The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-10
4 MAN, A MAID AND A BUBBLE.
By Emmett ca.npb~li Haii.

I was more familiar with. the niechan
 ism Of the thing before Inviting Ross to take a spin in my bubble: was very particular to say spin and .'hubble.n as indicating an easy famil- 1 iqritys with automobiles. very far from 1 the true state of affairs.
 Miss Prescott q did not say l Rose when addressing her l con l fess that have always been bii ed. Thursday afternoon? That was on Monday, had some 1 secret misgivirgs as to the outcome of ,tha expedition. and spent so much time out in the machine ais to incur | the frown of tbe senior member of the | firm. who coldiy intimated that In his junior days men were expected to re- main at the office longer than the per- 1 iod required, to ask if there was any mail for them. However. I was doing | first rate with the machine, so didn'. mind old Tompkins. growls much. Even Williams. from the agency. after m afternoon during which I had only ran oyer one dog. chicken. and eoilided with two trucks. admitted reluctantly that maybe In year or two I might be able to travel along country road, if there wasn't nobody else waitin' to use 1t the same day.'
 ! 2 long time. and generally whenever there was anything doing we did II together. As matter of fact whsr come to think it over. she Is about the only girl that have even called on oftener than enough to keep up acqnaintances. Somehow it seemed the natural thing to drop in there Sun
 day afternoons, and she always ex-
 pected, as a matter of course. that
 would stay to supper. Yes, on the
 whole, I suppose I spent about all of my spare time in her company. I new CT bothered to think about 1t, special :
 iy. however. till on two Sunday after moons in succession I found Billy
 EaEan there when dropped In. didn't stay to supper, and went away feeling injured. And presently pec- pie began to make little comments on how nnch they were together, watching me out of the corners of their eyes.
 Thursday. afternoon came around on schedule time, and brought the ma chine up to Miss Prescott's door with what considered quite creditahle dash. She was sitting on the poreh. talking to Billy Eagan. They both got up and came down the steps
 Well. you children run along" said Billy. in that disgustlngfy easy way of his. tTake my advice. Norton and the Blairville road, The country ia so we'll populated along that route that when you break down 1t will be near a house. and you can get team to tow you in.
 I didn't deem this levfty worthy of a reply. but I instantly abandoned my former intention of going out on the Blairvilie road, and determined to take the valley road. on which the houses are set at intervslg of about four miles. Billy stood back and waved hts hapdkerchief as we started. If he expected to sec me make an exhibition of myself in getting out of the driveway gate, he was diSappoint- ed, as had fully two inches to spare as we passed the gate post.
 After we had gotten clear of tho town and were skimming smoothly along the country road. I was able to give a little less attention to my steer ing and little more to Rose. She did not seem in quite her. usual spirits and there was little droqp at the corners of her mouth. but .sha1 along in a way that struck me as be- ing bit feveFish. I mentioned Billy EaEan, and she rather pointedly changed the subject.
 There is pretty spring just of the road, about four miles out from town. and Rose suggested that we stop there in the shade for while; so when we reached the place steered the machine to the side of the road and we got out We had walked 2 hundred yards perhaps when Rose suddenly turned back.
 Wait a minute! I. forgot my hand kerchief" she said. and before could say that would get it she was gone She was back in a minute. and there was blush on her face ana she avoided my eyes, so l supposed that she had wanted to fix stocking or something We sat down on the rocks by the spring. and I had never seen her so lively and so pretty, She inst bubbled. I had got to thinking about Billy Eagan, and was rather gitinl. Rose seemed to get provoked,
 ''oh. let's go You are too slow for any user she sald' ana 9u1hPeu
 Wa went back to the machine, and I heiued her in. Then I gave the crank q turn. There was no explosion | I gave several more turns, with a | like lack of result. Rose surveyed my efforts critically. I grew despef- ate. and worked that crank as IT. were a steam windlass It was no good. there wasn't single expios'oh' I looked up at Rose despairingly
 '.srhere seems to be something I admitted serrowfully
 dRiaybe the trouble is with the err snarker?' Rose said.
 I looked at her sharply.
 DO you know anything about auto mobiles?" demanded.
 .'Oh, no. just thought I remem- bered that the sparker had to act or there wouldn't be any-resuit she said. rather indifferently.
 NaWelI. what are you going to dor she presently demanded. We can't sft here all day. you know. Besides, | have an engagement this evening with Billy Eagan."
 I looked around helplessly.
 T will have to go and get team, | somewhere" I said.
 tits four miles back to town, and l that's the nearest. Billy Eagan said"
 ]Oh. confound Billy Eagan!" I said. |
 She gave me queer little look from | under her eyeiashest Her eyelashes l are SD long that they touch her cheek i
 T. wili have to get team. that's sll'. said firmly
 And leave me here all aloneH RAyse protested.
 linen what can dor I demanded. You don't want to walk to town, do youg' and glanced digpaFagingly at the little French heel slippers. They | are very ornamental. but not espe. ,ially useful"
 You don't have to look if you don't like them!" she retorted.
 'Its out of the question for you to walk-and If you won't stay here what are we going to do?"
 NrzA