Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-11-12
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HFR GUARDIAN
10 FROM AVENUE A
Copyright, 1903, by T. c. Mcclure
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BY BENNET MUSSON

MCAuatu II was hSSo'ltt'u WIN ~
omen.
1t is a far cry from Avenue \ to
Fifth avenue, but Billie had made the
transition. with the assistance Of Fran
COS 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 huttOnod
uniform was almost balanced by his
deep rooted feeling of gratitude for
Miss Frances.
If the facilc and Independent mind of
Billie McAdam had one responsibility
il 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, a dignihcd, aris-
tDcratic and preIudiCed gentleman Of
the old school. He counted, In a way,
but Billie felt vaguely that Wilfred
Hartley could not bark back from his
thirty years experience in society and
clubdOm and sympathiZe thoroughly
with motherless girl of t&cnty-two,
who was impressionable, light hearted
and rather thoughtless.
Then there was Henry Beach. If be-
ing young, rich, handsome and impul-
slve were all the requisites Of life Hen
ry was a person to whom Billie's re-
sponSibiites oS 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-
tanCe.
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 on which Mr. Hartley was
absent, he did not exhibit much cor
diality.
Such a time had come this morning.
Billy had noted the hired carriage in
which Beach arrived. He had observed
an unusual fultor Of expectancy in
Frances greeting of the young man.
Going to the corner TO mail letter, he
had seen the cab waiting in a side
street. Returning to his station on
hall bench, he noticed that the VOICES
which came in subducd tones from the
| drawing room had in them note Of
suppressed excitement.
Billie sat on his bench and fdgeted.
Then he deserted his post, stole into
the library and, noisclessly pushing
! back 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
II cannot bear to deceive my father
! Henry" she said as Billie guiluly Sc
| cured his place of vantage.
at IS for only once. dear" Beach re
| Piled low aud earnestly. I'VE can 20
in the cab ! have waiting and be back
here safely married by the time your
/ Cot hn ,rir1
! there will be a scene and the worst
! that can happen will be his withhold
! ing his forgiveness for a week or two"
And 50 the man talked as many men
! have talked before.
Frances dcmurrcd, 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 a guardian
was elemental; It was to strike straight
from the shoulder. His first thought
was TO get rid of the cab, his next TO
notify Mr.. Hartley.
Seating himself at the library table,
he hastily printed the following note:
Kun Home to Onse I hav took the
Kerriage. BILLIE.
Addressing this to Mr. Hartley, be
hurried to the hall, grasped his cap and
ran TO the waiting cab.
Gent wants TO see ye 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 tC
the drivers seat of the cab, grasped
the reins and started the horses. Pres
emily the dOorman of a Fifth avenue
club was surprised to see small boy
in a green uniform imperiously beckoI
to him from the seat Of n carriage
When the man wondcringly approached
Il crumpled note was thrust into his
hand, with the injunction that it be de
livered to Mr.. Hartley at once.
Brlies dominant idea was to keeL
the cab away from the house until al
danger of mn elopemcnt should be over
The thought that other cabs might bt
obtained did not occur to him. III
drove slowly until he saw Mr.. Hartley
hurry from the club. Then he turned
the horses down Fifth avenue and rec
Onnoitcred from a safe distance
On the brown stone steps of The
Hartley house stood Frances, Henry
Beach and the cab driver the latteI
evidently describing his loss, for he
was violently gestculatlng. Presently
Mr.. Hartley ascended the steps, and
the attitudes of two of the group
changed entirely.
II was now evident to Billie Mead
am that the Offices of his guardianship
had been satisfactorily attended to
He brought the whip down with q
snap on the backs of the horses, re
solved to restore those stccds to thciI
master.
The animals resented this treatment
to the extent Of starting forward VI
Ciously. At thut moment tnllyhC
dashed by, its guard merrily tootnt
his horn, and this distraction complet