The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-01-11

ager for practical details, but not for
the social side. You used to be great
on that line.
Nov I'm going to ask you to fill my
chair until get back-in fact, make 1t
sort of compulsory-for l must take
the steamer this afternoon. There
will not be any real work, understand,
only just to have a good time with the
guests. Mr.. Burke, the manager, will
be looking for you. Start at once.
And, oh, yes, there'll be no expense
to you, of course, and if things go right
there'lI be something handsome when
l return. Your old chum, BILL.
"P. ST. have a little girl off at
school whom I'll not have time to see.
She'll not be any trouble, of course,
but I'd like you to keep general over
sight of her. She'll be home for the
summer vacation in a few days. Ia
ia. BILLY"
Philip Cudahay, just from college
and recently come into possession of
his fathers N lions, had commenced
the letter with perplexed face; he end
ed it with laugh.
Evidently thinks / am my father"
he thought. land just as evidently,
from our home address being in the
country, considers him a small farmer
Of limited means. HIM" He drew a
letter from a pigeonhole in his desk.
1t was the one he had received seven
days before and read:
"Phil Cudahay. Oakwcods, Md:
Are you still living. and could you
arrange to make a visit east?
BILLY BLACKWELL"
Phil's answer to this had been equal
ly brief and to the point: Certainly.
Am contemplating a visit east even
now. Whatll you have?
Don't seem as If l ought to take
advantage of it," he said, still grin
ming, as he thrust the letter back into
its pigeonhole. "but it would be a
lark to run a big hotel with a capable
manager to hold the reins. The child
would be the real trouble. though I've
been told l have a way with chill
dren.
"H'm! | can't write and say father
is dead, and the thing is damned down
into my pocket, with the owner al
ready out of sight, and my idea of the
man from his letter is that he didn't
tell Manager Burke thing except
that a Phil Cudahay would have
charge.
81 could be twenty or eighty, with
any old size or looks, so long as the
name proves up. HIM! I'll do it,
Hotel Amberset was seven miles
from the nearest railroad point and
reached by stage.
A number Of people were In the
same car. apparently guests for the
hotel, but only one child.
He wondered If it could be Black
wells daughter. He hoped not, fol
the child was peevish looking and evil
IDENTIFY mischievous. Having charge OF
her would be a task as onerous as IN
pleasant.
With her was a young woman as
nurse, or perhaps, as the child was
ten or twelve she was governess.
But instead of avoiding them at the
| station, as he was inclined, he lifted
the little girl into the waiting bus and
then took a place beside them. The
whole thing was great joke, but
some of the component parts were
likely to be very earnest.
Burke the manager, accepted him as
matter of course, in practical, bust
nesslike way, but even he for the first
day or two seemed little surprised al
the facility with which Phil dropped
into the owners chair.
Perhaps, after all, there had beer
some intimation of country rearing.
For the first week Phil was conscious
of a strong desire to avoid the child
who had now advanced to the famil
iarity of Oracle" but this very con
seriousness made him seek her out Of
tener than he otherwise would. 1t was
joke, but he was personattng his
father, who was her fathers friend.
BY that time the nurse, or governess
was unconsciously occupying a goot
deal of his interest He began to seel
out Oracle, to entertain her, as he sup
posed, but it was her companion h'
looked at, with whom he talked.
Miss Marian" as Oracle called her
was a remarkable young woman
beautiful, entertaining, accomplished
cultured-everything that Philip Cud
ahay thought a young woman shoult
be and carrying all the accomplish
ments with an ease that was notice
able even in the big hotel full Q