Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-08-16
In the Smart
Little Trap
By VIRGINIA LEILA WENTZ
Copyright. 1906, by Homer sprague

~
"And he has, the smartest looking
trap you ever saw, Madge! It's cham
payne colored and perfect love.
What do you bet don't land him, trap
and all, before the summers flown byp
Miss Irene Warden, beauty land
aware of IT., was writing to her girl
chum concerning the bachelor who had
just taken the big colonial house with
the carriage road and iron archway
which for several seasons now had
abandoned hope of usefulness.
She was writing by an open window
where the scent of the roses came up
from the front garden. Beyond lay
the pretty tree lined road over which
the bachelor and his champagne col
ored trap had just flown by.
although I've told you his name is
Horace Matlock." ran on Miss War
den's pen, II haven't todd you what he
looks like. He's an old man, forty or
fifty, | should say. His nose Is rather
too big, although people call him hand
some, and he's bit bald, but, then,
suppose most men who live in big
houses and drive smart traps have big
noses. WhatT' Miss Warden smiled
a dittle soft smile into the glass above
her dressing table and then bent over
her portfolio again:
"Of course I'd prefer dear old Tom.
He's young and stunning and sings
college Fongs so beautifully, but, as
you knoE, he hasn't red! And real
~ musti do something this summer,
Madge. IMy already meager allowance
will be fut considerably in the autumn,
for In September pas going to enter
the matrimonial gInre hiIiIirssrAtH "a no1-
rid, designing widow too! So l must
step lively in the parlance Of street
car officials.
I'm point Of fact. though" pursued
the voluble pen, It'll be pretty easy,
plain sailing. haven't single good
looking rival up in this out of the way
place except old Professor Thornton's
daughter, and she's the quietest poke
of a girl-a regular stay at home. And
as for dressing-well, Madge, You and
spend as much on our gloves and
wells. reckon, as she does on her
whole outfit. That's what comes from
having bookworm for father"
The next week in the little village
postoffice a friend presented Mr.. Hor-
ace Matlock TO Miss Irene Warden.
Apparently the meeting was by acct
dent, but Miss Warden felt her smooth
cheeks flush, and her habitual COM
posure was rippled for second, while,
for his part, Mr.. Matlock scarcely look
ed at her and. having passed con-
hat politely and walked out to his
smart little trap.
81 had on my chic voile. the one
Aunt Tessie sent me from Paris, you
know" wrote Miss Warden to Madge,
"and my big white hat with Hopping
fuchsias. But It was all rank waste"
She couldn't understand it. Her
dreams hadn't ended that way at all.
One day in the tiny idle little bank
Mr.. Horace Matlock stopped short as
he recognized stopped, gaBnt figure |
with patrician face.
why, it's Professor thornton, isn't |
III" he cried, stepping up TO him with
a cordially outstretched hand.
When Matlock years ago had entered
Yale as freshman Thornton had been
tutoring, and quite a friendship had
sprung up between them. Subsequent
~ they had lost track OF each other.
But the satisfaction of the younger
man in meeting the older one again
was genuine.
worn and aged he's becomew thought
Matlock as he drove the professor
home to his modest little cottage.
Out In the cottages side yard by the
hollyhocks a girl was picking a great
bunch of sweet peas for the lunch
table. When she heard the smart lit
tie trap stop at the gate she hooked
quickly up from the blossoming vines
and wondered. Who was the distn-
guished looking stranger? And where
had he picked up dear daddy2
A few days later Matiock drove up to
the cottage again. Ii was only decent,
he told himself, that he should show
the professor some attention andytaks
him driving now and then Perhaps
some day also. he would take the pro
fessorss daughter. He, liked her. He
liked the natural unabashed way IA
which she had acknowledged. her A.
Tiers pxeseatations cfAhm, win her
sleeves rolled ". and her arms fuA cf
swesepeas; he liked the.wiutp betwecn
her eyes. thekbreadsb OF her brow, me
hes Of htr. Mouth, Shelves lsssEnet-
y than many yosng elrls, but there