La Junta tribune., 1908-01-25
MIR. Austin's Car.
And Annabel. aa
BY cEcILf ALLEN.
copyrighted. ,ar, by HOMER sp-.sue.

1AAAAASAN>AAseAAANA
".Annabei." shouted the supcrintend-
ent of the Clarendon Home For Or
phans In his crisp. sharp tone. you
AXE these five children down TO Mr..
Frederick Austin's csr--the man with
the gray coat-no. behind You. the dull
green car. Quick. now: We shan't get
, started till noon at this rate"
Annsbei marshaled her quintet Of eS-
-itcd flag carrying children and pushed
them ahead Of her toward the big dull
green touring ear,
lis this Mr.. Austin's ear" she In
liiire,i. restraining five wriggling chill
hren who iust yearned to spring
through the open door. H.t
The Young iuau who had been loung
Ing with one hand on the steering
wheel sat mp at attention ~ Annahers
charming voice reached his ear. Every
one. from the irritable. ovcrworkcd
superintendent to the duh wiiicd help
er In the laundry. loved Annahers
voice. and It was not remarkable that
this good looking young chap In tho
gray coat and dis6guriug goggles
should think 1t the finest music he hal
ever heard. Ill. sprang TO the side
walk and swung the children into the
car aud then extended n helping hand
to the slender girl in her simple shirt
wnis, suit of striped chambray. whici,
reminded him Of the deft fingered
nurse who had taken care of him after
HIS first motoring accident
Gee. hut she l. a corker. Hut her
hair will look Just Ike a gypsys when
We get to going some
That was what the Young man sail
to himself. What he said To Annabci
was:
Are you afraid to go fast? I'd like
to give these kiddies the run Of their
life. hut II we're going TO do that You
had best take on your hat and tie on
this VEIL
He whipped long gray autoniobil.
veil from convenient hamper.
~ guest left II in th" car night he
fore last. Ii looks quite new Perhaps
you would not mind"
Not at aIl.' Interrupted Annabel.
with a smile that he Instantly decided
matched her voice, Deity she tucked
her hat into the hamper. tied the vel!
under her chin in n bewitching bow
and leaning back In the big car. smiled
happily at her young charges.
The Young man watched the smile
from behind his goggles. and when tina
superintendent OF the asylum hurried
up to make sure that these. the last
Of his big family. were properly cared
for the young man fairly bcamed on
the orphnnage official.
"Going to have fine run. imaK-
ine.', he said. with most Interested
infection. The superintendent glanced
back In some surprise This annual
trip to Van Orien Beach, given by the
big automobile club for the orphans,
was not without its ihorns for the su-
perintendent Most OF the owners Of
machines sent their chaufeurs. who
either acted bored aud disagreeable or
tcased the children or nirted with the
young women attendants. At the gem
ial greeting In the quiet. cultured voice
the superintendent felt almost CRATE
full. Yra 5Mln
Il hope 1t Will be good run and n
pleasant day. I'm sure 1t Is Very kind
of you club members to take n per-
soial interest In the children"
The Young man started to say some
thing in reply. but the superintendent
had to answer call farther down
the line. The young man turned on
the power. with certain grim lines
forming around his mouth. though be-
hind the goggles his eyes twinkled.
Away went the long. flashing line OF
many coiored automobiles and their
burden OF shouting. hurrahing chill
drcn In pink and white and blue and
white checked gingham.
Annabel was 20 grateful that she
had graduated to stripes. There had
been Il time when TO her pink or blue
checks were almost Synonymous with
prison stripes; but, after all. she had
decided. things might have been much
worse with her
At the beach the children tumbled
out OF the cars and made wild rushcs
for the surf. Most OF the chauffeurs
Or car owners hurried back TO town or
ran into popular roadhouse mile
beyond Van Or,len's. but Mr.. Austin
had evidently started ont to give his
carload Of orphans the time Of their
lives. He did not squander money. but
each Of the five had a ride on the mer-
rygo-round. while Mr.. Austin himsel II
held the youngest girl on. the wild
looking ostrich she had chosen as her
steed. And Annabel watched them
from the insightly green benches. her
eyes dancing with sympathetic pleas
ure. and Il score Of fascinating brown
tendrills escaping from beneath the
soft gray veil. Annabel felt bit
guilty about fiat veil. She could have
taken II or and resumed her hat d.
rectiy they reached the beach. but
those yards and yards Of filmy chiffon
felt 80 soft and aristocraticl to her fas.
tidlons touch. a. i4- 14Qis aWG l0 iu