The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-06-10
The Mood
OF a Maid
By CEC.LY ALLEN.
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.
BY cEc!LY ALLEN.

The girl leaned forward after scan
ming the road in both directions and
touched the chauffeur's arm. The
great crimson car came to a painting,
deliberate standstill.
The girl did not wait for the chauf-
feur to help her, but sprang lightly to
the road and vanished into the wood
land on the right. The chauffeur turn
ed the car as if his thoughts We're con-
centrated on the necessity of making
the smallest possible turn in time of
safety, in order to be prepared in time
of emergency. And then the great Grim
son car shot back in the direction from
whence it had come.
Safely screened by the underbrush,
the girl found clearing in the wood
land and sat down on a moss grown
log. Deity she unwound the swath-
ings of chiffon from her hat. barring
face delicate and sensitive as the
anemones opening at her feet.
She drew off her gloves and felt Of
the velvety moss on the old log. then
stopped to gather flowers. Finally,
With the blossoms forgotten in her
lap. she leaned forward. her elbows on
her knees. her chin propped in the
palms Of her hands, watching the
woodland life around her
Chipmunks and squirrels scampered
along the edge of the clearing Where
the sun shone upon a tangle Of fern
and jack in the. pulpit two robins
perched pertly on dry twigs and dis
cussed the troubles Of May moving
day. From the shadows of the wood
beyond came the persistent hammering
of woodpecker.
Beyond the screen of underbrush au-
tomobiles and smart turnouts spun on
toward the race track. where the world
of fashion was foregathering. An hour
passed. and then at the distant wall of
peculiar siren whistle the girl sprang
to her feet. dropped her lapful Of flow
ers and ran to the roadside.
Bearing down upon her was a Grim
son car. twin of the one which had
dropped her so unceremoniously an
hour earlier.
But the resemblance stopped with
| the car. The chauffeur in the first car
had worn a spick span uniform in tan
color from the tips of his highly polish
ed boots to the crown of his heavy red
cap The man in this car wore dis
reputable looking storm coat of Eng
fish cloth. Il shabby visor cap and a
pair of goggles which had certainly
seen more prosperous days.
He was scorching along at tine
pace But the girl calmly stepped to
the edge of the road and waved de
tanning banda bare hand at that
The machine slowed down. and the
man made preparations to descend. as
became one hailed by maiden in dis
tress. But again the girl raised a de-
tanning hand.
My car met with an accident.
thought perhaps-l am very anxious to
reach Dalton this afternoon. Perhaps
you were going that way. Would you
| give me a lift?"
She looked up eagerly into his star
tied face. Then the man coughed dis
creetly. swallowed smile and sprang
from the machine.
II was-or thought was-going to
the races. but am sure it will be
much more pleasant at-er-was it Dali
ton you said?'
The mans accent was English The
admiration in his eyes was the sort
that knows no nationality. The girl
flushed beneath it and sprang into the
car before the astonished man could
assist her.
For a few minutes the car ran on in
silence. Then the girl spoke abruptly
LET us take this crossroad Then
mile farther we will strike the old
Dalton turnpike. There we will not
meet
II understand" he interrupted grave
ly. And the great car swerved into
| the crossroad. running through a
stretch Of woodland
Again the girl seemed plunged in
| thought. But at last the man remark
ed bit larnely: