The Press., 1907-12-11
WWWWWWWWWWWW~ ~90WWWWUWa Cupid on
 The Fence.
By M. C. SANFORD. $

| AI was ELUNy hAISEUOOu. Ab uSuSAS
 Jack had telephoned Elinor asking her
 to go autOmobiling with him. and, not
 at all as usual, she had said she would
 not Her refusal was unpremeditated
 and almost as much of a surprise to
 herself as it was to Jack, but sober
 second thought seemed to justify It.
 It was foolish, so argued Ellnor to
 herself as she hung up the receiver. to
 let Jack take so much for granted, to
 let him think she was always ready,
 as a matter of course, to answer his
 beck and call. She would show him a thing or two. There were other men
 to be considered, and she didn't intend
 to marry Jack any more than-well,
 perhaps not as much as she intended
 to marry some one else! Still it was
 such lovely afternoon, and she did so
 love to go autOmobiling!
 The telephone rang again.
 Hello" answered Elinor languidly. ''Oh, MT. Norris? Yes. Go automobil-
 ing with you this afternoon? I shall
 be delighted. Three o'clock? All right.
 I'll be ready. Goodby."
 Elinor clapped her hands and gave
 herself a little squeeze of cOngratula- ton.
 Half an hour later, her little round
 bow of her gauzy veil, ElinOr stood
 waiting on the porch. a picture of pert,
 ness and prettiness.
 At the "honk, honk," of an approach
 ing automobile she ran quickly down the steps to greet Vernon Norris, but to her astonishment the car did not stop, and, looking after it curiously, she discovered that 1t was not Vernon, after all, but Jack, and-could she be- lieve her eyes s?-he was not alone! There was a funny little tight feeling about Elinor's heart that she didn't care to analyZe. She turned her back on the vanishing apparition of Jack, and there on the top of the hill, like a coming event that had cast its shad- ow before 1t (alas, that 1t was such corporeal shadowD she saw Vernon's car looming into sight.
 Anyway, reflected Elinor, if Yer l non's auto wasn't such a beauty as Jacks, 1t was still an auto, and If Vernon wasn't, perhaps, as handsome as Jack, be was still man. and when it came to a matter of comparison. man far more solicitous of her happi- ness. Jack had a way of spinning through the country without, appar- ently, the least consciousness of her presence beside him. Vernon, on the other hand, was always on the alert to rescue the wayward end of her veil, to inquire for her comfort and to ask what speed best pleased her present mood. With him she herself, not the machine, was the center of his thoughts.
 As a result of these reflections, Eli nor greeted Vernon with an unusually winsome smile and extended her hand with charming graciousness. a favor which that young man, most natural Iy, flattered himself was stimulated by his own irresistible powers of at traction.
 Elinor followed up the cordiality of her welcome with such 6 chatter of merry talk as they went flying through the country and seemed so radiantly happy, that Vernon, bring ing the machine to a sudden slow down, simultaneously with his tnspira- tion, decided to learn his fate then and tSere
 It proved most literally a popping of the question. His declaration was cut short with sound as of spontane- ous combustion. The noise, together with Vernon's unexpected proposal. took Elinor of her feet, both mentally and physically. As she sprang up Vernon caught her to him.
 Its all right, dear." he murmured, with extravaGant tenderness. You're not hurt: only frightened" and he lift ed her veil so that he might look into her face.
 Elinor freed herself with effort.
 "No," she said. sadly, "I'm not hurt and I'm not frightened" She felt suddenly an lndescribable shrinking | from the man. He had been too quick l to take advantage of the situation. | Had 1t been Jack, he
 Vernon interrupted her train of thought by shouting to some men in | the distance for help. They did not | hear him.
 "Awfully sOrry," he said finally, | "but I'm afraid I'll have to go across the fields for help. There's a farm house over there. I'm very much like Humpty Dumpty, you see don't ] know how to put myself together again." (Elinor saw, but somehow was not amused) "Will you be timid hero aloner'
 Mot at al," she answered firmly, ignoring tFe sentimental look fin his eyes.
 "I won't Dc long," he assured her as he jumGH9d out of the car "Stay just where YOU are and make yourself comfortable. The car won't budge"
 After Vernon had disappeared from sight. ElinOr, not at all confident, in spite of his assurance, as to what the lnconstant auto might do next, jumped out and perched herself on the post of 8 nearby fence.
 She was a most bewitching little vision as she sat there. her fawn col ored coat outlined against the green background, and her flmy veil, which she had loosened, floating out airily in the breeze as if on its way to join the clouds in the blue sky nDONC Als Dhb CAAAOA WaS ODt1NAUUS tU | the picturesqueness of her plight. All she could think of was its stupidity. Why, oh why. hadn't she gone with Jack? Oh, yes. she remembered-she was teaching him a lesson, showing him his proper place. tempering his and unendurable air of Hum! Let's see, this was August-it was just six months since she had met him, and he seemed to think so brief an acquaintance en- titled him to the privileges of many years. To be sure, she had been to nearly every one of the Country club dances with him-but he did dance so had gone autoing with him every Friday afternoon for a mat ter of some eight or ten weeks. But what of ft9 There woro Dlonfv oP |