Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-05
ginning
CONDUCTOR
By
chr A.M.WIIlIAMSON

point. 1 suddenly heard a shocked echo of
Aunt Mary's oh" of horror murmured
| In strange voice, close to my shoulder
| Then looked round and saw a man and
girl. who were evidently hanging on
| my words.
The man was the type one sees on ad-
| ver'isements OF succulent sauces; you know,
| the smiling. full-blooded, red faced. good
natnred John Bull sort. who is depicted
sma king his lips over a meal accompanied
! by the sauce. which has produced the costa
| sy. One glance at his shaven upper lip. his
| chin beard and his keen but kindly eye. and
| set him down as a comfortable manufac-
| turer on holiday-a Lancashire or York
shire man. The girl might be a daughter
or young wife: I thought the former. A
| handsome creature. with big black eyes
hairdressing conscientiously copied from
Queen Alexandras fine figure. we'll shown
on by too elaborate dress. probably
bought at the wrong shop in Paris: you
| felt she had been sent by doting parents to
! a boarding school for "the daughters OF
noblemen. and gentlemen" no expense
| spared.
1t was she who had echoed Aunt Mary:
| think that's the only word for what she
did But 1T was the man who spoke.
| Il beg your pardon he said. dividing
| the apology among the whole party. and
| taking OF his unspeakably solid hat to the
| ladies'. Il hope there's no objection to me
and my daughter listening to this very in
| tcAi6SHt Su1uc: one learned FTenCn, Dul
! 1t doesn't seem to work here: she thinks 1t s
| too Partisan for BlOis but. anyhow. we
| couldn't either of understand a word
| the French guide said, took the lib
| erty of joining on to you, with a great deal
| of pleasure and profit
| He had sort Of engaging righteousness.
| mixed with shrewdness of the provincial
I order. and l could see that he appealed to
| my American girl. though 1 don't think
| she cottoned to the daughter. She smiled
at the papa. as If for the sake Of her own:
| and In few pretty words practically madS
| him present Of me. that is, she offered to
| let him share me for the rest of the tour
round the Chateau l was not sorry as
| hoped that the daughter might occupy the
attention of Monsieur TaIieyrand: and as.
! under these new conditions. we continued
| our explorations 1 adroitly contrived to
| divide off the party as follows: Miss Ran
| dolph. the Lancashire man (his accent
had placed him in my mind. and myself;
| Aunt Mary. the new girl. and our gentle
man of the eyelashes. This arrangement
| was satisfactory to me and the old man.
| whether it was to anybody else or not:
! apartments Of Catherine de Medicis
! tAunt Mary pronounced those little
| poison cupboards of hers yurry cunning
so cute of her to keep changing them
| around all the time.'}. and out on the
| splendid balconies.
| The Lancashire man, thanks to Miss
| Randolph's permission. made himself
| quite at home with me, bombarding me
| "Aeh iiStoi lSdl 4ueSCiOnS but IL was EVIL
| dent that he was puzzled as to my status
| you are first-rate lecturer" said he
| suppose that's your profession"
Not entirely. said l. with glance at
| Miss Randolph; but she enjoying the
! joke. and not minded to enlighten him.
| Probably he supposed that lea Their jacket
| and leggings was the regulation costume
! of lecturing guide.
| DO you engage by the day." he incurred
''Or by the tour?"
SO far. have engaged by the tour, sir. -
returned, playing up for the amusement
of my lady.
| eker recommends several of these old cas-
ties in this part of the country" said he
1 DO you know 'em ALP
| L answered that l had visited them
! All as interesting as this?' .,,g
! Quite. in different ways"
-''Hm Do you speak -French?''
| Fairly" 1 modestly responded.
| We'll, If this young lady hasn't engaged
you for too long ahead. should like to talk
| to you about going on with us. l didn't
| think I should care to have a courier but a
chap like you would add good deal to the
pleasure OF a trip. Seems to me you are
a sort of walking encyclopaedia. 1 would
| pay you whatever you asked. in reason--''
And. oh papa. he might go on with us
all the way to CanneS.' Clipped in the
daughter. which was my first intimation
| that she was listening But she had joined
| the forward group. and the words address,
! ed to Pa were apparently spoken at me.
L
| hoped that background Of other peoples
approval might set me off well in her eyes.
! l was collecting my wits for an ade-
| auate answer, when she relieved me Of the
responsibility. l might even say she snap
! ped up the young lady from Lancashire.
I'm afraid l must disappoint YOU" she
replied for her chauffeur. He is engaged
| to me. l mean land she blushed divinely)
'he is under engagement to remain with
my aunt and myself for some time. We
are making tour on an automobile"
Il beg your pardon. I'm sure, said the
old fellow, as the American and the English
girl eyed each other-Or each others
dresses. II didn't understand the arrange
| ment. When you are free, though he
went on. turning to me. you might just let
| me know. We're thinking of travelling
about for some time, and I've taken a lik-
ing to your ways. I'm at the Grand here
at Blois for the day, then we go on to
Tours. and so by easy stages to the
Riviera. At Cannes we shall settle down
for a bit. as my daughter has a friend
who's expecting us to meet her there. But
III give you my card. with my home ad-
dress on it: and letter: or. better still. a
| wire. would be forwarded" He then thank
ed Miss Randolph for me. thanked me for
myself, and. with last flourish of trump
cts. handed me his card.
By this time we had done the castle,
as conscientious Aunt Mary would say. and
were parting. All exchanged bows miss
Randolph's and the Lancashire girls ex-
pressive of armed neutrality. and parted.
d
sensation.
Mr.. Jabez Barrow. Edenholme Hall,
Liverpool was what 1 read. That con-
veys little to you, though as an address it
has suggestive charm, but to me it meant
nothing less than complication. Queer,
what a little place the world is! To
make clear the situation 1 need only
say, THE Cotton King" Yes,
that's It, you've guessed it. These Bar
rows are my mothers newest proteges
Jabez Barrow is the quaint original old
man" she Is anxious for me to meet, and,
indeed, has made arrangements that I
should meet. Miss Barrow is the beautiful
girl with wonderful eyes and such charm
Ing ways, who. in my dear mothers optn-
lon. would be so desirable as a daughter
in-law. Had not your doctors knocked
our plans on, the head you would have had
the pleasure of being introduced in my
company to the heiress. when I should
have made you present of my chance to
add to your own. AS 1t is-welI 1 don't
quite see that any bother can come out of
this coincidence. but I must keep a sharp
lookout for myself I saw no kodak in the
hands of the gilded ones. or-by-and- by
my mother might receive a shock But
perhaps they may have possessed and con-
cealed it.
Into the midst Of my broodings over the
card broke the voice Of Miss Randolph, in
whose wake l was now following down the