Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-12-28
ater they were fiying along the beauti.


either side. until they had passed round
Croydon and were approaching Nor
wood once more from the farther side.
Aren't you tiredI" she asked, glanc
ing over her shoulder and turning to
ward him little pink ear. fluffy golden
curl, and one blue eye twinkling from
the very corner of its lid.
mot a bit. | am just getting my
swing"
Isn't it wonderful to be so strong:
You always remind me of a steam en-
gine.'
why steam enginey
well. because it is SO powerful and
reliable and unreasoning. Well. didn't
mean that last, you know, but-but-
you know what l mean. What is the
matter with your"
"Why?'
Because you have something on your
mind. You have not laughed once"
He broke into grewsome laugh Il
am quite jolly" said he.
"Oh, no, you are not. And why did
you write me such a dreadfully stiff let
ter.'
There, now" he cried, II was sure it
was stiff. said it was absurdly stiff.
Then why write it?"
"It wasn't my own composition"
"Whose then! Your aunt'sY
"Oh, no. 1t was person of the name
of Slattery"
Goodness! Who is he?"
81 knew it would come out. felt
that it would. You've heard of Slattery,
the authorr'
"Never."
"He is wonderful at expressing him.
self. He wrote book called The Sc
cret Solved; or. Letter Writing Made
Easy 1t gives you models of all sorts
of letters"
Ida burst out laughing. $50 you ac-
tually copied one."
at was to invite a young lady to a
picnic, but set to work and soon got it
changed so that it would do very we'll
Slattery seems never to have asked any
one to ride tandem. But wheL l had
written it, it seemed so dreadfully stiff
that had to put little beginning and
end of my own, which seemed 10 bright
en- it up a good deal"
~ thought there was something funny
about the beginning and end"
did you? Fancy your noticing the
difference in style. How quick you are!
l am very slow at things like that.
ought to have been woodman or game
keeper or something. was made on
those lines, but have found something
now."
"What is that, them"
"Ranching. have chum in Texas,
and he says it is rare life. ] am to buy
a share in his business. 1t is all in the
open air-shooting and riding and sport.
Would it-would it inconvenience you
much. Ida, to come out there with me?"
Ida nearly fell off her perch in her
amazement. The only words of which
she could think were, "My goodness mer'
so she said them.
''H it would not upset your plans or
change your arrangements in any way"
He had slowed down and let go of the
steering handle, so that the great ma
chine crawled aimlessly about from one
side of the road to the other. 81 know
very well that | am not clever or any
thing of that sort, but still would do
all can to make you very happy. Don't
you think that in time you might come
to like me little bit?"
Ida gave cry of fright. 81 won't
like you if you run me against brick
wall" said she as the machine rasped up
against the curb. do attend to the
steering"
.:Yes, will. But tell me. Ida, wheth-
er you will come with me-"
"Oh, don't know. It's too absurd!
How can we talk about such. things
when ! cannot see you2 You speak to
the nape of my neck, and then have to
twist my head round to answer"
81 know. That was why l put You
in front upon iny letter. thought that
it would make it easier. But if you
would prefer it will stop the machine,
and then you can sit round and talk
about it.
"Good gracious!" cried Ida. Fancy
our sitting face to face ON a motionless
tricycle. in the middle of the road and all
the people looking out of their windows
at u.s."
ut would look rather funny, wouldn't
it? Well, then suppose that we both get
off and push the tandem along in front of
u.s."
"Oh, no; this is better than that"
"Or could carry the thing"
Ida burst out laughing. THAT would
be more absurd STILL"
"Then we will go quietly, and l will
look out for the steering. l won't talk
about it at all if you would rather not.
But I really do love you very much, and
you would make me happy if you came
to Texas with me, and ] think that per-
haps after a time ] could make you happy
too"
"But your aunt?'
"Oh, she would like it very much. |
can understand that your father might
not like to lose you. Tn sure | wouldn't
either if were he. But, after all, Amer
lea is not very far off nowadays, and it
Is not so very wild. We would take
a grand piano, and-and-a copy Of
Browning. And Denver and his wife
would come over to see US. We should
be quite family party. It would be
jolly"
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