Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1907-12-12
(Copyright.)

God has been very good to us" 1
say, impressively, lever since mother
died. Let us thank him for it."
Taking the letter from my hand,
Lillian essays to read the blotted
word, finally uttering. little cry of
vexation. What can it be-" she
says again and again, and her per-
Sistence causes me to look up.
"Oh," say. carelessly, probably
some native of the jungle-a mulatto
boy, perhaps; or maybe it's dog"
Then:
"Rose," says, Lillian, solemnly,
weighing each word, ARE you blind?
Do you not recall what a practical
joker father is?" "&
l readily yielded this point. No jol-
lier man ever lived than Henry Fair
fax, is the comment of those who
know him; and have had reason to
remember many of his tricks.
Its as plain as day. The Cherub,
as father calls him, is an ugly, mis-
chievous, peace-destroying, tantilizing
monkey" says Lillian, dwelling on the
syllables of the adjectives to give
them proper weight, "and that blot
on the paper is made purposely to
set his charming daughters to guess.
ing. So there!" ii
l sink back in my chair, perfectly
aghast and unnerved.
What! a monkey in this house,
known of all homes for its order and
nicely; monkey here to pull Rover's
tail and to brighten Aunt Chloe out
of her wits; to tear the feathers out
of the parrots tail and to kill my pet
canaries. to say nothing of running
yes, running my roots and bulbs
in the dollhouse; monkey in this
house tO-to-to-"
My tongue fails me. The awful
truth of my sisters words comes with
crushing force. Long and earnestly
We discuss the alarming situation,
many are the suggestions offered and
plans made for preventing the enc
my's entrance into our sacred home.
We finally evolved an elaborate plan
to take the "horrid' cherub from
father Immediately on his arrival and
set him free. 's'
1t is the night before fathers ar.
rival and all is in readiness for his
coming. To bed and to sleep we fin.
ally go-Lilian to dream of the Incl.
dents of the morrow and l to dream
of him who Is coming DER the sea,
my mind gradually wandering of
to one who went down at sea some
ten years ago, due primarily to my
cruel and heartless refusal of his
earnest suit for my hand.
It is along toward four o'clock OF
the next day when the crunchine
noise made by the feet Of heavy
man is heard approaching nearer and
nearer. e.tr
The man stops at the steps of the
veranda and stamps the snow from
his feet, then walks hastily up. He
crosses the veranda quickly, stops
stamps again, grasps the knocker and
gives one loud blow. In flash the
door is thrown open and we fall
literally fall. for fear we make sad
mess of it-upon the neck of very
much wrapped.up athletic gentleman
whose vice-like grip around our waists
nearly takes the breath away. Then
but why tell it? o merciful heaven
the man is no more like my father
than l to Hercules!
Before losing consciousness. hear
the voice of the stranger calling out
to figure coming up the steps:
well, Fairfax, this is a warm recep
ton, and no mistake"
At dinner am introduced to 8
broVze-faced, bewhiskered gentleman
of the name Of Mr.. Hubert Bancroft
and the Joy caused by my father,
return quickly drives away al
thoughts of the eventful afternoon.
1t is happy party that gather,
before the crate at night. Father.
thrilling stories of adventure, told /,
matchless style, and his description
Of the peoples among whom it wa.
his fortune to be thrown; his irrepres
sible humor, shaded occasionally b.