The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-07-10
Gllnor'S
By CECILY ALLEN.
By CECHY ALLEN.
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

1t was the proud boast of Mr.. and
Mrs. James Regain that their flower.
like daughter, Elinor, had never set
foot in that plebeian vehicle, a trolley
car
To be sure, there had been a time
when James Regain would have wei
coined the chance to drive one Of the
good, old fashioned street cars, but
those days belonged in the dark ages
Of Regan family history along with
the momentous Sunday when that
same fowerlike daughter had been
christened plain Mary Ellen.
Today, thanks to pocket of gold In
the Sierras and a few lucky specula.
tons made possible by those same gilt
tering pockets, the fair Elinor had al
her disposal a variety of private We.
hicles, from tiny electric runabout to
a sixty horsepower touring car, from
a smart trap on their Long Island es.
tate to a correctly equipped victoria
for her daily drive in Central park.
The men who were glad to ride be.
side the girl in motor car or trap were
equally glad to acknowledge their
friendship with the blunt, shrewd Irish
capitalist, for, though the Regans were
counted among the newest of the new
~ rich, they were not of them.
A strain of royal blood had surely
filtered through the dark ages Of Re
gan family history, for both genera.
lions took to the newly found luxury
as ducks had taken to the mudholes
behind their cabin in the Sierras.
From the moment they had come
east Elinor had been surrounded b.,
irreproachable governesses, compan
ions and chaperons. Her cemings and
goings had always been attended by
chauffeur or footman or groom. And
there had been times when, watching
other girls fit fearlessly and unattend-
ed from ferry to trolley car, she had
felt an odd twinge Of envy.
Some things of life she had missed,
and this something was vaguely rep
resented by the trolleys in which she
had never ridden, the city streets on
which she never set foot unattended.
Even more vague was her feeling that
somehow her doting father had not
quite played fair with her about Regi-
maid Schuyler.
r,f Of r.,
marry into one of the old Knicker
booker families. Schuyler always let
her realize this fact He allowed his
blue blood, which showed little enough
in his pallid face and deep ringed eyes
to do his wooing.
The other mamie was, like them
selves, new as to wealth, fresh ana
vigorous in every vein-he might have
been so different if given half a chance
Sometimes she wanted to give him the
chance. Sometimes she wanted to
please her father. And neither of the
two men in the case nor her father
dreamed OF the vague unrest in the
girls heart.
All this to explain why Elinor Re.
CAMS eyes fairly danced when she
stepped from the door of the ferry.
house and reviewed the long line OF
public vehicles. Belden, the punctil.
ious, was nowhere in sight.
Elinor's companion, Miss Greenleaf,
was young, but keenly alive to her du
ties and very anxious to retain heI
pleasant and lucrative position.
Something must have happened. ]
am sure worded the telegram very
carefully. Shall I call a hanson OF
an electric cab?"
Elinor shook her head
GIVE heard you can get smallpox
riding in public vehicles. Don't they
use them for funerals and that sort OF
thing?"
She was watching her companion
from the tail of her eye and wondering
just how far she might 60.
Miss Greenleaf looked worried.
Perhaps had best telephone to the
house."
ooh, no." interrupted Elinor quickly
eve can reach home by trolley while
they are sending down the car for u.s.
Miss Greenleaf hesitated-and was
lost. A few seconds later she was
swept, golf clubs and bags, into 6
crosstown car. 1t was crowded witt
suburban women bound for the shop
ping district. Elinor swung blithely
from strap and enjoyed Miss Green
leafs discontinue.
eff Mr.. Regain ever hears of this!
thought the worried companion. Ant
just then they alighted to change cars
Evidently there was delay far dow1
the street, for the two women stOoG
some minutes on the corner, and thef
Elinor spied drug store whose win
dows were filed with garish adver
tisements, beyond which doomed 8
soda fountain. Miss Greenleaf never
knew just how it happened, but she
found herself, feebly protesting, be-
fore mahogany topped table which
a white coated boy mopped up with 8
damp cloth.
Chocolate ice cream soda for both
of u.s." was Elinor's calm order. snow,
don't scold, DEAR" she added to her
companion. even our maids have an
afternoon off. Why not their mistressi
I'm having the time of my life"
The white coated lad studied his
stunningly gowned customers with
profound interest. Never before had a
ao1yo Ia, 10