Water Valley progress., 1905-12-09
AN AUTO

T is no use in talking, Madge,

- uO use III ld1hln6y 4h6N6N1
your father will never consent
to our marriage, and there is nothing
left for us but to elope-"
"Elope!" exclaimed the girl, in a
frightened tone. "Oh, Leonard, we
never could do that. Why, we would
have to have balcony and rope lad
ders, roses and things like that, and
1t is winter time"
"You little goose" began the young
man, as he pinched her already rosy
cheek, 1--WE would have modern, up
to-date elopement. See, there is my
machine out there at the curb now.
Why can't you put on your wraps and
let me drive you over to Rev. Mr.
Fourthly's and have all this worry
over with? l got the license this
morning"
Madge patted the floor with one
tiny foot and her brow was puckered
into mass of little wrinkles.
But it will make all Oak Park
talk" she began, "and we can't have
any wedding and bridesmaids and
flowers and presents and things"
Never mind, dearie, we can have
each other, and that is better. Come
along and I'll go out and give
the chauffeur directions as to how to
reach Rev. Mr.. Fourthlys house.
Hurry up, my dear, for your father
might come home any time, and you
know your mother ma arrive from the
city at any moment and spoil our little
scheme"
The young man gave the proper d.
rections to his chauffeur, and it was
not long before Madge came down the
steps, a little bit frightened and nerv-
Gus, but still looking like a picture
with her flashing eyes, her rosy
cheeks and plumes and all.
Just as they drove away from the
house the girl turned and saw her
father coming down the street in his
new racing machine. She gave lit
tie scream and cried: Look, Leon
ard!'
He looked, and with that he COM
manded the chauffeur to drive as fast
as ever he could.
Mr.. Neversmith alighted from his
machine and hurried into the house.
Where's Mrs. Neyersmith? he
asked of Maggie, the maid.
She's gone to town, sir" said the
maid.
Where is Madge?" he asked this
time.
I'll dunno, sir" was the reply.
Didn't she leave any word when
she went away" he began, sternly.
mo, sir, but did hear her and her
young man talking about eloping, sir"
"Eloping!" jerked out Mr.. Never
smith. do you meanto say that she
has run away with that worthless
young Doolittle? Answer me. Did
she go away with that young man?"
Yes, sir; l think so, sir. heard
them talking about going away to Mr..
Fourthly's, and they went away to-
gether. They left the house just be-
fore you came in
By this time Mr.. Neversmith had
reached the front door. He glared at
the maid as though it had been her
fault that the young folks had started
to elOpe.
81 will catch them. and it will be
the worse for them, too, mind you
that You should have 'phoned me
when you heard them plotting to run
away. l could wiring their necks, and
yours, too," he said, as he shook his
fist in the direction of the maid and
jumped into his machine.
do you know the Doolittle chauf-
feur?" Neversmith asked his driver.
"Yis, sor," came the reply.
''Well, l want to overtake them.
Head the machine toward Rev. Mr..
Fourthly's and speed it up to the
limit"
The machine gave sudden lurch
forward and then stopped as sud.
denly.
And then there was delay.
In the meantime the fleeing couple
had not made much headway. Some
thing had gone wrong with the auto
mobile and while the young man and
his chauffeur were both trying to fix
it Madgy looked back and saw her
father start after them.
"Oh, Leonard, he's coming-he is
coming" she began, "and he'll never
let me see you again. Oh. wish we
hadn't started. He is driving his ma
chine like mad, and | know he is fu-
rious."
At this Leonard stepped into the
machine to take a look at the pur-
suing father. and as he did SO he gave
Q satisfied "Ah."
What are you 'ahing' for?" queried
Madoo