The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-10-16
CHAPTER !.
Claire.

Claire.
I've always thought this adventure
might credibly have happened to any
body else but me. Since 1t did happen
to me I've come to the incredible con-
clusion that it's your staid, proper
spnsters who get into some OF the
bluggiest adventures, only the world
lust because of the bred-in-the-bone
proprlety of the people involved, never
hears about the adventures.
Ann Preswick and l had spent the
summer casually rowing through Hol-
land and Belgium, accompanied by two
large suitcases, bunch Of extra soft
lead pencils-mine-lnd large paint
box and q white umbrella-Ann's- S
searching such adventures, literary
and artistic, as two rather staid and
prosaic women would be likely to ind,
which adventures we hoped to convert
into cash through the American maga-
zines.
AT the end of three months Ann
thought she saw two real live books
as the offspring of our joint labors, so
with my typewriter 1 went down to
Vevay for the winter to work. How
ever, had hardly found myself nicely
settled and Belgian Byways" spurt-
ing along when l was cabed for to
come home on family business.
While | was having the porter buy
my Paris ticket for me a lady's card
was brought to my room by the pro-
prietor himself, telling me that the
madame below stairs was the highly
respected principal Of q young ladies'
school.
The madame turned out to be q
pudgy, self-important person, speak
ing voluble and understandable Eng
lish, who. dived without waste of op'
portunity into her reason for visiting
me: one of the young ladies of her
school had just been telegraphed by
monsieur lie pere to meet him In Paris
in the morning and must go up by the
night train-of necessity, mademoi
selle must be chaperoned upon the
journey-and madame had elected mt
to the privilege of doing it.
"That is something / never do, mad
nme-chaperon strange young ladies'.
"Madame-if you please-one mo
ment. See the message of the father.
She pulled out long telegram II
French. "You see-he goes to Amer
lea at once with his daughter. Sh
must be in Paris in the morning
must, you comprehend"
MADAME, you really must excuse m
and allow me to say bonjour. / neve
Nchaperon strange young ladies'"
With that l sailed off upstairs a
fast as my legs could carry me.
After what I'd said to madame an
the way I'd treated her 1t never OF
Cured to me that she'd laugh at m
refusal. But it's what she did. Sh
simply brought the child to the static
and put her in my hands. And l sa'
pair of beautiful big round eyes an
pair of beautiful big braids behind
I'd seen the braids the moment I el
tered the station and before madam
had discovered me-and q charmin
charming little creature about fiftee
in short frocks, and she put her iitt
exquisitely gloved hand in mine an
said, "Oh, do Jet me go with you'll I
not cause you bit of trouble. YC
make me feel so safe and I'm .
scared"
The last came out with q little gul
and, silly cid thing that am abo,
children Of just that age-where chill
hoods world is closing them out of |
innumerable projections and woma
hood is opening the door to the wor
of straying feet-I said, "Come on, n
dear" and put my arm around he
and away we went.
Claire-she asked me to call h
by her first name-was as good as h
word. She didn't make me the lea
trouble and she saved me a great de
at the frontier. for she spoke bo
French and German fiuently-which