Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-12-08
Under FalCe
ColOrC
By w. w. HINES
Copyright, 1904, by W. w. Hines


the stern featured Old man in the puff
ing automobile.
Come here, you young rascal the
old man almost shouted as the automo-
bile drew up TO the sidewalk.
Without knowing why, Ogden went
Perhaps it was curiosity, perhaps it
was because he did not happen to think
OF anything else TO do. At any rate he
stepped up to the automobile and took
good long look at its occupant.
Get in here at once" said the old
man.
"WhyT asked Ogden.
"Whyf" repeated the old man. BE
cause | tell you TO do SO Here | have
been looking for you for the past two
weeks ana now you want to run away
when l find you. That is pretty way
for an only nephew TO treat his uncle!'
so you are my uncle?' said Ogden
quizzically Then the spirit OF adyen-
ture, which had been his guiding star
all his life seized possession of him,
and he stepped into the vehicle, which
started. putting, down the avenue to-
ward Washington square.
on the way down he puzzled with
himself as TO the part which he was
acting, or rather being forced to act.
AS nearly rs he could gather from the
conversation of the old man, he was
his nephew Rodney. The last name
had not been introduced into the con-
yersation Rodney seemed to have come
from the west for q visit and to have
left the house without warning, after
ii more or less violent quarrel with his
uncle
What did you want 10 run away
for, you young rascal? The girl is GER
tainly as pretty a girl as you will
tind in the whole country, sir. 1t was
only to be expected that she should
show some coquetry about accepting
you, but l am surprised that any
nephew OF mine would be such Il fool |
as 10 run away from pretty girl. Why |
did you do it, sr!' The old gentleman |
was very irate.
Taking his cue from the fragmentary |
information furnished him by these |
remarks, Ogden, resolved to carry |
through the comedy. Strengthened him |
self up and remarked, with his most
dignifed air
Because | trust that | am too much
Of Il gentleman to force my attentions
III any quarter where they are not
wanted" He had read this sentence in
some old fashioned book and thought
it might go well with this elderly uncle. |
The old fellow looked rather pleased |
and said:
II should have understood il, my boy |
The sentiment does credit TO your blood |
and your breeding, sir. But my heart |
is set on this match. Just tell the girl |
you won't take No for an answer and |
she will come around in time Eth, sir,
when | was your age | would have
been delighted with the coquetries she
has used on you"
By this time the automobile had |
come to a stop in front of one of the
old houses along the north side Of the
square, and the two passengers alight-
ed
Entering the house, the old man, with
Rodney in tow, made for the drawing
room, where they could hear some one
playing on the piano. The room was
rather dark, but as they entered the
light was good enough for Rodney to
make out the uncOmmonly pretty girl
seated at the plano. She got up hastily
as they entered the room and ran to
greet the old man. Then she turned
TO Ogden and said:
$50 you have come back, Cousin
Rodney | was under the impression
that you had left the city"
Feeling rather ashamed Of himself
for carrying on the deception, but over
powered by the desire for adventure,
Ogden sat down and joined in the con-
versation, fencing carefully for time
whenever he was asked q question the
answer to which might betray his iden-
tty. Whenever he got a chance he
stole a glance at the girl He fancied
once or twice that he detected flicker
OF amusement upon her face. She was
evidently watching him narrowly, and
the conviction grew upon him that she
suspected he was an impostor The
girl was certainly a beauty, and he
could not understand why the real
Rodney had been callous enough to
run away from her society, even if he
had found his presence more or less
unwelcome
By and by the old gentleman excused
himself upon the plea that he must
take his regular afternoon nap and left
the two young people alone The mo
ment he was safely out of hearing the
girl broke into a peal of laughter and
said:
Did you think he had fooled me?"
She was taking IT very nicely,
thought Ogden, and he braced himself
up enough 10 say:
mo: ! knew you recognized my i'm
position But, believe me, am not an
intentional impostor Your uncle picked
me up on the street and swore up and
down that ! was his nephew. II
would not have been proper to accuse
him Of falsehood, so Just came along"
The girl grew serious and said:
You know uncle is bit near
sighted, and he Will not, under any
NiiNuHlSbdHtcS' 'OlStHt W wear glasses.
You do look wonderfully like his
nephew. But don't you know who you
are supposed to be-"
"No more idea than the man In the
moon asseverated Ogden solemnly.
why, you are supposed to be Rod
ney Phillips. You know him, dom
you?'
Rodney Phillips, No. | don't be-
lteve | do. But stop. Why. Chesty'
Phillips that | used to room with at
Yale His right name was Rodney,
but no one ever called him by that
name. SO that explains the resem
blance. The fellows used to call US
the Two Dromios'
Yes" said the girl, laughing heart