The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-11-08
8 No 8
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A1'GSpaSSAnS
By IZOLA FORESTER
Bv IZOLA FORESTER
Copyright, 1906. by Ruby Douglas

Sue Varian pulled up the bay mare
short in the middle of the road and
stared at the objects in the shade Of
the naples. There were two-that is,
two as main points Of interest. One
was a large red automobile. The other
was young man lying comfortably
OH the front seat of the red autOmO-
bile, fast asleep. incidentally, even to
the lay eye Of ineXperience, there was
Enthusiastically something the matter
with the red automobile. 1t was lop-
sided, and the front part-Sue didn't
know the technical term-but the main
front part appeared to be dislocated.
It looked like a toy tin auto that had
been stepped on.
But there was nothing the matter
with the young man. He was sleeping
peacefully, calmly, his knees elevated
tentwise, his arms folded like a slum-
bering brave in effigy on his breast,
and Sue laughed softly to herself and
looked up and down the road.
1t was deserted. Between 6 and Z
| hardly any one ever passed along the
shore road 1t was the dinner hour
up at the inn. And people who knew
what they were about never took the
| shore road, anyway, not with red auto
mobiles. It was a short cut, of course
to the inn, but primarily-and legally
| it was private road leading to the
| Varian estate, and to Hartley Varian's
mind the only blot on the fair face Of
| nature in the summer time were sum-
mer boarders and red automobiles.
Suddenly the young man moved rest
lessly Mosquitoes were plentiful in
the shade Of the naples. He sighed,
opened his eyes, caught sight Of the
bay mare and neat black road cart
and sat up.
| HAS he got back"
The question was one Of dazed con-
Germ. Sue returned his stare with
grave interest
'T don't know what you mean. You
have had some accident?"
''Some accdentr' The young man
became troubled and explosive. 1--WE
came mighty near killing ourselves and
! smashing the machine to splinters over
that-that-rope Didn't you see the
rope?"
"a rope?" Miss Variants tone was
mild and sympathetic.
"Stretched across the road on pur-
pose, and we rode bang into it. Will
son, that's the chauffeur, has gone
somewhere to get help. We missed the
road a few miles back"
''Were you hurt?'
"Just little iolted. I presume the
! owner of the,rope hoped forfunerals'
''There was funeral here a few
days ago." interposed Miss Varian
gently THAT is why the rope was
put up, I believe, to turn back any
stray autos and prevent any more flu
nerals A red one ran over a calf
"Calf?"
''It was pet calf" resumed Miss
Varian firmly, "and it was with its
mother 1t had a perfect right to ram
BILE along this road and automobiles
haven't It's a private road. Didn't
you read the sign on the stone gate
posts as you came in?"
''The sign said simply: No Trespass-
ing. Tramps and Dogs Keep Out I'm
neither tramp nor a dog, so 1 came
| in"
"Well, the rope wasn't stretched for
tramp or a dog
| The treSpasSer was silent for the first
time. Climbing out Of his machine, he
strobe over to the cart and looked up
at the girl In it. She was young, about
seventeen, he thought. Her waist was
a white linen boyiSh affair that q very
| young person might be expected to
wear, with plain turn down collar and
short sleeves. The white linen skirt
was short, too-ankle length. He could
see the low heeled tan Oxfords. And
| her hair was braided and wound
around her head like a misplaced aure-
ole that had slipped down. Worse
than all, she was laughing at him. He
knew it when he saw her eyes.
When he spoke again it was with a
less obvious reference to his own
wrongs.
"Can you tell me where I ann"
"Seven and a half miles from Glen.
more. You missed the main road about
two miles back. This leads to the Va
rian house,
But that's where 1 want to gov' ex-
claimed the young man. 81 thought
Wilson was making for the inn. l am
bound for Variants place."
''Then why did you come in an auto
mobile? Don't you know Mr.. Varian
personality"
! Haven't seen him for years. He
must be jolly old beggar to judge
from the rope-real sweet, neighborly
disposition, hasn't hep
II think he was perfectly right and
Justified said Miss Varian, with sud-
den naughty defiance. "It was the
dearest little calf, and it belonged to
me-"