The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-07-17
WAY of A
GUARDIAN
By Hilbert Foster
Copyright, 1909. bY 7. C. Mcclure

| My friend Thatcher was very lncon-
siderate of my feelings in the time that
he chose for his departure for the next
world. IL he could only have waited
until his daughter Ellen was a little
better able TO take care OF herself, 1
should have been saved a lot OF worry
aud bother. As It was l had 10 post
+ Pone my trip TO Egypt for n whole
month until / could get her settled
with Thatcher's two maiden aunts. for
| OF course he had made me her guard
ian The fact that / was only thirty
while she was fourteen was OF no inn
portance in his eyes.
| When once appetite for wandering
has laid hold on a man, he knows no
time non place to rest. so my year OF
travel dragged itself out TO six. Let
| ters came Mt intervals from one or the
other OF the aInts telling me that FL
len was well and happy. Once or twice
In the earlier years | had a brief and
| very conventional note from the young
lady herself thanking me for all that
had done for her. l suspected Ellen Of
symptoms OF irony In those expressions
of thankfulness, for the only thing
that I had done was to take myself of
to the ends OF the earth and leave her
to the care Of Providence and her
aunts, not always synonymous terms
In the course of time l drifted back
again 10 the land OF the stars and
stripes. My first days passed drearily
enough. visited my old club, but the
best chairs were occupied by men who
had been striplings when l was last In
the land OF civilization. Ny old chums
had drifted away or into matrimony
and only dropped into the club now
and then to shed few drops OF pity
on their sikcle brethren.
Finally 1 bethought me of my long
neglected Ward and determined for the
lack of so4SetHiDg better to do TO pay
the child ;visit, so sent note to the
aunts to artprIse them OF my coming.
! have received many severe shocks
10 my life' and have. | trust, borne
them with, Christian fortitude, or at
least with pagan stolcism. have been
turned out CT my berth in an ocean
liner in the middle of the night to shiv-
er and sc5rch by. turns in an open boat
in the nijdle of a sailless ocean, l have
been he, up and eourteously relieved
OF all fi1;' vasuaDies by Greek brigands,
have even withstood with equanimity
the charge OF brigade of Swiss hotel
keepers. but all these were as fall OF
dew compared with the surprise which
experienced when Ellen. my little
ward. came into the parlor OF the cot
tage to give me dutiful greeting. l had
left behind me a scraggly little girl,
awkward and frightened. found my
self shaking hands with n beautiful
young lady. slender. erect, with calm
ness and self possession infinitely
greater than my own.
In the days that followed my Won
derment only deepened- A French
count marked genuine, the son and
sole heir OF a railway magnate, a min
ing baron from Denver of slightly adj
vanced years, but undiminished ardor,
and newly risen but still rising politi.
clan with his eyes on the United States
senate and his feet planted firmly on
more valualae real estate than the
finite mind could well comprehend
were the major planets which con-
stantly revolyed around Ellen. Then
there was a {. .untless number of satel.
lites, young c,llese fellows. bankers,
lawyers and merchants. / was regard
ed as fatherly old chap whose favor
was worth having only by virtue of the
relation in which stood TO the youys
lady in question. This was CALLING tc
me. as I was ready TO take my oath
that at least half Of the idiots would
never see my age again. think Miss
Ellen OWNED my resentment or else
the quizzical twinkle playing about
the corners OF her eyes belied heI
thoughts.
/ went prepared to stay three days
The end OF month found me still
there. / had fallen bead ever heels In
love with my own ward. When l had
succeeded in diagnosing the case TO m!
own satisfaction-and dcspair-I con
cluded that l must take myself out OF
the way OF danger. Accordingly ] an
nounced my intention at luncheon one
day. The aunts were politely sorry
and | could almost have sworn that
d Ellen looked sad for at least thirty
seconds.
After luncheon the aunts cornerej
me in the library and asked me fatty
what l thought about Ellen's matrimo
NAL future. / protested that | hadnt
!, thought about ii, didn't know that sh,
had to have one and didn't know thai
| 1t was any concern OF n guardian,
anyway.
"Of course it's some concern oi
yours" said Miss Henrietta. the elder
taking up the last point that l hat
made and going through my argumen
backward, woman fashion. "She mus
/, marry, naturally, and she must MARI!
WELL" meaning. rs | guessed. that sh'
\ must induce Dan Cupid to lead her II
: the direction of a well grown bank ac
count
"well, what do you think Of tn
count?" asked Miss Angela. the youn
=. ger. replied that would rather no
think of him IL she didn't mind.
:, didn't object TO counts for people VIII
liked to spend their money that way
|. but I preferred men for myself Mis-
= Angela sniffed and then asked my opin
= ion of the offspring Of the railwa.
= magnate. replied that | considere'
his whole claim TO the respect an,
gratitude of mankind to lie In the fac
that he was not twins. Two of a kind
of that kind at least. would have bee
altogether too much for long suffer
Ing world to bear. The mining baroI