Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-06
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By
c.N& A.MWullAMSON

| ana the car III the ROAD.
| At first sight the wall seemed blank one
| but 1 found large gate, pushed 1t open.
| and we walked into the darkness of great
| farmyard. Not a glimmer showed the po-
| sitfon of the house. but cfatter OF hoofs
and chink Of light guided us toward a
| stable. where giant man with aaui-
line face was rubbing down rust
and aged horse. He started and fixed
daresay that was forbidding figure In
my dirty leather clothes. with Smears Oh
oil upon my face. His expression hght-
| ened little at sight of my companion
but he was infexible IN ms reIusai "
| drive US anywhere. His old mare mao
cast a shoe on her way home just now
he would not take her out again. Could
he, then Miss Randolph asked, give us
rooms for the night. and 1000; As 10
that he was not sure. but would consult
his wife He tramped before us to the
big dark house. put down his lantern IN
the hall. opened a door. and usnereo US
into a dark room. following ana Closing
| the door behind him. The room was ar
less and heavy with the odor of COOKING
| The darkness was intense. ana from the
| mi0st of it came strange sound OF Jap
bering and bleating which Tor the ne OIL
me l couldn't understand. L 1elt MISS
Randolph draw near me as IL for protec-
| ton. then with the scratch or matcn
and a flicker from lamp which the
| farmer was lighting. was revealed the
| cause of the weird sounds Seated by the
| stove was a pathetically old woman. with
pendulous chin and rheumy eyes. SWING
| ing her palsied head from side to side.
she jabbered and bleated incOherently to
herself being abandoned to this plague
| of darkness doubtless from motives or
| economy.
| The farmers wife appeared. and after
much discussion 1t was arranged that
| the ladies could have a double bedded
room. and there was small one that
would do for Monsieur Talleyrand; but
the mecanicien would have to sleep In
| the barn, where he could have some clean
straw. Supper could be ready In half an
hour. but we were not to expect the lux
| uries of a hotel
| The farmer and l carried the ladies'
| hand-luggage upstairs into a mysterious
dim region. where all was clean and cold.
| l had Pickering, candle-lit vision of a
| big white ROOM with an enormously high
| bedstead. bare floor. a rug or two. chair
| or two. a shrine and a northumberland
with a knitted cover. one basin the size
| of a porridge bowl containing a thing
| like milk jug. Then I set down my
| burden and departed to wheel the great
| helpless car into the farmyard. and wash
my hands with Hudsons soap in a trough
under Il pump outside the kitchen.
Meanwhile preparations for supper went
on, and as ! was hungrily hoping for
scraps when my betters should have fin
ished. who should pop out but that angel
to say that supper was ready. and would
eat with them, 1 had been working so
hard ard must be starved. If she had
guessed how 1 longed to kiss her she
would have run away indoors much
faster than she did.
There was soup, chicken, an omelet and
cheese. Trust a Frenchwoman-even the
humolest-to turn out an excellent meal
on the shortest notice. Miss Randolph
smiled and beamed on them so that in
five minutes the farmer and his wife were
her willing slaves. She was delighted
with the adventure as she called it, de-
claring that the whole thing would be
fun in fba I'll
glad that the horrid tire had come
on as 1T gave her the chance.
which she would never have had
otherwise of studying French peasant
ire at first hand. Aunt Mary
was called In from outside and acquiesced,
as she always did. in the arrangements
made, by her impetuous niece; the farmer
and L had pushed the German car inside,
the gate and left it: but Talleyrand was
fussy about getting proper cover for his
smart Pieper and was not satisfied until
he had housed 1t in dry barn near the
house.
After supper 1 strolIed out into the night,
trying, with a pipe between my lips, to
think out the details of an allur:ny new
plan which had flashed into my mind.
Flashed" there. do 1 say? Forced, ram
med in. and pounded down expresses it bet
ter. VIII you believe 1t. during supper
that carbohydrates, L mean-had had
the audacity to urge upon Miss Randolph
that she must now continue the tour on his
car.
] was smoking and Tuning in the dark IN
corner down by the gateway when |
heard whisper of silk q suppose it's lin
ings: L d know 1T at the north pole hers
ncw). and detected shadow winch | knew
meant Miss Randolph. She came nearer. 1
saw her distinctly now. for she was carry
ing lantern. Al first | thought she was
looking for me- but she wasn't She went
straight to the car and stood glowering at
1t for a minute having set down the lam
tern. Then she took something out of the
folds of her dress and seemed to feel it with
her hand. "Oh. you won't go. won't YOU"
she inquired sardonically. You like TO
break your belts and go dropping your
chains about. just to give Brown all the
trouble you can, don't you, and keep
from getting anywhere? You think it's
enough 10 be beautiful. and you can be as
much of beast you like. hut you re
not beautiful. You're horrid. and / hate
you! Take that
Up went the something in her hand; It
glitteIed in the yellow light of the lantern.
If you will believe it. the girl had got
Ratchet and was chopping at the car. Hex
poor vicious little stroke did at dam
age. but she Clipped off a big fake of var
nish and left white cash.
Oh she exclaimed, If 1t had hurt
her and not her great numbering dragon
"Oh. you deserve it. you know. and lot
more. But-but-" and she gave a little
gurgling sigh.
had been on the point of bursting out
with uncomfortable laughter. bLt suddenly
L ceased to find the thing funuy. l couldn't
Turk in ambush and hear any more: L
couldn't sneak away-even to spare her
feelings-and leave her there 10 cry for
felt she was going to cry. SO / came cut
into the circle of lantern light shaking
the tobacco from my pipe.
Why. Brown. Is that you?" she orIaVer-
ed II didn't want any one to see me,
and l wasn't crying about the car. but Just
because-because of everything. I found
that Ratchet. and-I couldn't nClp 1t. I'm
sorry now though. 1t was mean of ME to
hit thing when it's down. evel II 1t is d
beast. 1t does deserve to be kille I. though.
! It's simply no use trying to 60 with
such thing-is it?
Because of the plan in my mini | replied
gloomtly that the prospect was rather dis
&C uraging.
''Dscouraging, It's !mpossible" she
cried. I've been hoping against hope, but
l see that now. 1 won't ask poppa to buy
me another: it's too ridiculous. So there's
, nothing left except to go on by train every
whore. unless-you heard how kind Mon
sieur Talleyrand was about offering to take
| US on his car.
In the lantern light thought saw that
she was beginning to look enigmatic. but
| couldn't trust my eyes at this moment.
| There were a good many stars floating be-
| fore them-not heavenly-the kind l should
| have liked to make Talleyrand see