The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-08-01
MyLord ano His
Daughter
By CONSTANCE TYLER
Copyright, iso6, BY T. O. Mcclure

IL
not only the proprietor of Hopes bank,
the owner of three or four factories
and the recognized business head of
the town, but he was president of three
or four societies and charities and Of
high standing as a church member.
Whatever Mr.. Thomas Hope said or
did was always the correct thing. He
and his wife could have existed with
out Chelmsford, but had they departed
for other climes that town would have
died-socially.
1t happened that Mr.. Hope had to
make a trip to Paris in financial in
terests. He spoke to no one on his way
over. Several strangers dropped re
marks to which he could have replied
consistently, but he held himself aloof
with true British reserve. When Brit
ish reserve has money behind it, it is a
stone wall. Mr.. Hope might have re-
piled to an earl or a lord had such a
parsonage addressed him and had he
been certain that there was no imposi-
ton. The banker shuddered as he look
ed over the common travellers.
Mr.. Hope was not impressed with
Paris. He had been there before 1t
was his duty to impress Paris instead,
and when he departed, after stay Of
three or four days, he felt sure that he
had done so and was very complacent
over it. This self complacency serv-
ed to certain extent to thaw out his
reserve. That is, he deigned to show
himself among his fellow passengers
on the boat instead of locking himself
up in his stateroom, but at the same
time he let 1t be seen that his dignity
was not to be trified with.
Suddenly something happened to the
great man. A good looking young wo-
man approached him and, addressing
him as my lord" asked the privilege
Of speech. Never before in his life had
he been addressed by young woman
"a strange young woman. His dignity
would have received a fatal shock had
she not used the prefix. His fiattered
vanity offset the shock. His wife had
several times averred that he looked
like an earl, and now here was living
proof that she was right He put up
his eyeglass and gave the young wo-
man a critical glance and indicated
by cold bow that she might proceed.
She had story to tell She was an
English governess who had passed the
last three years In a Partisan family
AS she had great property expecta-
tons the family wanted her to marry
one of the sons. Because she would
not-because she had said that as an
English girl she would not marry an
enemy of her countryside had been
charged with purloining certain articles
Of jewelry and driven from the house.
The incensed family might even seek
her arrest
1t was a pathetic story, with many
embellishments, and Mr.. Hopes heart
was touched-his British heart. 1t
wasn't touched because the young wo-
man was good looking, but because
she had continually addressed him as
my lord" and had appealed to him as
the British lion itself She wanted his
protection while landing. That French
family might have set the minions of
law at work and she might be arrested
and hailed back to Paris and thrust
into a dungeon for years without trial.
Under the protection of MY lord"
what officer of the law would dare look
frrr1 of znd
times it would mean war between the
two countries.
Thomas Hope listened, was flattered,
and his iron bound dignity became as
putty. For the first time In twenty
years he had some human feeling about
him. He came out of his shell and dis
covered that there were joints In his
backbone Had that young woman
made the mistake of appealing to him
as MIR" or even as "Viscount" her
petition would have been ignored, but
that little trick of my lord" worked
like miracle. She should land under
his protection, and If interfered with
grim war and all its horrors would
burst on the country within two hours.
Thanking him over and over again and
with tears In her eyes as she repeated
her thanks, the young woman returned
to her stateroom and made some tri-
fling changes in her attire Shortly aft
erward the boat reached It's dock on
the English side of the channel.
Mr.. Hope was ready to rise to the
occasion, and the girl walked ashore
leaning on his arm. He had cane in
Ne other hand, his monocle In his eye,
and he walked erect He was the Brit
ish empire!
While the baggage was being inspect
ed there was a delay-that is, others
were delayed. AS for Mr.. Hope and
the young woman hanging on his arm.
they walked up to customs inspector.
A card was produced and thrust into
his hand, along with a Bank of Eng
land note, and there was no inspection
of the woman's four trunks. 1t never
occurred to MY lord" that girl flying
from enemies would hardly have four
great trunks along with her. He saw
them loaded into a van which was sus-
piciously convenient and was about to
hand his protegee into cab and re-
sumo his interrupted dignity when they
British subject with what looked like a
warrant In his hand.
Excuse me, please he had begun
when Mr.. Hope interrupted him with:
"Sir, are you addressing meY
Yves, sir. l have here a warrant
for the arrest Of
"A warrant, STRIP
Eyes, sir. A warrant for
what have to do with you and
your warrants, sirY' Numbered Mr..
Hope.
"But r.
'That is enough, sir! There is my
card. / will communicate with the
government at once regarding this out
rage. l will see whether British citi-
zens must submit to such humiliation
while travelling about in a peaceful
manner"
But may l ask, SIR persisted the
officer as he nodded his head toward
the young woman.
you may, sir" replied Mr.. Hope,
rising to the occasion. This young
lady is my daughter, sirv'
''Then | beg a thousand, pardons-a
thousand pardons, sir" said the abash-
ed officer.
The cab drove Off Mr.. Hope raised
his hat in answer to the smile and the
God bless you" and he never, never
again saw the distressed English gov
erness who had been obliged to fee
from the enemies of her country. He
resumed his dignity and boarded a
train for home, and to make up for
having temporarily thawed out he
greeted Mrs. Hope with a grunt as he
arrived.
Three days later man who would
not be denied had an interview with