Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-12-16
THE WAY OF
A GUARDIAN,
His Abrupt Selection of a Hus-
band For His Ward.
BY ALBERT FOSTER.

a.
until his daughter Ellen was II little
better able 10 take care of herself
should have been saved lot of worry
and bother As it was. had to post
pone my trip to Egypt for whole
mouth until | could get her settled
with Thatcher's two maiden nunts. for
of course he had made me her guard
ian. The fact that was only thirty.
while she was fourteen. was Of no i'm
pOrtance in his eyes.
When once appetite for wandering
has bald hold on man he knows no
time or place to rest. so my year OF
travel dragged itself out to six. Let
tiers came at intervals from one or the
other Of the aunts telling me that Ell
ien was well and happy. Once or twice
in the earlier years had brief and
very conventional note from the young
lady herself thanking me for all that l
had done for her. suspected Ellen Of
symptoms of irony In those express
sions Of thankfulness. for the only
thing that had done was to take my
self off to the ends Of the earth and
leaye her to the care Of Providence
anl her aunts. not always synonymous
teTIBs.
In the course of time | drifted back
again to the land of the stars and
stripes My first days passed drearily
enough. | visited my old club. but the
best chairs were occupied by men who
had been stripliIgs when was last In
the land of civilization. My old chumS
had driftcd away or into matrimony
and dropped into the club only now
and then to shed Il few drops of pity
on their single brethren.
Finally | beth0ught me of my long
neglected ward and determined for the
Iatk of something better TO do to pay
The vhili Il visit. so sent note to the
lDnls to nplrlse them of my coming.
have received many severe shocks
IN MY lie aud have. | trust. borne
&bem wi,n hrl>tisn tortitude or at
jpast With pagan StoiviSn. | have been
t:lrNed ont OF my berth in an ocean
3..;rr in thH N iNdlr Of the night to shiv
~ .nd scorch H.. turns in an open boat
III tle middle ct Il >ailless ocean.
haN been hcld Up and cUurteously re-
ikt at al NY Vanables by Greek
bri,:au.l,. have even withslood with
eQninl'uiI! tie rn'irgp of brigade OF
Swiss u'tpl Keep +, ont all these were
Us ,ah 90 dew compared with the
surprise which experienced when FL
len. my iitUe Watd, vulle into the par
Tor of the "ol't"" 10 I've me dutiful
greeting hnd eft behind me Il
straagly ti,ttt Giyl. awk ward and
frichtrUod. toNrd nyset shaking
hands with u hrautifui young lady.
Slender erect. With camness and
self possession Infinitely greater than
my own.
In the days that followed my Won
derment only nrepened. y French
coIut marheU genuine. the son and
sole heir ot Il railway ma%nnte. min
ing baron from Denver of slightly ad-
raucpu years. but uudiminiShed ardor.
AND 4 urWN risen but still rising poll
tician viii h, eyes on the United
States Senaie and his feet planted firm
~ on moro vurahl" real estate than
the finite mind could we'll comprehend
wcre the major planets which con-
stantly revolvcd around Ellen. Then
there was Il countless number of sate-
liteS, young college fellows. bankers.
lawyers ana merchants. | was regard
ed rs a fathcrly old chap whose favor
was worth having only by virtue of
the relation in which | stood to the
ypung lady In question. This was
Calling to me- rs | was ready to take
my oath that at least half of the idiots
would never see my age again. think
Miss Ellen OWNED my resentment or
-esse the quZZical twinkle playing
about the corners of her eyes belied
'iN,r thought.
went prepared to stay three days.
Tile end of Il month found me still
'shcre. bad fallen head over heels in
iove with my own ward. When | had
succeeded in diagnosing the case To
my own satisfactiou-and despair-i
concluded that must take myself out
of the way of danger. Accordingly |
announced my intention mt luncheon
one day. The auuts were politely sor-
ry. and | could almost have sworn
that Ellen looked sad for at least tLir.
~ seconds.
After luncheon the aunts cornered
me in the library and asked me fatty
what thought about Ellen's matri-
monial future. protested that
hadn't thought about it. didn't know
that she had to have one and didn't
know that it was any concern of a
guardian anyway.
"Of course it's some concern of
yours said Miss Henrietta. the elder.
taking up the last point that | had
made and going through my argument
backward. woman fashion. "She must
marry. naturally. and she must marry
We'll. meaning, as | guessed. that she
must induce Dan cupid to lead her in
The direction OF n we'll grown bank
account.
Well. what do YOU think of the
count" asked Miss Angela. the Young.
er replied that | would rather MOI
think of him il she didn't mind.
didn't object 10 counts for people " no
liked to spend their money that way.
but ( Preferred men for myself Miss