The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-08-28
HER GUARDIAN
~ FROM AVENUE A
BY BENNETT MuSSON


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A cab stood waiting in cross street
near Fifth avenue. 1t was an Ordina-
ry cab, with its driver arrayed in liv-
cry which could by no stretch of the
imagination be taken for that of pri-
yate family, but to the mind of Rllie
McAdam 1t was associated with Ill
omen.
1t is a far cry from Avenue A to
Fifth avenue, but Billie had made the
transition, with the assistance of Fran
ces Hartley. On one of her Summing
tours she had found him, ragged, cold
and hungry, the center of group or
hostile urchins who were about to en-
gage him in combat. She had rescued
the boy from his perilous position and
had interviewed his intoxicated and
acQuiescent father.
The result of the negotiation had
been, Billie's installation as hall boy in
the Hartley mansion, where the COM
placency with which he regarded the
grandeur of his surroundings and the
elegance of his green, brass buttOned
uniform was almost balanced by his
deep rooted feeling of gratitude for
Miss Frances.
If the facile and independent mind of
Billie McAdam had one responsibility
1t was the conviction that he must at
all times act as the protector and guar
dian of Frances Hartley. There was
her father of course, dignified, arts
tocratic and prejudiced gentleman of
the old school. He counted, in way,
but Billie felt vaguely that Wilfred
Hartley could not bark back from his
thirty years experience in society and
cIubdOm and sympathize thoroughly
with a mOtherless girl of twenty-five.
who was impressionable, light hearted
and rather thoughtless.
Then there was Henry Beach. If be-
ing young, rich, handsome and impul-
sive were all the requisites of life Hen
ry was person to whom Billie's re-
sponsibilities of guardianship could be
transferred. But there were other
things that Billie did not understand,
but which Mr. Hartley set such store
by that they must be of prime impOr-
lance.
They were negative, most of these
things, not having ones father in the
retail trade, not being in the shadows
of society instead of firmly anchored
in its depths.
With the prejudice Of youth Billie
allowed the feelings of Wilfred Hart
ley to influence him. He liked Henry
Beach, but on the occasions when he
admitted him to the house, frequently
| occasions Oh which Mr.. Hartley was
absent, he did not exhibit much cor
diallty.
Such a time had come this morning
Billy had noted the hired carriage in
which Beach arrived. He had observed
an unusual futter of expectancy in
Frances greeting of the young man.
Going to the corner to mail a letter he
had seen the cab waiting in u side
street. Returning to his station on a
hall bench, he noticed that the voices
which came in subdued tones from the
drawing room had in them a note of
suppressed excitement.
Billie sat on his bench and fidgeted
Then he deserted his post, stole into
the library and, nOiselessly pushing
back a folding door, installed himself
behind some curtains in the drawing
room.
Frances Hartley stood near win
dow, and beside her was Henry Beach,
who looked imploringly at her tear
stained face.
Il cannot bear to deceive my father,
Henry" she said as Billie guilty Sc
cured his place of vantage.
at is for only once, dear" Beach re-
piled low and earnestly. I'VE can go
in the cab | have waiting and be back
here safely married by the time your
father returns from the club. Then
there will be a scene, and the worst
that can happen will be his withhold
ing his forgiveness for week or two"
And so the man talked as many men
have talked before.
Frances demurred, but in the end
her head sank to Henry's shoulder, and
Billie knew she was the woman who
hesitates, and he stole softly away.
His idea of the duties of guardian
was elemental; 1t was to strike straight
from the shoulder. His first Thought
was to get rid of the cah his next to
notify Mr.. Hartley.
Seating himself at the library table,
he hastily printed the following note:
Kun Home to Onse 1 hav took the
Heritage. BILLIE.
Addressing this to Mr.. Hartley, he
hurried to the hall, grasped his cap and
ran to the waiting cab.
Gent wants TO see We at de house.
I'll hold yer horses" he announced TO
the cabman. relapsing in his excite
ment to his familiar Avenue A dialect.
Billie waited until the man had
turned the corner Then he climbed to
the drivers seat of the cab. grasped
the reins and started the horses. Pres
emily the dOorman of Fifth avenue
club was surprised to see a small boy
In green uniform imperiously beckon
TO him from the seat of a carriage.
When the man wonderingly approached
crumpled note was thrust into his
hand, with the injunction that 1t be de-
liyered to Mr.. Hartley at once.
Bi'lie's dominant idea was to keen