Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-05-20
A RICKSHAW RIDE.

"A w lOllJlZs
The lamplit veranda of a large bunga-
low outside Penang. Between two palms
In dragon jars at the top of the veranda
steps stands a pretty girl in a pink ball
gown holding a fan and gloves in her
hands. She looks a%nxiously round. There
Is no one to be seen but a Chinese boy
standing at a respectful distance in the
background.
The Girl-They surely can't have gone
without me9 l ought to have come down
a little one 1 overdid it, goose that l
am! However, I've avoided being paired
of for a three mile drive in a rickshaw
with a man in a state Of wrath because /
wasn't somebody elseI "a pause.) What
If I don't 60 to this hateful dance after
ALP They'd all say afterward that I
shirked it, / unprecedented seeing him
with her. Oh, no, that wouldn't do-ITl
show them! (She snatches a thin silk
wrap off a chair, twists it hurriedly round
her shoulders and calls to the servant.)
Boy, Bana Kreta-Hongkong!
He comes forward and shouts. A sour
ry of wheels is heard, and two spots of
light appear in the darkness of the garden
and grow rapidly larger and larger till
they resolve themselves into the lamps OF
a somewhat decrepit looking rickshaw.
The girl prepares to get in, but suddenly
finds she has forgotten her handkerchief,
and goes indoors to fetch it. While she Is
away a young man in evening dress comes
out and looks cautiously about him.
The Young Man (piously)-Thank the
Lord! They've gone! Ha, ha! you've es-
capped that rather neatly, my boy! 1 can
sec it all. "Mr. Davenport, you'll escort
Miss Neville of course" Chuckle headed
idiots people are. ooh, delighted-yesv"
and then snub, snub, snub, for three solid
everlasting miles! Not much! If she
thinks I'm going to compete with a little
cad like Raymond! (Shrugs his shoulders
and tries to look jaunty.) Well, here's my
riokshaw, 1 suppose. Oh, this COMPOUNDED
dance!
HE sees the girl coming out of the
house. She stops abruptly and stares at
him.
Shells tit is Mr.. Davenport?
He (nervously) = Yves at least-I
meant am afraid Pm a bit late. The
the others seem to have gone, don't theyp
She (frigidly)-Yes. Would you kindly
call me another riokshaw?
He-Certainly. (To himself.) This
snub's in private, at any rate.
HE interviews the boy, and then turns
to her with a dismayed countenance.
Helm awfully sorry, Miss Neville,
but there's not another rickshaw to be
had anywhere. They've only left this one
behind for-for us both.
She (hlankly)-Oh!
IAN embarrassing pause. He glowers
darkly at the unoffending cody, and she
becomes absorbed in a refractory glove
button.
He with an MISUNDERSTANDING
what your feelings are, Miss Neville, I
can only suggest that I remain here, and
you have the rickshaw to yourself. l have
no wish to go to this affair, I assure you.
She Ito herself)-Oh, the hypocrite!
When he knows he's just pining to get to
that Symes girl! But I won't be SO mean
as to take him at his word, badly as he
has behaved. (To him. Certainly not,
Mr.. Davenport. 1 wouldn't think Of in
terfering with peoples amusement in such
a way. I will stay here-I've got a head
ache-and you must take the rickshaw.
He-How could I go and tell your cous-
in I'd left you here9 Impossiblel As I
said before, l will gladly
She (sharply)-No, you won't. (To her.
self.) That girl shan't say 1 kept him
away from her. ITO him. We must just
make the best Of an unfortunate occur
renee, and both 90. Please don't argue
about tit only makes i'll mean my
cousin will get anxious if we're so long
coming.
[She gets into the rickshaw and he fol-
lows. The cody raises his shafts and
starts his load down the drive and into a
narrow road at a smart trot.
He (at last)-Er-it's a dark night,
isn't it?
She Very. "a pause.)
He (desperately)-After all, it's only
three miles, and this seems to be a fairly
good cody, doesn't he?
She-Yes. (Another pause. Her social
instincts getting the better Of her.) II
wonder II you will be very gay in Selan-
gor? They say there's a good deal going
on there, and you'll be just in time for the
races.
He-I believe so, but I am not going in
for that sort of thing. l mean to get
some shooting II I've any time to spare
tigers, II possible. I hear it's pretty fever
ish where ] am going, but there's lots Of
big game, and after all that's all 1 need
care about.
She (vaguely)-Y-yes-I suppose-for
a man. Ito herself.) That doesn't sound
very nice for Miss Symes, somehow How
funny Of him! What can he be thinking
OFF This thing jolts a great deal. II
hope it's quite safel
He-Oh, yes! It's all right, l think
It's a CHASTITY old machine, and the
arc pretty Well worn out.
la long silence, broken only by the
croaking Of innumerable frogs. A blaoker
blackness overhead shows that they are
through q plantation with trees
that arch across the road. Firefies make
Of Pickering green blue light,
late and dissipated cicadas sing a
shrill accompaniment to the patter OF the
cooly's feet. The air smells moist and
warm.
He and She ito themselves)-This is
awful. (Aloud.) It's a hot night,
Isn't it9 Mutual oonfusion.)
He with a nervous laugh)-That's one
we don't disagree on, at any rate.
She with cold politeness)-Indsed! l
was not ware that we disagreed to any
axtent that need disturb us.
He warming up)-Noi Perhaps you
are right. You haven't given me many
rhances of doing SO lately.