The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-27
A FatherIy Interest.
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was also president Of three or four
boards. had a character for probliy and
was looking longingly forward TO the
time when he should make his appear
nnce In the house of commons. Mr.. |
Saunders had business In London. |
When that business had been coucud- |
ed he had business ut Dover. He was |
waiting for his train in the London |
depot when ho was approached by two |
females. One was motherly woman |
of forty and the other girl Of about
twenty The former looked anxious, |
and the latter was weeping.
Mr.. Saunders asked what was the
matter.
"Its this way, SIR" began the elder
ly woman in q busnessi.ke way. II
am Mrs. Baxter of the Efamingham
School For Girls. This is Miss Lndue
of Paris. She has been attending my
school to secure an English education.
She has news that her mother Is very
III. Some one should have come for
her, but has not. She goes to Dover
and takes The boat If she could 20
under your charge, sir
OF course Mr.. Saunders was only too
happy. and so forth On several occa-
sions his mother had been very Ill, and
! he knew how 1t was After the train
had moved away and after Miss La
| due had wept for quarter of an
' hour he got surprise. The girl
( lifted her veil and exhibited laugh
| ing face and called him Uncle Jim
It was an English face, and her
| words were English. The honorable
stared at her for Il long minute and
f.. then said:
! You are up to some sort of game
| and have rllng me into IT,"
Yes, you are my Uncle Jim until
| you lave seen me safe aboard the boat
at Dover. Now, don't be impulsive and
declare that you won't and all that.
We selected you because of your age
aud dignity. my dear uncle. You have
| fatherly look. You also have an eX-
preston of innocence lurking about
you AS your niece I shall pass un-
! questioned"
His honor leaned back In his seat
and refused to answer. He was In n
sweat. He had been forced into n
situation that might end in his down
fall, and he realized that 1t must be
handled with care.
II will get off at Gravesend," he
said after awhile.
II beg your pardon, uncle but Dover
is your destination" she pleasantly
replied. II hope you are not becoming
absenminded as you grow old. You
are TO see me on the boat, you know"
"No;"I will not do it!'
4 you'll do it like a little lamb, sir,
and shall be very proud of my old
uncle. What funny stories can you
think of? know you must have a
keen sense of humor. SO have l."
woman. do you know who l amp
thundered the honorable, springlng up.
MY Uncle Jim, of course" she smil-
ingly replied. 81 can so arrange II
that the papers will say that you kind.
ly escorted me on this trip. Have
aunty and my cousins asked about me
Iatoly?"
His honor realized his helplessness
ana leaned back and groaned in de
spalr. He had blundered into ia
therly trap and knew that the girl had
all the advantage and would keep II.
what Is the--the crime" he asked
after awhile.
"Why, Uncle jim! How dare you
charge your niece with crime?
} wouldn't lave believed 1t of your
, "But you are fleeing out of England
ana fear arrest"
, "Oh, butNcan't one fee without beinl
n criminal? Suppose | am in love will
, q Frenchman ana owing to my fa
Tiers surveillance i must go to Paris
like fugitive to marry the man ot
my choice
, "Humph" grunted the honorable.
The girl removed her hat and lai(
, her head back and seemed to sleep
At Rochester couple OF men whom
, he suspected TO be officers of the Law
looked in. At Canterbury two mor'
} repeated the performance. Betweel
Canterbury and Ashford the youni
} lady woke up and said:
/ Good Uncle Jim, the sober seconC
1 thought is the best. You will see m,
mud my luggage on the boat and thel
go where you Will"
Hanged IL dor he said to himself
i but up rose q vision of his family, o
Y his mayoralty, of his political ambl
tions, and he groaned like man II
1 pain. When the train ran into Dove
the girl took Uncle Jlms arm AM
!. went with him to see about the lug
= gage. she "uncled' him in the hear
G Ing Of fifty persons. He gave orders
i bought her ticket and sat with her O
the boat until the all ashore bell rang
she waved her handkerchief TO hii
us he stood on the wharf, and as b
+ saw two men watching him he wave'
:, bacii
b Excuse me, sir" said one of tn
men as he was followed or the wharf
!, "but that young LADY,
: "My niece, sir
"Ah, nh, a thousand pardons!"
And three days later when Josep
Saunders read In his paper that one O
II the female stenographers in the wa
Office had stolen an important pape
l. and delivered 1t TO the French govern
o ment he thought for awhile and the