Show Daily Short Fiction Story ALGERNON MUDGE CHAPERON By FANNY KENDERDINE Copyright 1915 1115 by Newspaper News News- pap paper r r Syndicate A bellboy oy had Just brought the tho tel telegram glam to to Mrs Mm Ramsey She re retarded re- re it with vexed resignation her Girls she s addressing pretty daughters you must go 10 horn home with Ith mo mp Mrs G 1 wires ins me that she sho h will b bo be in Boston on the to tomorrow tomorrow to m mak kA m mo me the tho promised long visit sU Of all times Inthe in inthe the Ule world to l' l come came But mot mother mothr objected Katharine why h cant can't you write Mrs IrR I rad d tell her to visit IsH OH us hero In New Newyork york tork We Vo can cm h have ve heaps more fun run Mrs Ramsey shook bi her head Jm ImI I Celia Cella KIttredge Is my dear dear- I Mt PM friend and circumstances have combined so 50 that sho she ha has never nover bon been able to visit me In my homo Com Com- mg direct from British Columbia her first stop will b be at Rt my mT home I be bl there to gr grAtt et hor her Her tone Wa aI fInal There Is no reason why W we should hot remain romain until after the tho Beasley t ei began RO Rosalind but the look on her mothers mother's faco fac checked chck d bi ber words Z asked Mrs Ram Ram- I tey In horror Find us is a to chaperon for tor the ro- ro of the week and then well 11 tame rome home hom and help entertain Mrs Ir urged rg f J Katharine My dears 1 J dont don't know a woman oman In tn town of nf whom whon I t would ask such Auch sucha a favor but there Is my cou cousin n Arnon Al Algernon AI- AI gernon Mu yOU Mudge-yOU you ge-you you will m rom remember that I 1 ha have told you rou th that t h ho was custodian of a n private library and museum ii h he- he would bo ho a most valuable able shie guide for you on durin during the re remainder remainder remainder re- re of nf your our srn stay Algernon lernon Mudge Visions Islon nf of f his i In an n ob obscure oh- oh comer comer of the library at nt home homei at nto the thC mental vision Won of the girls Cousin Algernon Mudge was small ll i and iid HI pale paTe and very vety learned learnd looking I ILls His little face wa was almost obscured b by a 1 pair of ot huge tortoise shell 11 rimmed ch cles CIS Surely Sorely nn one w would uld b be sato safe fe with Al Algernon Al- Al gernon Mudge their second 1 I 1 will wl write writ him a f note an and ask asic him t to U call and Rosalind pack m my bag bag Katharine Katharine order a a. taxi and luo up till a train no train no look took up the train first rin t. t and and nd thon wire wira Hannah Mar Mary to have bave James meet me mc at it the station Oh dear ear we c have e Veen planning this New Now York trip s S. si 1011 long and T I do hato hate to go home honie ind miss tho the concert While Mrs Irs Ramsey Ramse sighed anI and her hr note the girls flew ground around obeying her commands At 2 o'clock they returned from the central station and faced each roch other across the table Inthe in tn inthe the hotel restaurant Kathie uK said Ro Rosalind aUDd Cousin Algernon has received mothers mother's note by In- Inthis this t time Ime Katharine sipped her bouillon Did you send the note by special she asked alke wide Of Ot course Then ho will call ll this this' afternoon t k was hoping we might havo time tima to fret tet et used to the idea Idoo of ot having him If U he be Is away away OZ or cannot officiate mother said eald we were we to go home fc II t once once once-If reminded Rosalind When they reached their sitting froom toom they were confronted bYI by a n. sert ser ser- nt t bearing the card cord of Mr Mt Alger- Alger pon Mudge AH AR this for the tho b benefit ot of a little muc sighted bear student Cornel Come said Mid Katharine and they Went down to the red rod parlor where whore the visitor a. a Awaited them But the only occupant of ot the red parlor was a a. tall mIL young man xan n smartly arrayed in most fleck fleck- IS clothes was wa Algernon Mu Mudge ge the expected chaperon 1 v J he handsome young man gazed glUed exP expectantly at the two two girls Oh Katharine In con con- I 7 1 thought ho said Cousin Algernon w was s here The young man bowed oed profoundly I ocr am here ho said Mid pleasantly You YOU ou you are aro mistaken s said ld Rosalind lInd haughtily Wo Yo are looking looking look look- fn ing for our cousin Mr Mudge I UI am Algernon Mudge Insisted tho thOu youth placing a a. card on tho the table My I father la Is laid up with an attack of rheumatic gout sout and ho he sent ent me me-as me as a sort of or substitute chaperon I I hope hope you OU dont don't mind Tho The girls looked at each other in dismay They knew what their mother would have sold said under the circumstances Katharine looked appealingly at ather ather her ber elder eIder sister We Yc didn't know that Cousin Al Algernon Al- Al gernon had a 1 son Hon confessed Rosa Rosa- lind Wo Ve p. p thought he ho was wa a a. childless childless child child- less widower But we are glad lad to see tle cc you OU nu Cousin Algernon but we e were surprised No wonder said Algernon hands vigorously Expect ln log ing- inga a neat little chaperon like dad and anti finding me Im sorry but Im I'm afraid you ou wont won't do do sighed Rosalind Too young young and and attractive Ho lie laughed outright Entirely too young oung corrected l Katharine with mocking CC eyes We Wc Weare Yc are so sorry about d dear r Cousin Al Al- Al gernon I suppose wo we shall have havo to togo togo togo go home sho she ended In a n. sigh Oh bother said Id young Alger Alger- non Let Ld me mo take you about a bit Ht How fly Ion iong h have ve you been here Arrived last night announced Rosalind tragically Say that's bad luck Isn't It 7 Ever been hero before No W wo we 11 live vo In tn Boston and It Itt hasn't t seemed seemed deemed noces necessary ary went on Rosalind sut now wo we are here there are so many things we wanted vented to sea nee Just common everyday ovary every day sights that you will vIll laugh at For Instance he suggested pleasantly I 1 Oh Grants Grant's tomb tomb Statue of ot otI I I liberty Central park the park tho Bronx Bron Zoo the the Aquarium the the Flatiron I building and tho the Woolworth Woolworth- oo And Brooklyn bridge and Staten i Island added Katharine defiantly I I and nIl nfl the odd old fashioned bits bite jf old New York Laugh If It you u want Want to h she pouted oc Theres nothing to laugh at at athe he L assured th them m earnestly Do you ou know leno Ive I've spent lots of time In tn New NewYork NewYork NewYork York but I haven't t seen 11 all tho the places you ou tell teU about Lets Let's start etarl right off now ort now I Wo Yo can cnn go 0 to our house and have dinner with dad dad dad- hos ho's your our chaperon you know Im I'm Im I'm only n n. substitute r The girls went aWIl away with Alg Algernon Alger Alger- r- r non and from tho the moment the they mounted l to the tho roof root of ot a Fifth Filth avenue bus until hours houTs afterward they thoy were set net down at the Mudge home In Washington square squar thc they forgot cv everything save ve that the they were vero seeing things thinks about which they had hod read and talked for years I And Algernon Mudge senior sort of at balanced matters by proving to be exactly as RS they had pictured lI him him- save C that ho honas was nas the tho most charmIng charm- charm Ing and delightful of hosts I 1 didn't want to disappoint your our mother m my dears he lip said patting their hands to so 0 I Just sent my 01 bl big boy along niong Algie works too hard anyway A little pia play Pia will do no harm After dinner Tack lack K Kenyon nyon a friend of Algie dru dropped ped In and COURIn COUR- COUR in Algernon insisted upon music And JUI the next da day d' there thero were tour four who vho set tt forth upon adventure in Man- Man hattan It W was ae B n. n double wedding ed th the following fol fol- fol lowing October After Katharine and Algle and Rosalind Ro Ro- and Jack had hl left lett tho the house Mrs Ramsey o looked at Cousin Algernon Algernon Algernon Alger Alger- non Mudge who beamed back at her through his hilt goggles I Im I'm Im I'm afraid youre you're an Irresponsible Irresponsible sible chaperon sighed Mrs r Ram Ram- J sey Through you Ive I've lost both my girls A reliable chaperon arrange ar as- range a a. desirable marrIage man ho hinted and remember Sally all that I am alone too too and and well well well-If If we WA would have havo had met mot years r N ago wr Wt been sweethearts What hat do you ou think think eli eh Mrs Ramsey blushed Cousin Algernon Algernon- I dont don't know but they say say Its Its It's never r too loo late late late- 1 But Algernon Mudge did dil not wait walt for tor her to complete completo tho the sentence |