The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-09-26
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
HER HIRED SUITOR.
by II. y. StribIing


'Hurrupi" growled the conductor.
glancing az the waiting line behind
the trim young fellow. The boys fin
gers rummaged nervously through
other pockets.
All, here" snarled the bluecoat.
trying to beat your way for a few
blocks!' He jerked the bell violently
Tor a stop.
Il have nothing but this bill" Hume
Shrust into an inside pocket and drew
forth 50 Onote.
The car came to a grumbling stop.
The conductor was angry. No, you
don't You know l can't change a
double y. Don't have to. Get off"
The young fellow hesitated, flush
crept up his. face into his closely clip
ped hair. Two or three passengers
were smiling at his dilemma. He
turned on his heel and stepped into
the night.
At the same foment a fat, white
haired, re-faced old gentleman stepped
from the crowd on the car platform.
The car rushed away with its usual
ascending whine. Cranleigh found
himself and companion dropped in the
midst of row of dwellings of un-
compromising responsibility.
The young man stood for a moment
under an arc light, wondering vague
ly into which house the old gentleman
would turn when, to his surprise, he
spoke
Pretty rotten company, that"
Rather" returned Hume cautious
ly, looking up and down the street
Tor the light of a drug store where
he could get his bill changed.
Don't bother" said the old man;
L have some small changge. Well
go out Manayunk way together"
Hume glanced suspiciously for a
moment, but the broad, comfortable
face and prosperous clothes were re-
assuring. Then why did you get
OFF,"
The old gentleman nodded emphati-
cally. Because you did. Boveril's
my name. Elziver Boveril, owner of
the Boveril cotton mills of Manayunk
You may have heard of me-
Hume coughed alphabetically. "You
you will excuse me, Mr.. Boveril,
but Manayunk has so many million
aires that er-Hume is my name, a
Manayunk man myself
Good; i size a man up quickly
Mr.. Hume, that's the reason I'm now
where 1 am. I want to employ you"
But 1 have a profession"
This is an odd job, in n way. Won't
take up your professional time. / have
a daughter, MIR. Hume-you don't
know what a daughter is, Mr.. Hume"
The cd gentleman's busnesslike tone
trailed off into a sigh.
1--WE seen them," remarked the
young man.
"Oh, l meant to own one, bring her
up, let her get to the fool stage and
run you crazy"
'T don't know what that is" ad-
mitted Hume.
well, my daughter. Bella, thinks
she's in love with a drug clerk in
RoXbOrough. It's ridiculous. / asked
her what she admired about him any
way She said she thought it was
the daredevil way he slung her sodas.
She's so young, told her she couldn't
marry him. She said she would. I've
had her mother and aunt tell her she
shouldn't, but l believe she will. Then
] hit on my scheme, and there's whore
You como IN"
Hume looked at the old fellows
flushed face rndNr the are ligh.. after
this burst of confidence
'Wha: am q 6o?"
"WeU, wren she told me a soda
singer looked a daredevil I decided
right then to fight a daredevil with
fire. i looked you over. like your
cut and twill, Mr. Hume. | want you
to pitch in now and make that drub
clerk as dead IN issue as free silver
or abolition. Can you sing--play 9
guitar?"
"A little bit"
cali right, fancy if drawing sodas
looks daredevil, a guitar and a moon
light song ought TO be regular wild
west show, and a few words whisper
ed in a window lattice, a charge up
San Juan Hill. Are you on-salary
twenty-five per until the drug clerk
fades?"
twenty-five per-" laughed Hume
in amazement, ito court a girl?"
Moneys no object, Mr.. Hume; ]
want the work done. l wouldn't quar-
rel about a lawyers fee when he
writes my will. This is like that
Yonder comes our car. We can't talk
this inside. Is it a go?''
''Sure thing"
The two men boarded the car and
were flying away to MaoPh' I.erty,
were flying on their way to Mana
yunk. They sat side by side, and Mr..
Boveril handed the blue coat a dime,
lifting two fingers. 1t takes some
thing like three-quarters of an hour
to ride from the heart of Philadel-
phia 20 Manayunk Hume could not
forbear smiling at this whimsical ad-
venture upon which he was engaged.
Suddenly a thought struck him. He
leaned over to the hectic ear of his
companion.
Suppose I should-suppose-
Mr.. Boveril turned and gave him a
steady look. I'D get somebody to
head you off,
'She must be young"
TOO young to marry"
What age?"
The car fled on up pass Paramount
Park. There was a full moon in the
sky that wove pale filtering of light