Amador ledger., 1907-05-03
The Woman
Or the Car
BY Elliot Waller
Copyright, 1905. by Homer sprague

Ladd, the proprietor of the Tama,
racks, shook his head with discourag.
ing firmness.
NO" he declared decidedly; 81 &C
commodate people here, not automo-
biles. First, no shelter for the ma,
chine; second, won't have one round
since my dog was run over; third,
there's no use of talking Better go
along"
In the sudden darkness of the sum-
mer twilight came a binding flash,
disclosing more clearly the occupants
of the big touring car-the chauffeur,
gesticulating angrily; two other scowl-
ing men, a woman and child.
With a rush of wind the storm broke.
A deafening thunderclap shook the
earth. The rain, almost horizontal in
the flying air, drove deluge of great
drops under the hastily arranged cov-
ers.
'T'm going to get outv' shrilled
small scared voice. 81 want to be in
a house! Mamma, come"
D A tall figure leaped from the piazza
of the little hotel, showed Ladd aside
and held out q pair of shirt sleeved
arms.
'You shall, babyp' he shouted. Its
a confounded shame! You, too, mad
am! Let the men take care of them
selves. Hurry, or you'll be drenched"
"Look outr' cried the mother sharply.
for the child had jumped recklessly.
'"Thank you, sir. 1 feared she would
fall. Yes, 1 think it is best. I'll be
right in"
She fumbled for a bag, spoke rapid
ly to one of her companions and sprang
from the step unassisted to run up the
short path after the uncoated figure,
striding swiftly, with the little girl
clinging to his neck.
Ladd's loud voice came to her ears
above the din.
You're all welcome, l say. I'll bed
and feed the crowd, but that pesky ma
chine can't lodge at my place No,
gents Sorry, but I've sworn to pass
'em along"
"a fine specimen you are to run a
hotel" scolded the man by the driver.
'It's my house." retorted Ladd.
"Well, keep it and be hanged! 1
wouldn't put my head under such
roof. Well be here in the morning, old
curmudgeon. Take care of Mrs. Dix
on. Push her along, Henri Never
mind speed limits"
A few rattles, q dozen snorting gasps
and the car dashed away through the
mud.
Mr.. Ladd, bareheaded and dripping.
gazed after it with satisfied grin.
"Too bad to break up a party" he
grunted. This storm will last good
hour. They'll get a nice twenty mile
trip to Jepworth, splashing soft dirt.
Well, I've got two guests, anyhow, and
tomorrow 1 make my third nick on old
Hanks tombstone"
He chuckled his way into the barn.
Lois Dixon sat in the dining room,
a small apartment largely given over
to social usage other than the delights
of the table. A high chair had been
found for Dot, who was assaulting
bread and milk. Seraph Ladd, corpu-
lent and apologetic, talked from the ad-
jacent kitchen.
"Oh, no, my dear" she was saying.
'aThe Tamaracks isn't much of a hotel.
Folks stay here for meals, and we take
In few transients and occasionally q
regular. The regulars are mostly men
who come to fish and kill time. There
are good trout in the tamarack swamp
brook, but it's pesky hole. That man
you saw is a regular He has been
here q week"
Il can hardly say saw him. Every
thing was done so quickly. I'm quite
dry now, and so is Dot. Your husband
doesn't appear to approve Of automo-
biles," this last sentence with an ag-
grieved intonation
''He doesn'tw exclaimed Mrs. Ladd
rather warmly. Jason is good natur-
ed about most other things, but after
our dog was knocked across the fence
(poor old thing; he was only gnawing
a bone in the road Jason swore an
oath never to let a car stop overnight
again So he boarded I'D the shed