
understand. The ALTERED fool got lette
asking me to subscribe to local instito0
ton, signed .Bletchingdon & Denton, and
he mailed back refusal, beginning 4
Dear Sirs' and addressing it 'Messrs
Bletchingdon & Denton-and it was from
the dock himself all the time"
''Why don't you have an English secre
fary to manage your English correspond
ence?' said Lady William. with animation
zone who would know the ropes exactly
steer you clear of all these-er-contre-
temps-and help you In many ways?"
Local man to run the local business?' -
Exactly. Sow, 1t happens that by q
curious coincidence / happen to know OF
1ust the kind of young man who would suit
you exactly"-rude people said that Lady
William by curious coincidence always
did happen to know of the very thing that
people wanted, and that this knowledge
was of value to her He is not too young,
thoroughly up to date. Of very good family,
and very good looking"
Sounds bit dangerous / reckon Mar
~ Antinette is just the sorter girl to fall
dead in love with him, specially If he
hadn't cent
But, surely, Mr.. Poggson, you could
then exercise your parental authority"
''Certny, / could exercise 1t; but amt
certn that drivin' is the safest way Of
keepin' girls on the straight, and l
wouldn't bet much that Marry Antinette
nightn't bolt in the opposite direction
II can assure you. my dear Mr.. Pogs
son, you need have no cause for alarm.
When / have told you all about the young
man you will see how exactly suited he
would be. and that you need have no anx-
iety whatever. 1t is quite providential
that you told me Just now
This was how 1t was that Mr.. Charles
Newton became private secretary to Mr..
Poggson, the American millionaire, for the
English department. SO to speak. He was
engaged at by no means an excessive sal
airy, but, on the other hand, he was to
board and lodge with his employer.
Mr.. Poggson chuckled over this to his
daughter, the romantic Marie Antoinette.
at don't cost me cent more to put
him in one of the guest rooms that amt
used and to let him eat what the servants
would waste. And it saves me clear
hundred a year. Besides. have him all
ways at hand"
Marie Antoinette was one OF those re-.
markably brilliant blondes whom America
seems to have the monopoly Of producing.
She owed her designation to her dead
mothers devotion to the memory of the
unfortunate queen OF Louis XIV. Never
was there a more glazing contrast than
between the name and Its owner. The
American beauty's most striking features
were pair of big. China-blue eyes, ard a
retrousse nose with scornful tilt that
was all-impertinent and not In the least
suggestive of imperial dignity or queenly
hauteur. She had great deal Of fluffy,
fair hair, which was more reminiscent Of
the hairdressers' advertisements than the
couture Of the martyred Queen. The one
thing that could be said to be In COM
mon between Miss Poggson and her name
sake was the inclination for romance
which proved SO disastrous to the reputa.
ton of the Austrian lady, and was 20
strongly disliked by the father of the
American belle.
Miss Poggson's nose acquired an extra
scornful tilt when her parent informed
her of his arrangement with Mr.. Newton.
She dubbed him 1.-THE hired man. forth
with. -
Lady NOVEL; says he is of thorrowly
good family" observed her father.
''Oh, yes: that's your style, pop. Lords
and good family. I've no use for lords,
and these old Britishers with pedigrees as
long as Fifth Avenue and about a dime to
their names make me tired"
II reckon you won't see enough OF him
to make you tired 1 amt hired him to
beau you around town, but to write my let
tiers. and see that the next duke that ap-
plies here amt sent away snortin'."
Beau me round the town." said Miss |
Poggson. with deep disdain. "a hired
man."
Sides. he amt that style at ALL" COM
tfnued Mr.. PoggsoR. mo use for women. |
Not taking any. Had good time and |
wants to square. When you come on he'll |
skedaddle, you bet"
There was something so unusual not to
say unnatural, about such a view OF life
In Marie Antoinette's opinion that she be-
came possessed with a violent desire to in.
spect the strange being who held such hor-
rible sentiments. This did not prevent her
firing a parting shot at her father
She saw the secretary for the first time /
rom the stairs. and was surprised. Really
Tor hired man and the author OF such
reprehensible notions he was rather at
ractive in appearance. II he had not given
MS name in the perfectly audible voice
which Is one Of the characteristics OF the
lay, she might have thought 1t was some
fresh one or other Of the Eilded youth
.ome ION the hunt" with herself as quar-
>.
She made his acquaintance at lunch and
Inner, and found him agreeable. She
loon perceived that the feeling was re-
.iprocated. This at first amused her
Then she presumed on 1t to interrupt him
It his work. She found that there were
Iuite number OF things which she wanted
o know, and when the thirst for knowl-
dge came on her she marched ruthlessly
nto the secretary's room, sat down, with
n apology. III front Of him. and encour-
ged him to converse with her.
Mr.. Poggson, catching her In the act,
bjected strongly.
81 don't pay my secretary to gas to you.
nut to write my letters" he said, with