The Press., 1908-09-02
By CECMY ALLEN.


 It was the proud boast of MT. an,
 Mrs. James Began that their flower
 like daughter, ElinOr, had never SC
 foot in that plebeian vehicle, a trolle!
 car
 To be sure, there had been a tim'
 when James Began would. have wei
 comed the chance to drive one of thu
 good, old fashioned street cars, 'bu
 those days belonged in the dark agel
 of Began family history along witl
 the momentous Sunday when. tha
 same flowerlike daughter had beer
 christened plain Mary Ellen.
 Today, thanks to a pocket of gold il
 the Sierras and a few lucky specula
 tions made possible by those same gilt
 tering pockets, the fair Elinor had al
 her disposal a variety of private ve
 hicles, from tiny electric runabout tC
 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 theiE friendship with the blunt, shrewd Irish capitalist, for, though the Regans were counted among the newest of the new ly 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 tions took to the newly found luxury as ducks had taken to the mudhoIes behind their cabin in the Sierras From the moment they had come east ElinOr had been surrounded by irreprOachable gOvernesses, compan- Ions and chaperons. Her comings and goings had always been attended by chauffeur or foOtman or groom. And there had been times when, watching other girls lit 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- nald Schuyler. r..
 It meant something, of course, to 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 man-he was, like them selves. new as to wealth, fresh and vigorous in every vein-he might have been so different if given half a chance. Sometimes she wanted to give him tho 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 gan's 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 her pleasant and lucrative position.
 Something must have happened. Il am sure Worded the telegram very carefully. Shall I call c hanson OF an electric cab2"
 Elinor shook her head.
 i've heard you can get smallpox riding in public vehicles. Don't they use them for funerals and that sort of thingY
 She was watching her companion from the tail of her eye and wondering just how far she might go.
 Miss Greenleaf looked worried.
 Perhaps I had best telephone to the house."
 "Oh. mo-" interrupted Elinor quickly. We can reach home by trolley while they are sending down the car for us."
 Miss Greenleaf heSitated-and was lost. A few seconds later she was swept. golf clubs and bags, into crosstown car. It was crowded with suburban women bound for the shop ping district. Elinor swung blithely from strap and enjoyed Miss Green leafs diseomf1ture.
 If MT. Began ever hears of this!' thought the worried companion. And just then they alighted to change cars. Evidently there was a delay far down the street, for the two women stood some minutes on the corner, and then ElinOr spied a drug store whose win dOws were filled with garish adver- ] ttsements. beyond which loomed !, soda fountain. Miss Greenleaf never knew just how it happened, but she | found herself. feRhly protesting, be- fore a mahogany topped table which white coated boy mopped up with e damp cloth.
 of us" was Elinor's calm order. ''Now, don't scold. dear," she added to her Even our maids have an afternoon on. Why not their mlstress9 | I'm having the time of my Mfe."
 The white coated lad studied his gowned customers with profound interest. Never before had . young woman asked him to put 5 cents worth more of ice cream into her soda. Then she had asked her con- paniOn, now entering into the spirit of the thing, whether sbe would have more soda or more ice cream. She might spend 5 cents more!
 "Gee," said the boy as he dipped out the extra cream, they act like two kids on a lark!
 As they sallied forth once more Eli- aor clutched her companion's arm.
 Let's make an afternoon of 1t, Miss 3reenleaf. Eve never, never ridden in I he subway-please"
 Something in the girls tones made Hiss Greenleaf turn suddenly reckless. We will, we will" and then she