Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-22

Your much-enduring Friend,
THE AMATEUR CHAUFFEUR.
Molly Randolph to Her Father.
GRAND HOTEL. ToULoN.
December 20.
It's lucky your poor dear hair is getting
conspicuous by its absence, or 1t would
stand up on end 1 don't doubt when YOU
read few lines farther So. you see even
badness Is a blessing in disguise
1 won't keep you TN suspense The worst
shall come first; after all that's happened
don't mind such little thing as an anti
climax In writing to my indulgent and I'M
critical Dad.
Now for 1t.
1 have deserted Aunt Mary and Jimmy
Payne in gorge. 1 am alone In q hotel
with Brown. Yet I ask you to suspend
judgment; l have not exactly eloped.
1t is all Jimmy Paynes fault
I wired you yesterday from Marseilles.
because I hadn't written since my second
letter from Pau, when told you how Aunt
Mary had persuaded me that it would be
perfectly caddish not to invite Jimmy
to drive with us to the Riviera, as his
car was there and. he was going that
way. I felt in my bones to an almost
rheumatic extent that to ask him would
be a big mistake; still in weak moment J
consented when Jimmy had been partlc-
ularly nice and had just paid you whole
heap of compliments. l lay awake nearly
all night afterward thinking whether
'twere nobler in the mind of Molly to hurt
Browns feelings or .Jimmy's. since injury
must be dealt to one. Finally tossed up
for it in the sanctity of my chamber.
Heads, Brown drives; tails, Jimmy; and 1t
was tails. Well Ed vowed that should set
tie it. so I wouldn't go back on myself;
and, anyhow, Jimmy was the guest. so that
French copper had the fights Of it. 1 did
my best to make alb straight with the
Lightning Conductor, who behaved like the
trump he is. -
Jimmy had spared no pains or expense In
advertising himself as an expert driver,
nevertheless 1 knew him well enough not
to be surprised at finding out he didn't
know much more than I did. I soon saw
that, though the first day everything went
we'll enough. The second day he nearly
landed US in a dreadful scrape with some
peasants, but since Brown brought safe
ly through 1 won tell tales out Of school,
especially as the tables were rather turned
the poor fellow at Carcassonne-the
most splendid place. l send you with this
little book all about IT, full Of pictures.
and you are to be sure to read 1T l was
rather sorry for Jimmy aftefward; he was
humble. and besides, he took a cold in his
head waiting in the ear while l went sight
seeing. He promised to be very prudent If
l would only trust him again, and cleverly
took my mind off his late misdeeds by ex-
citing my curiosity At breakfast in Mar
bonnie where we'd Unexpectedly stayed the
night he limited darkly of exciting events in
which we were intimately concerned, which
would in all probability take place at
Cannes. if we could only arrive there soon
enough l couldn't get him to tell me what
they WERE but / fancy Aunt Mary IS at
least partly in his confidence She wouldn't
betray him: but she assured me that to
miss the treat In store for US would mean
lasting regret. And she was bursting with
Importance and mystery. Now I don't be-
lieve much in Jimmy's show; nothing OF his
ever does come off. except his hat when ne
drives. Still. a little of Jimmyes society
goes long way in the intimate association
of motoring journey; what 1t would be In
married life don't know and don't want to
know; and as l, too, began to think should
not be sorry to get to the Riviera. l con-
sented to be whirled through some lovely
places. just to satisfy Aunt Mary and
Jimmy's craving for haste, and lack OF love
for ancient architecture.
We arrived at Marseilles. Jimmy doing
well. l would see something OF the place.
for was true to my Monte Cristo. and in
teau DIFF. We got in at night, and stayed
at delightful hotel. Early in the morning
I was up, and rather than l should take
Brown as courier. Jimmy (who resents
fast together-for Aunt Mary stayed IN ped
and went out to walk. But 1t wasn't ike
going about with the Lightning Conductor
who knows everything and has been every
where before. We had to inquire our
way every minute. and should not
have known which things were worth
seeing II Monsieur Rathgeb. the landlord,
hadn't told us to be sure and go up the
hill of rOtre Dame de la Garde Tor the
view; so we went up In lift. and it was
glorious. Some soldiers marching on
green boulevard below looked ike tiny
black beetles, and the music or their
bugle band came floating family to US
like sounds heard through gramophone
The lie DIFF and all the others were splen-
did from there, and I would have liked to
stay long time if Jimmy hadn't begun
the confidential way in which I treat
Brown. Social distinctions. said he di,
dactically. ARE the bulwarks OF society:
Ha. ha! I couldn't help laughing-couid
you in my place? I told him ! thought he
would make fortune as lecturer. but
lectures weren't much in my line: ana
asked If he'd ever read Ibsen's Pillars OF
Society, which, of course. he hadn't. Then
we went down in the lift, and back to the
hotel for Aunt Mary, who naturally want
ed to shop; and by the time she had I'M
ished buying wells and cold cream 1t was
time for lunch. which we had In one OF
the most charming restaurants was ever
In. on the Corniche road. l don't care so
very much about good things to eat: but
l do think that oysters. langouste
rAmericaine. bouilfabisse la Provencale,
perfectly cooked and served. and mixed
with heavenly view, may be something
to rave about Oh. there's lot to see and
do in Marseilles.s1I assure you. Dad.
though ones friends never seem to tell
your mucn ABOUT 1t and IL was CLOCK
in the afternoon before!f would consent to
be torn away. Of course; so far south the
daylight fingers long, still we knew we
had but an hour and a half more Of 1t
when We started There had been a
shower of rain while Aunt Mary and I
were packing. and weohad not been out
OF . the hotel many minutes when we had
Jimmy was driving along a paved
street, Shiny with fresh mud. and confus-
ing with the dash and clash OF electric
street cars. which Jimmy is English
enough to call trans" He tried to pass
one on the off side, but just as he was
getting ahead of it another huge car
came whizzing along from the opposite
direction. 1 didn't say word. just sat
tight, but l had the queerest feeling in
my rect. as II I wanted to jump or do
something. 1t looked as II we were going
to be pinched right between the two, and
Ia nave given good deal II Brown had
been at the helm. for would have been
sure that somehow he'd contrive to get US
through all right. But Jimmy lost his
head-and. indeed. there are only few
men who wouldn't. for the drivers Of both
cars were furiously changing their bells,
and the whole world seemed to be moth
ing but noise. noise and great moving
things coming every way at once. He
III I'M ~