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

don't-and when a iingy, villalnous-
looking customs official evscerated our
compartment l was only too thankful
| had the child with me. l thought /
heard her say, "C'est ma mere" and
why she should be telling them about
her mother I couldn't make out. So ]
asked her.
The child blushed furlously and took
my hand.
Don't be angry with me, please.
The man insisted on knowing who you
were and I told him you were my
mother"
And actually-that will show you
the old softly l am and the way I'd
fallen In love with the little thing
l wished 1t were true.
Il was so frightened" she went on,
that l hardly knew what to do. So
l told him-I told him that"-she was
red as rose now-"I told him that
you were the duchess de Pauncefort-
English, you know-and were travel
ing incognlta. That's why they were
all so civil"
"Why, my dear child" l expostu-
lated, for l do hate unnecessary lies,
II don't think all that was called for.
| had nothing the officers might not
have seen In welcome"
She hung her head and admitted, 81
was afraid you wouldn't like 1t, but
papa told me what TO say in order to
escape indignlty. You see there nre
so many Russian spies passing the
frontier-some very important ones
have been escaping with papers and
they are mostly women"
| She seemed reticent about her In.
ther, saying he Travelled most of the
time and was, in the diplomatic service
and that she and her mother lived in
Paris. But last September dear grand
pa had had stroke and her mother
had to rush to America to place
called California. and she-Clalre-
was sent for safekeeping to madame's
| school.
monsieur lie pere met US at the sta
ton. Claire saw him In the distance,
and with cry Of JOY SKINNED along
the platform and into his arms, |
came up sedately just as her father
set her down, and was introduced and
thanked.
Monsieur de Ravenol had an air
and way, and the way was as con.
Vlnclng as the air. He gave me all the
gratitude for the favor rendered that
, 1t was worth-and / thought rather
more, and then Immediately insisted
on my breakfasting with them.
! Where monsieur took us l don't tc
this day know, but it was an expen
sive, obsequious place and he seemed
] to be at home there.
1T was when was biting into my
] second roll that monsieur came ou
: plop-no less than that 1 was to take
Y Claire on the steamer with me and le
e her share my stateroom!
q Oh, 1t was more than favor he wa,
Y asking-madame and himself ant
d Claire would be forever in my debt
= lie himself had expected to sail in tw,
l. days and join madame In New York
e but he was recalled to court" (wha
:, court he didn't trouble to tell mel, an,
!, he could neither take Claire with hin
e ioA JSb iSuNO hCI ulOuG III IdrlS. MIRO
d anne de Ravenol would be awaitin
II her child in New York, hence If
u could continue to keep the girl unde
o my so estimable care until l delivere
her on the other side monsieur woul
,, retain for me an everlasting gratitude
It Claire started and exclaimed
J. 'Papa!" when she heard he was nc
3 sailing, and was meaning to send he
l. on alone, but he gave her a hard loo
d and sharp sentence in what sounde
y German, but I've since learned was
r. dialect I couldn't be supposed to III
derstand. All got of it was a sterI
,r "Du must" which silenced the gi
,r completely.
st 1t was that-the callous rudenes
al toward me, though at the moment h
h was In the very act of asking a gret
favor-that nailed my resolution I