Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-30
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By
chr A.M.WILLIAMSON

for ever, say l., mine IN particular.
I'm writing this after we have come back
to Gotham. and while we wait for the fly
which is to take us to the station. Aunt
Mary says am mad. She Is quite ON her
duke now. and thinks he Is fraud BY
the way, when that photo Is developed I'll
send 1t to you, so that you can see your
daughters new gee-gee. Here comes the
cab. so good-by, you old saint. From
Your sinner,
MOLLY.
CARLTON HOTEL. LONDON.
November IA.
Dearest: I've got it; it's mine; bought
and paid for. It's so handsome that even
Aunt Mary is Modified. q didn't mean that
for a pun, but let 1t pass) Mr.. Cecil
Lanstown has told me everything 1 ought
to know (about motor-cars. / mean), and
now, after having tea with us, looking
dukier than ever, he has departed with
roll of your hard-earned money in his
pocket. It's lucky 1 met him when did.
and secured the car. for he has been called
out of England on business, is going to-
morrow and seems not to know when he'll
be able to get back. But he says we may
meet in France when he has his big racing
automobile
The only drawback to my new toy is the
chauffeur. Why chauffeur" by the way.
1 wonder? He doesn't heat anything. On
the contrary, If / understand the matter,
It's apparently his duty to keep things cool.
including his own head. This one looks as
If he had had his head on Ice for years.
He Is the gloomiest man I ever saw. gives
you the feeling that he may burst into
tears any minute; but Mr.. Cecil-Lanstown
says he is one Of the best chauffeurs In
England and thoroughly understands this
particular make of car, which Is Ger
man.
The mans name Is Rattray. 1t suits
him somehow. If / were the heroine Of
melodrama 1 should feel the minute 1 set
eyes on Rattray that he was the villain of
the piece, and should hang on like grim
death to any marriage certificates or wills
that might concern me, for 1 should know
it would be his aim during at least four
acts to get possession of them He has
enormous blue eyes like Easter eggs, and
his ears look something like cactuses, only,
thank goodness, I'm spared their being
green; they wouldn't go with his complex
Ion. 1 talked to him and put on Scien-
tiffc airs but I'm afraid they weren't eff
fective. for he hardly said anything. only
looked gloomy, and as If he read lama
teur' written on my soul or somewhere
where it wasn't supposed to show. He's
gone now to make arrangements for keep
ing my car in a garage. He's to bring 1t
round every morning at 10 o'clock. and is
to teach me to drive. I won't seal this
letter up till tomorrow then I can tell you
how like my first lesson.
I was proud Of the car when went out
on 1t yesterday. Aunt Mary wouldn't go,
Of an experiment" Rattray drove for
long way, but when we got beyond the
traffic, toward Richmond, took his place.
and my lesson began. It's harder than 1
thought 1t would be, because you have to
do so many things at once. You really
ought to have three or four hands with
this car Rattray says When asked him
If 1t was different with other cars, he didn't
seem to hear. Already I've noticed that
he's subject to a sort Of spasmodic deaf
ness, but suppose I must put up with
that. as he is such fine mechanic. One
can't have everything.
With your left hand you have to steer the
car by means Of kind of tiller, and to
this Is attached the horn to warn creatures
of all sorts that you're coming. I blow
this with my right hand. but Rattray says
ought to learn to do 1t while steering with
the left, as there are quantities of other
things to be done with the right hand.
First there is a funny little handle with
which you change speeds whenever you
pulley-lever," which gives the right ten
sion to the belts (this Is very importantly;
the Observation-Disclosures" on which you
must always keep your hand to control the
speed of the car; and the brake which you
jam on when you want to stop. So there
are two things to do with the left hand,
and four things with the right, and often
most of these things must be done at the
same time. No wonder l was confused and
got my hands a little mixed, so that for
got which was which, and things went
wrong for second! Just then a cart was
rude enough to come round a corner. l
left-and you can't think how many things
can happen with a motor-car in one sec
ond.
Now don't be worried! 1 wasn't hurt a
bit: only we charged on to the sidewalk,
and butted into a shop. 1t was my fault,
not bit the cars. If 1t weren't SPLEEN
did car 1t would have been smashed to
pieces. and perhaps We with 1t, instead OF
Just breaking the front-oh, and the shop,
too. little. I shall have to pay the man
something He's a "haberdasher." what
ever that is, but 1t sounds like the sort of
name he might have called me If he'd been
very angry when / broke his window.
The one bad consequence of my stupidity
Is that the poor, innocent, sinned-against
car must lie up for repairs. Rattray says
they may take some days. In that case
Aunt Mary and I must do our shopping In
hired brougham-such an ant-climax;
but Rattray promises that the dear thing
Shall be ready for our start to France on
the 10Th Meanwhile l shall console myself
for my disappointment by buying an outfit
for a trip-a warm coat, and a mask, and
a hood, and all sorts of tricky little things
I've marked in a perfectly thrilling cata-
logue.
Now, If you fuss, I shall be sorry I've
told you the truth Remember the axiom
about the bad penny. That's yours
MOLLY.
(To be continued Monday
Returned Without the Umbrella,