The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-04-13
The Way of
Escape
By JOANNA Single
Copyright, 1906, by P. c. Eastment


He pulled his cap over his eyes aud
rushed down side street to escape
Bradford, whose cheerful whistle
seemed to be just behind him. He did
not want to be pestered to play cards
or golf or be pulled to the country club
dance. He wanted solitude and his
pipe and q chance to wonder Why OH
earth Elizabeth Treynor should sudden
ly refuse to have anything to do with
him after she had golfed and picniclS-
ed and sang with him all summer and
after she had succeeded in getting him
thoroughly in love with her.
He felt i'll treated. He did not fall in
love easily and in general he did not
care for western girls, being a Con-
necticut man, Yale trained and Europe
finished, before settling to practice
medicine in the midwest. Elizabeth
was different, and as he reflected on
the difference between her and all
other girls in the world he heard Brad
ford whistling at the 'Treynor side gate
for Jack and then asking If Kingdom
were there.
Kingdom slipped over the fence in the
twilight and clambered up the first
conveniently low branched tree. Pant
ing but triumphant he heard Brad
ford's account of how he had chased
Kingdom and lost him somewhere, and
that he wanted him to take Nell Som
ers to the dance they had just got up
on the spur of the moment. And where
liz. bod
to ask her to go with him.
Startled by the sound curiously like
| q suppressed smoker Kingdom decided
to climb higher. He reached up for a
| branch above him and seized small,
warm slipper that gave his hand a lit
| tie kick.
"Keep STILL can't you, and let go my
foot?" whisper admonished him. He
looked up and saw Elizabeth sitting
| high and dry on a horizontal branch,
swinging her feet and peering toward
the house. "S-shv' she warned again,
for her brother Jack and Bradford
came into the garden.
"Elizabethv' Jack called. Then:
| "Confound girls anyhow! She was here
five minutes ago. and her wraps are in
the hall. She must be near" On the
strength of Elizabeth's chuckle DR..
John Kingdom climbed up and sat be-
side her. Her gray suit made her al
most invisible in the growing dark, but
he knew by heart the blue Of her eyes,
the rich BROWNIES Of her hair and the
GOODNESS of her manner to him of late.
"What are you doing here?" She
| tried to get hauteur into a whisper and
failed.
what you are-escaping Bradford
evidently. / wouldn't go to the dance
because you were to be there"
| Thanks" she replied. Neither
That's why I'm here. One has to ex-
plain to Richard Bradford, and he al
ways wants to know why"
'I'd like to know why myself"
ooh, be still. Why doesn't he go?'
whispered the girl, for the eternal
Bradford sauntered under their tree
and lighted his pipe.
Don't wait for me, Jack, old man.
I'll wait around bit, and if she
doesn't show up I'll come out alone"
"The COMPOUNDED idiotr Kingdom
whispered and put out a protecting
hand when she seemed to sway a bit
She froze instantly, and he dared not
venture excuse or protest.
The darkness had increased, and
when the moon came sailing up Brad.
ford swore at his luck and departed
clicking the gate behind him.
'Now, DR.. Kingdom. I think you can
make your escape
"But / don't want to-now! May |
not stay long enough to apologize for
intruding on your tree solltude?" He
spoke softly. with. a delicate clipping
Of the RS. His fine. dark face bent to-
ward her. Il have not meant to perse-
cute you, but you did not answer my
letter. will never trouble you again.
but will you not be fair enough to tell
me just what have done? You could
do an enemy that justicer' To his sur
prise she grasped his arm.
Father and motherp' she murmured.
you'll have to stay. l couldn't OK
plain to them why l am herep King
don hardly breathed, for she forgot to
loosen the blessed hold on his sleeve.
Mr.. Treynor walked in portly POM
pousness beside his anxious little wife.
elizabeth worries me So" she COM
planned, and they seated themselves on
a rustic bench. "She's so difficult! /
can't lay it to college and her trip to
Europe, for she was lively till lust Of
late. Now she doesn't enjoy society
and Is getting interested in the poor.
And what do you suppose is her rea-
son for refusing to have anything to
do with that nice Dr. Kingdom and'-
"Some fool notion" her father
grunted.
"And taking up with that Bradford
1 hope she won't marry him. l don't
care if we have always known him-he
doesn't seem quite nice. Well, he told
Elizabeth that DR.. Kingdom said at the
club that western girls hadn't reserve
enough-that he disapproved of co-edu-
cation because it made girls too free
and easy with men and lot Of stuff
like thatr'