The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10

Just asleep enough to be wide awake
to any chance there was in it.
The horses had started, and the car
riage was half way across the street
before the Bishop noticed ME.
He was a little Bishop, not big and
fat and well-kept like the rig, but
short and lean, with a little white
beard and the softest eye-and the soft
est heart-and the softest head. Just
listen.
Lord bless met" he exclaimed, hur-
riedly putting on his spectacles, and
looking about bewildered
L was slumbering sweetly in the cor
ner, but l could see between my lashes
that he thought he'd jumped into
somebody else's carriage.
The sight of his book and his papers
comforted him, though. and before he
could make a resolution, 1 let the
jolting of the carriage, as it crossed
the car track, throw me gently aeagnst
him.
Daddy" l murmured sIees fes-
ting my head rest on his litele pEst
shoulder.
That comforted him, too F,ush yuar
laughing, Tom Dorgan: l mean * l.3ns
him daddy seemed TO kin6 kof
the cuss off the situation.
My child he began very
"Ob, daddy i exclaimed. s55e
down close to him, you kept is Na IS
ing so long I went to sleep. thouEh1
you'd never come
He put his arm about my shouidfs
in fatherly way. You know found
out later the Bishop never ha0 4
daughter. l guess he thought he had
one now. Such a simple, dear re esstt
Just the same. Tom Dorgan,
been my father, I'd never o
stunts with tipsy men'sIwst ss 4o4
you; nor if I'd had any fathoi. NOW.
don't get mad. Think of the N3ishop
with his gentle thin old arm about my
shoulders, holding me for just a sec
ond as though 1 was his daughter!
My, think of it. And me, Nance Old
en-, with that fat mans watch in my
waist and some girls beautiful long
coat and hat on, all covered with chin
chillai
There's some mistake, my little
girl" he said. shaking me gently to
wake me UP, for i was going to sleep
again he feared.
"Oh, 1 knew you were kept at the
Office" 1 interrupted quickly 1 pre-
ferred to be farther from the station
with that girls red coat before 1 got
out. We've missed our train, anyway.
haven't we? After this, daddy dear.
let's not take this route II we'd go
straight through on the one road. we
wouldn't have this drive across town
every time. 1 was wondering, before
fell asleep, what in the world I'd do
in this big city If you didn't come"
He forgot to withdraw his arm, so
occupied was he by my predicament.
What would you do, my child If you
had-had missed your-your father?"
Wasn't it clumsy OF him? He wanted
to break 1t to me gently, and this was
the best he could do.
What would 1 do?" I gasped indig-
nantly. "Why daddy, imagine me
alone. and-and without money! Why
why. how can you"
''Therel there!" he said, patting me
soothingly on the shoulder.
That baby Of a Bishop! The very
thought. of Nancy Olden out alone in
the streets was too much for him.
He had But his free hand into his
pocket and had just taken out q bill
and was trying to plan way to offer
it to me and reveal the fact to poor,
modest little Nance Olden that he was
not her own daddy, when an awful
thing happened.
We had got up street as far as the
opera-house, when we were caught IN
the jam Of carriages in front; the last
afternoon opera of the season was just
over. was so busy thinking what
would be my next move that 1 didn't
notice much outside-and I didn't
want to move, Tom, not bit Playing
the Bishops daughter in trailing coat
of red, trimmed with chinchilla, is lust
your Nancy's graft. But the dear lit
tie Bishop gave a jump that almost
knocked the roof or the carriage.
pulled his arm from behind me and
dropped the ten-dollar bill he held as
though 1t burned him. 1t fell in my
lap. / jammed 1t into my coat pocket.
Where is 1t now7 Just you wait. Tom
Dorgan, and you'll nnd out.
/ followed the Bishops eyes. His
face was scarlet now. Right next to
our oarriage-mine and the Bishops
there was another; not quite so fat and
heavy and big, but smart, I tell you.
with the silver harness jangling and
the horses arching their backs under
their blue-cloth Jackets monogrammed
in leather. All the same. couldn't see
anything to cause a loving father to let
go his onliest daughter in such a hurry.