The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-05-17

improvise about my travels. Suddenly
remembered that Wednesday was
Mrs. Van Brule's afternoon. l still
thought of little Mildred. The same
man was waiting for me outside, and
Mt my order he started his bansom,
when presently we drew up at the Van
Brule door,
| A young lady was there-a young
lady knew and yet did not know.
She remembered me.
''Mr. Forsythew she cried. 81 never
shall forget you. You are back?"
Back !rom Abyssinia," said again,
thinking that likely land for the ex-
.anation of long absence. She was
simply delightful, and there was now
10 space of years between us. A girl of
- is anybody's age who is not a Me-
| lhuselah. | was still 30, although ten
years had passed since my last birth
day. Yet believe L found my fund of
small talk rather exhausted, for small
talk is made up the present day of triv-
ialities. l saw l should soon master
the new fashioned small talk, having
hnA tih dptiluNC IOl tliS O1u ldSHlOh.
"Do you wheel, Miss Mildred?' ask
ed inadvertently.
She stared at me moment.
"Oh, that's all gone out. OF course
they may in Abyssinia."
"Yes," said 1, somewhat pleased.
"They still do in Abyssinia."
What else could l say, indeed?
81 do ride a bicycle carriage. It's
taken the place Of the saddle and of
the old bicycles, you know" Mildred
explained kindly. But it isn't SO much
fun. 1t just carries you to places"
81 hope sports haven't died out in
New York" said weakly.
"Oh, no. l golf and walk for exer-
else. You know, walking has become
quite a fad now. In fact, people de-
pend on horses and their own muscles
for active sports. Yet there's a lot of
skill in driving a horseless carriage
Horseless carriage racing tracks exist
everywhere, you know"
"Of course" said L; II know, of
course"
1 became more and more interested
no, l think infatuated. Nor did her
eyes deny me.
From that day 1 fell easily into the
new ways. l had, you know, the blase
mans manner of expressing surprise
only at the proper surprises. The town
had become horseless. Only at the cir
Gus at Madison Square Garden did the
crowd see horses, as if they were the
most unusual creatures III the world
One day remember l went with Mil
dred to see some maneuvers of Squad
ron A in their armory. l then learned
for the first time that modern cavalry
used motor driven wheels almost en-
tirely.
In fact, horseless vehicles in 1909 are
used for trucks, drays, and by farmers
for plows, | had several delightful rides
on a wheel propelled by motor with
Mildred, you may be sure, drives when
l lived in FOOLS paradise, when we
tore skillfully up hill and down dale.
There was deal of sport in it too.
And she was not averse to me, know
now. But her family had promised
her to Smythe. l had despairful hours
when 1 knew this, you may believe,
and then one day-we were driving in
the park in the Van Brule landau
told her all, while the coachman before
us sat sturdily at the helm. She looked
her reply, and 1 knew she was mine.
Yet, if she were, we were separated by
her promise to Smythe, and then that
happened of which am a bit ashamed
yet it left me glad for the rest of my
life. l mean l question the means by
which gained her; yet even as ques-
tion know should do the very same
again despite all reasons.
I had it all planned when 1 accepted
Jack Dalton's suggestion to go up with
him into Westchester, where we had
a three days invitation to the Van
Rrules'. My man and trap were al
ready up there waiting my order, and
Mildred too, knew. A certain young
and sentimental clergyman had agreed
to perform the ceremony. Yet when
Dalton's coach started that day from
the Waldorf corner l think no one so
much as suspected me.
Now l had reasoned about it with
myself. l had said that it was a dis
honorable thing to do, and then knew
as l have written here before-that
nothing, not even honor, mattered 50
much as Mildred.
In my ohsorntion did not pot;oo
what Dalton on the box seat said at
first, and then understood he was ex-
planning how much better fun it was
to drive a coach in the new way than
to rein four:
"Yes, dare say" remember 1 said,
looking out on the noiseless upper ave-
nue.. Its new skill, though. How
little we even imagined it ten years
ago."
Fact" said Jack, skillfully guiding
his coach through crowd of vehicles.
Il then never could have imagined the
sport of this thing" We were gliding
swiftly now along the east drive, and
then out on to the stretch of the beule-
yard. Several coaches passed, every
one propelled in the new way to which,
as l say, now was accustomed,
The boulevard CHANGED to be crowd
ed that afternoon. Once we nearly
had smash with a careless fellow
who was. plainly in the wrong, So the
policeman thought, for he directed his
machine to the other, quickly overtak-
ing him, and the last we saw of our