Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-09-24
SirWalter

we're wild to do the same thing. OF
course not till we grew up, or at
least did I'D our hair. But we used
to hope some nobleman in disguise
would see us and want to give us
music lessons. Because you know
Agathas music teacher turned out to
be real count. So much the worse
for Agatha, my father said, but the
girls thought 1t was perfectly lovely.
Agatha was a young lady and an
heiress. and this count was very poor
and saw her walking up her front
steps one day and fell dead in love.
He looked just like Sir Walter Ra-
leigh In the history and his eyes were
big and mournful, ''rhe home OF woe.
without tear" as Tennyson says.
Well, Agatha dropped her glove
and the count nearly broke his neck
getting It before she did. Then in
few days he called with any mum
Der of letters recommending him as
piano teacher and Agatha was peek
Ing through the portieres all the time,
and she teased to be allowed to take
lessons of him. Agatha never had
done anything with her music
because she hated to practice and
her mother was so glad to have her
show any interest that she engaged
the count They're divorced now.
mean the count and Agatha. He beat
her terribly and got most all her
money. But that's nothing to do with
what I'm telling. because didn't
know about the beating until some
time afterwards
Well. after Agatha eloped l kept
wishing someone would see me go
ing up my front steps and think was
nice. Although I'm not an heiress
papa is very Wealthy and we have
quantities Of silver and mamma has
very valuable jewels. It's not we'll
bred to talk about your property and
only mention this to kind of ex.
plain things.
Well, one day as l was coming
home from school, wishing a Sir
Walter Raleigh would appear, ready
to throw down his velvet cloak for
me to walk on, ! saw a young man
looking up at our windows, kind Of
slyly. / thought. My heart began to
beat like everything, for l thought
very likely he was looking at me. He
was rather shabby, but so was Aga
tha's count. A nobleman might as
sumo any disguise even II he wasn't
poor. He wasn't very handsome, but
he had a very nice black mustache.
When walked up to my steps drop
ped my glove. He was looking at me,
but he probably didn't see the glove
for he turned away quickly when he
saw me looking at him thought, and
considered 1t very delicate of him.
One afternoon a hard shower came
up and as / was racing along without
an umbrella. right at the corner near
our house, ! ran straight into Sir
Walter and nearly knocked him over
My books fell all over the wet side
walk and Sir Walter helped me pick
them up. He had an umbrella, and
so said, and my voice kind Of shook,
-My house is two doors down. You
may hold your umbrella over me il
you like" Then l blushed furiously,
and he said: Sure" and away we
went At the foot of the steps man.
aged to say that I'd seen him several
times. and asked him If he gave piano
lessons. He looked surprised, and
just then Tina opened the front door,
and / was frightened and just said,
SO Tina could hear, Thank you so
much" and then l told Tina that a
kind person had let me walk under
his umbrella.
The next day who should l meet in
the park on the way home from
school but Sir Walter. l didn't think
1t was nice OF him to speak first, but
he was very polite and asked me what
l meant yesterday about seeing him
before. I wouldn't tell him and tried
to walk away. but he walked beside
me. didn't want anyone to see me
with him, because he didn't look at
all like our friends. He said he was
a detective and was watching for a
gang Of thieves. / wasn't very much
pleased to hear he was a detective.
That's something like a policeman.
only without a uniform. All Of a sud.
den he grew very nervous and his
face grew so white felt frightened.
He kept right beside me and we
were walking very fast. Suddenly he
said. "Will you help me, young lady?'
And ! said. "OI course" thinking he
wanted some kind of a position, and
l began to feel sorry for him, he
looked so worried Then he said
Take me in your back door and give
me bite TO eat Do you think you
could manage it?" Poor man,
thought; perhaps he was a count after
all. So we raced along and down the
alleyway. The gate was open and IN
we tore. l thought how starved he
must be 70 be in such a hurry. He
shut the gate and tolted II. Then he
said, Il Just saw one Of the gang
want to catch going down your street
II can slip out OF your front door ]
think I can just catch him"
Someone was ringing the back door
As we ran up the kitchen stairs. He
was way ahead OF me and out of the
front door before l got into the hall.
looked out OF the drawing room win
dow Just in time to see a policeman
grab Sir Walter aud snatch on his
lovely black mustache. A man with
out a uniform ran up from the base
ment. He was the one that was ring.
Ing the back door bell.
Il didn't tell about seeing Sir Wal
teri mean the burglar-in the back
alley in the evening. because they'd
have thought 1t queer I hadn't men
toned It before.
! don't think / care about counts