The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-13
CHADWICK, Chauffeur
ANONYMOUS.


Aunt Betty. who is not really an
aunt at all, but only a very dear
friend of mothers, has made her
home with US for over twenty years.
She has been with US ever since she
lost her little boy and her husband in
q forest fire in Canada. We were very
fond of her in spite Of her queer ways
One of her ideas was that some day
her son would come back. alive and
strong. and that he would marry Doro-
thy. She kept the half of a coin that
had been hers since her courtship
days. The other half had been tied
round the neck of her husband, who
had vanished in the smoke. She would
fetch it out Of its hiding place every
little while and fondle it, saying: MY
husband l shall never see again, but
my son will come and bring the other
half Of this coin to Dorothy. just as
his father brought It to me-"
Dorothy. who is my sister. took 1t
all In good part. and never let Aunt
Betty catch her smiling at me when
her future husband was mentioned.
certainly was surprised when she took
1t into her head-but am going too
fast.
One would have thought that Chad
wick was the last of people to cause
any disturbance in our quiet. well-or-
dered life. He was an ideal chauf-
feur. Until he came we were always
at the mercy of our chauffeur. When
Chadwick came, however. everything
went smoothly, especially the car
Chadwick was clean, outstanding
American of far above the average
intelligence. Dorothy liked him, she
said. because he had a perfectly
straight nose.
Either the nose or the fascination
for motoring made Dorothy sadly
neglect her horses for the sake of the
automobile. None of us thought any
thing of it until one day Dorothy said
she was going to see the Johnsons,
who lived about twenty miles away,
and went off with Chadwick in the
automobile. About half an hour later
Aunt Betty made up her mind that she
would like to go to the Johnsons' also.
| borrowed Tony Spencer's machine
and took her along. About ten miles
from home We came up with our own
car standing empty in the road
] pulled up and jumped out to find
what was the matter and came on a
scene shall never forget until my dy-
ing day. Dorothy and Chadwick were
both seated on the ground. He had
his arm around her waist, and she had
a luncheon basket in her lap. She
was just putting piece of chicken
into his mouth, and they were laugh
ing about it. Think of it! A daugh-
ter of the American republic; my own
little sister Dorothy, feeding her
chauffeur on CHICKEN in the public
highway-or nearlyr'
Good heavens!" ] cried.
They both looked up, and then, see-
ing who 1t was, they scrambled to
their feet.
Mercy sakes!" cried Aunt Betty.
who had followed me. After that
there was silence which Dorothy
was the first to break Il don't care"
she said. Il love him." And with
that she fell sobbing on Aunt Betty's
motherly breast was wild with
rage.
What right have you to touch
her, to so much as look at herr" I
asked Chadwick. "You--a greasy me-
chanic, with your hands and clothes
Shiny with the oil of machines. What
sort of home could you give her?
A stucco dwelling in q back street,
with the neighbors' children Chamber.
ing over the front porch-the neigh
bors' weekly wash tapping in the
Backyard" He heard me out without
fiinching, though could see every
word | uttered hurt When | stopped
for breath, he began to speak.
"My God, Miss Henderson,! You
don't have to tell me that. But what
are we to do? We love each other. l
swear to you | meant no harm.
swear to you on the thing hold most
sacred" He was Juggling at his neck
as he spoke. and then he drew from
under his shirt the half OF coin ex.
actly like Aunt Betty's.
Where did you get that" screamed
Aunt Betty. Dorothy and l stood
open-mouthed.
I've had it since / was a boy. MY
father put it round my neck just be-
fore he died. remember his saying.
Go, take the old token to your moth.
er, lad | have been trying to find
my mother ever since"
my son, my son" cried Aunt Bet
ty, and she tainted in his arms.
l shall never forget the expression
on my mothers face when | brought
Chadwick down to dinner with me
and introduced him as Aunt Betty's
son, and Dorothy's fiance.