The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-04-18
Copyright, 1911, by w. G. Chapman)

'S"S
1--WE heard of her." Lord Jocelyn
answered.
II thought you knew her by the way
you pricked up your ears. Well, listen,
Dick. We met last year at the sea-
shore. The father took a violent aver
sion to me; said if ever he allowed
Eileen to marry she should have a
worker and not a shirker, by which
latter term he meant a poor devil like
Jack Stanf1eld who was unfortunate
enough to have inherited his money
instead Of earning it. I told him l was
willing to go to work If he'd teach me
how, but he turned me down, said he
wouldn't employ me as a janitor, and
the upshot was, seeing that Eileen
stood by me, they sent her away to a
sort of finishing school up state, where
all the male species are banished from
within a radius Of a couple of miles.
Know those places, Dick?"
Lord Jocelyn groaned in sympathy.
II do" he answered, stretching out a
hand, which Stanfield pressed warmly.
well, Eileen went, weeping and
vowing eternal loyalty and all the
proper thing, you know. But she
was true to me, and the %laundress
smuggled through letters for us from
time to time.
Last winter old man O'Connor died
very suddenly, and just when l was
beginning to slap myself on the back
on account Of all obstacles being e
moved-for the mother died some
years ago-up there pops a veritable
gorgon in the shape of a guardian,
whom. by the way, Eileen has v
seen. He's the administrator Of the
estate. I went to plead with him and
found n Of those finty, cold-blooded
~icicles, hard as nails and punctilious
as a grandee. He said he had to carry
out the fathers instructions, which
seem to have been that Eileen
shouldn't marry until she comes Of
age in a couple Of years time. Re-
suit, stricter supervision, no more let
tiers, and Jack Stanfeld down and
out, matrimonially speaking. So we
arranged to elope, through the medium
Of an ad. in the personal column of
last weeks paper.
Yesterday Eileen's chance came. She
flung a few things into a grip and got
away on the night train. l was to
have met her this morning at the
Grand Central station, and we expect
ed to have been married by now and
over the state line. But our plans
miscarried."
What happened?" asked Jocelyn
alphabetically.
There was a block on the line and
the train won't get in till tonight.
Lucky thing, too, in it's way, for when
I went to meet Eileen 1 saw the gor-
gon waiting. He must have got a wire
from the school mistress. He has her
Photograph saw it on his mantel
when I called on him-and it wouldn't
be hard to spot her, for, Dick, you
can't imagine how beautiful she is.
Her eyes are like twin stars, and her
hairs a a Of spun gold, and"
Eyes, yes, I understand all that"
said Jocelyn.
well, to continue" said Stanfield,
looking at his watch. II got a wire
from Eileen at Utica this afternoon
telling me to be on hand about seven
o'clock, when the train was due. /
got there for the third time today just
before meeting you, and they told me
the train wouldn't be in till ten, so
back I came to see IL there were any
more kilograms. o, I've had a lively
time Of it. ..
"Now, Dick, old man, l want you to
stay here while I go off onc more, so
that in a s we miss each other by
any possible chance you can stand by.
II we miss and she eludes the gorgon
she'll make straight for my apartment,
and you must meet her and reassure
her and see she doesn't get Mysteries"
"1ll stand BY" said Jocelyn. +
Right, old man." said stanfeld.
snatching up his hat. "And If I'm not
back by midnight finish packing for
me and express my things to the Ho.
tel Richmond, Peterfeld, N. J., for,
like as not, I won't be back" He
thrust q toothbrush and q piece of
soap into his packet and, gripping
Lord Jocelyn by the hand, bounded
OF down the staircase. -
"The anxious lover!" soliloquized
Jocelyn as he watched him disappear
down the last fight. tits an adven.
ture, sur enough, but not one OF
mine. I'm beginning to think nothing
is eve going to happen to me-"
He passed along the hall to Stan.
fields bedroom, gathered up some OF
the loose articles of clothing that lay
strewn upon the floor and brought
them back to pack them. On the way
he struck his head with violence
against the edge Of an open door.
"Confound It," he said, lighting the
gas in the hall and looking at the OBJ
struction. The door was that of q
large closet, wherein his friend kept
his spare suits. He closed the door
and returning to the sitting room, be
gan to fill the suit cases. having com
pleted which operation he began tc
put the room into some semblance OF
order. While engaged on this task hi
heard a ring at the bell.
Back again." he soliloquized. We'll
| ~ IL R.o-n - .ol~l ~,oc, 80