Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1911 — THE COACHMAN ANO THE MAID [ARTICLE]

THE COACHMAN ANO THE MAID

Double Impersonation Leads to a Wedding,

“Are you Mrs Sanderson’s coachman?” “Yes, miss." “I’m Miss Childers' maid. Miss Childers didn’t come. 1 come instead.” “Yes, miss. Step in,” Miss Childers’ maid got Into the victoria and. leaning back as if she had been born in a victoria, rode < to Montview. /X ■ “When will your mistress arrive?” asked Mrs. Sanderson when the maid had made Miss Childers' excuses. “By the same train tomorrow, ma’am." “Singular," muttered the lady, "that she should have sent her maid ahead.” Later on Miss Childers’ maid noticed a gentleman in evening dress going down to dinner, and during the evening, while she was passing the time in the sewing room doing some mending, he stumbled in. “Pardon me,” he said. “I didn’t know there was any one here.”. “You’re excusable, sir.” *■. “Are you Miss Childers’ maid?" “I am, sir." “Y’ou have a very nice mistress, I am told." “Passable, sir.” “You're not very enthusiastic.” “My mistress doesn’t need a character from her maid." “Did you get such sprightly repartee from Miss Childers?” “Miss Childers does not pride herself on repartee. She has matters of importance to interest her and keep her from chaffing her inferiors.” “I trust she hasn’t the keen edged tongue of her maid." “She may need it. I’m told she’s thinking of marriage.” “Is she to get a fine fellow?” “I trust he will be above bandying words with her maid.” “That depends upon the maid. One as pretty and as bright as she who has come here before her mistress would tempt any man." The maid lowered her eyes. “What do you consider Miss Childers’ best trait?" “That she is fully aware of her own faults.” i “How long do you think it will take > her to become aware of the faults of the man she is to marry?” “Miss Childers will have the good' sense to ignore them. All people have faults. It is the duty of married couples to find excuses for each other.” “You mean that if her husband passes time that would otherwise hang heavy on his hands chatting with her maid his wife will find an excuse for him.” “If she does he will not deserve such a wife.” “Then if you were Miss Childers he would not fare so well." “We are discussing Miss Childers, not her maid.” “In this matter let us consider the maid. You blame me. a gentleman, for chatting with you. a servant. Suppose Miss Childers were to become a pauper and go out to service. Would you expect me to recognize her for what she had been?" “That is different.” “In what respect?” “Miss Childers would be a lady who had only recently become a servant” “How long would she need to be a servant before my recognition of her would be Inexcusable?” “It would never be inexcusable.” “Very well. Suppose yon were Miss Childers and had only today become her maid.” The girl cast a quick glance at him. “Suppose.” she said in reply, “that you had only this afternoon become Mr. Reginald Sanderson’s coachman”— “Good,” he said. “You being Miss Childers’ maid and I Mr. Sanderson’s coachman. I am free to tell you that this is a case of love at first sight” A long pause. “Would you. were you Miss Childers, consider it a proper thing to became your maid?” ’ - “And would you, being Mr. Sanderson. demean yourself by becoming your coachman?” , “I would—to see a woman unguarded who ought be my wife.” “And what could be Miss Childers’ object.” he asked, “in becoming her own maid? “Once upon a time.” continued the man, “a princess was betrothed to a prince she had never seen. Desiring to observe him incog, she personated her own maid and went to visit the prince’s mother. The prince, poor fool, thinking to see his fiancee when she was not masquerading—in fact, to do the masquerading himself—drove his carriage to the station, where. . Io and behold, he found not her. but her maid. Disappointed at not meeting the mistress. he solaced himself by chatting with the maid and—lost his heart." Miss Childers' maid looked up with a smile. “But she was Miss Chil —I mean the princess,” “And the coachman was Mr. San—l mean the prince.” Mrs. Sanderson, passing upstairs, hearing voices in the serving room, glanced in and was inexpressibly shocked to see Miss Childers’ maid in the arms of her son. The fond mother kept the secret. She was not surprised the next morning when the girl, making an excuse, departed, but she was surprised when Miss Childers arrived later at the resemblance between her and her maid.