Cheyenne record., 1920-02-05

CHAPTER !.
-1-
Claire.
I've always thought this adventure
might credibly have happened to any
body else but me. Since It did happen
to me I've come to the incredible con-
ciusion that it's your staid. proper
splnsters who get into some Of the
bluggiest adventures. only the world.
Just because Of the bred-in-the-bone
proprtety Of the people involved. never
hears about the advsntures.
Ann Preswick and had spent the
summer casually rowing through Hol-
land and Belgium. accompanied BY two
large suitcases, q bunch Of extra soft
lead pencils -mine-and large paint
box and. . white umbrella-Ann's-
searching such adventures, literary
and artistic. ~ two rather staid and
prosaic women would be likely to ind.
which adventures we hoped to convert
Into cash through the American maga-
xines.
At the end Of three months Ann
thought she saw two real live books
~ the offspring Of our joint labors. 20
with my typewriter I went down to
vevay for the winter to work. How
ever. had hardly found myself nicely
settled and Belgian Byways" spurt-
ing along when was cabled for to
come home on family business.
While was having the porter buy
my Paris ticket for me 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
pudsy. 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 telesraphed BY
monsieur IL psre to meet him In Paris
In the morning and must 60 mp BY the
night train-o6 necessity, mademoi-
selle must bs chaperonsd upon the
journey-and madame had elected me
to the privilege Of doing It
'.That ID something never do. mad
ame -chapsron strange young ladies"
"Madame-if you please mo-
ment. See the message Of the father"
She pulled out . long telegram In
French. "You see-he goes to Amer
lea at once with his daughter. She
must be in Paris In the morning
must, you comprehendf
Madame, you really must excuse me
and allow me to say bonjour. I never
chaperon strange young ladies'"
With that I sailed OF upstairs a.
fast a. my legs could carry me.
After what I'd said to madame and
the way I'd treated her 1t never oc-
Cured to me that she'd laugh at my
refusal. But It's what she did. She
simply brought the child to the station
and put her in my hands. And I saw
q pair Of beautiful big round eyes and
q pair Of beautiful big braids behind
I'd seen the braids the moment en-
tered the station and before madame
had discovered me-and charming,
charming little creature about fifteen.
In short frocks. and she put her little
exquisitely gloved hand in mine and
said, "Oh. do let me 60 with you'll I'll
not cause you q bit Of trouble. You
make me feel 20 safe and I'm 10
scared"
The last came out with little gulp,
and, oily old thing that I am about
children Of just that age-where child
hoods world u closing them out Of its
innumerabls projections and woman
hood u opening the door TO the world
Of straying feet-I said, sCome on. my
dear" and put my arm around her,
and away We went.
Claire-she asked mo to can her
by her first name-was q GOOD a. her
word. 0he didn't make me the least
trouble and shs saved me- q great deal
q the frontier: for ~ spoEe both
rfsneh and German funtly-wh1cA /
doo't-and wAan Q dinGy. v1IlainouDs
loo&1ng eu1tpnoomelal ev1DceEatod cur
compartment ! was caly TO tAanlEful
I AaA tAe ehila Win n. I tAonsAt I
hsa11 A9 ~. sOsse n narsys 6nA
w ~ sAeuld - tsl1lAS tAsa abeut
hae mothe I osuldn't maho cut. . I
aassd -.
n 90 SlsuAsa fsrsssaay asl -
~ land. n
Dsax - anuy witA ~ paaasA
ne nm 1ns1Ueoa - kAsWlng ~ ~
wsrc anl ! ~ I'm ~ wsss ~
netAG."
y