Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-01-12
bis Negotiable
Hunt
Copyright, 1904. by otbo B. ssnga
By otbo B. Sensa

OF II, but our friend Jack mas Deeh
adopted
Jack Hawarden's honest face cloud
ed.
Don't, Mecw he protested.
Jack" said Alec solemnly, I'VE are
bidden not to hide our light under
bushel. You're trying to hide yours
in a pill box, and l shall tell the girls
the whole story"
"I came to see Mrs. Gray" said Jack,
rising. Il viii find her upstairs, 1
think"
AS he passed Bruce he whispered
hercely, For heavens sake, Alec, keep
that thing to yourself!'
Alec smiled and nodded, but as soon
as Jack had disappeared he continued
seriously Its thing you ought to
know, girls, and I'm determined you
shall. Jack is too modest-an unusual
trait in an Englishman," he added
thoughtfully.
Forget that you're Scotch and let's
have the story" cried the girl who
wrote stories
Sure I'll begin right in the middle
30 as TO reach the denouement sooner
Our Jack IS in love-
Laughing exclamations OF increduli
ty from the listening girls.
"He is-honest His soul Is tuned
TO sweet accord with peerless strains
off,
Never mind his SOUL" interrupted
Kathleen again. Tell us the story"
This isn't a wild Irish story, Miss
Clyde" he returned, with an air Of
impatience. This is the story Of a
slow moving and a particularly slow
speaking Englishman. He hasn't told
his love, because the young lady is
earning q fine salary and is seemingly
happy In her work, and his position
was far from satisfactory. But the
first Of the year he was promoted,
with a generous increase. He was
screwing up his courage" (here Alec
paused and made q strenuous tmtta-
ton Of a person using a screwdriver)
when he received a message from
the immigration authorities that
changed all his plans"
The willy story teller stopped as If
the narration were complete.
"Do go on!' cried some one impa-
tlently. THAT surely isn't the endT'
What could the immigration au
thorities want Of Mr. Hawarden" ex-
claimed another.
After much urging Alec continued:
when Jack went to the immigration
office he found a clean, decent looking
old Englishwoman, who fell upon his
neck and called him her dear nephew
and announced TO the officers that he
was the living image Of her dear dead
brother, Jock. Now, Jack hasn't liv-
ing relative and never had an aunt,
and he tried to explain this to the old
lady and to the officers. But she would
have none OF II, and the officers told
him very gruffly that If he didn't In
tend to support his aunt to say so at
once, for in that case the woman would
have to be deported She broke down
at this and cried in the most pitiful
way, and-weIl, ii ended in Jacks TAX
ing her away with him. He has
room for her IN the house where he's
boarding and is doing his best TO make
her comfortable. He spends most Of
his evenings with her, and the old
creature is as happy as can be-"
Jacks u brickT exclaimed Kath-
leen excitedly.
''Tt Is certainly very noble of him."
said the editor warmly.
Cant he find the real nephew !" ask
Cd the artist
mo He has visited every Hawarden
In the city, and none has any knowl
edge OF the old lady. He has found
the record Of the death Of a John Ha
warden who came from England TWEEN
~ years ago and who died shortly after
his arrival"
That was undoubtedly the real
nephew" said the girl with the violin.
AN old person does not realize the
change there would be in a young
man. She would expect her nephew
10 look as he did when he left Eng
land, and almost any big blond
young Englishman would correspond
70 the picture she has carried in her
memory all these years"
What does Jack intend TO dor ask
cd Miss Fairlie.
Take care of her as long as she
lives. 1t can't be so very long poor
soul, and she hasn't a cent. Jack says
Providence has sent him an aunt and
he shall do his duty by her. She ad
mitted day or two ago that perhaps
she might not be his real aunt, but she
was his negotiable haunt OF course
the poor old lady hasn't the slightest
idea Of the meaning Of negotiable but
under the circumstanCes-the way she
has transferred herself to Jack-youll
admit it's funny. He's upstairs now
asking Mrs. Gray to go to see the old
lady"
He t1rned abruptly to the music
teacher, who had remained silent.
What do you think of Jacks quixot-
ism, Miss Stuart?"
II think Mr.. Hawarden is doing
right" she said softly, "only he
ought She stopped, with flushed
cheek and shining eyes, for Jack Ha-
warden stood In the doorway
Alec" he cried reproachfully, turn
ing to HIS friend, you've toldp'
Jack" returned Bruce, spreading
'out HIS MINUS uHSlcdIy, udNe-ull
except about the pill box-and that I'm
going to tell now"
ALEC" protested Jack desperately,
you're really going too far-you've no
right
That's where your ideas Of right
dffer from mine" said Alec coolly. 81
have my instructions from the ne
gotiable haunt herself, and / intend to
carry them out You see" he con-
tnued, turning to the interested little
group. I've called frequently on the
old lady, and she has taken great
fancy to me as the friend Of her dear
Jack. Last night she gave me this
little box and asked me to give It to the
young lady Of Jacks choice, with the