The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-07-29

anu linen.
Forgive me-" she said, family. at
length; II didn't mean to-"
How could you help it? Who'd ex-
pect hulking brute like myself to be
ticklish?"
"Ycu are awfully good" she coun-
tered more calmly.
Don't say that I'm a clumsy lout.
But" He held her gaze inquiringly.
But may l ask"
"Oh. OF course-certainly l am
was-bound for Greenpoint-on-the-
Sound"
"Ten milesl" be interrupted
The corners of her red lips dropped;
her brows puckered with dismay. In
stinctively she glanced toward the
water-bound car.
What am to do?" she cried. Ten
milesi -. l could never walk it,
never in the world You see, l went
to town to-day to do little shopping.
As we were coming home the chauf-
feur was arrested for careless driving.
He had bumped delivery wagon over
sit wasn't really his fault. telephoned
home for somebody to bail him out,
and my father said he would come in.
Then l dined, returned to the police
station and waited. Nobody came.
couldn't stay there all night. I
'phoned to everybody knew, until my
money gave out; no one was in town.
At last, in desperation, started home
alone"
Maitland nodded his comprehension.
''Your father" he limited delicately.
Judge Wentworth" she explained,
hastily. We've taken the Grover place
at Greenpoint for the season."
81 see'-thoughtfully And this was
the girl who he had believed had been
in his rooms that evening, in his alb
sence! oh, clearly, that was impos-
sible. Her tone rang with truth
She interrupted his train of thought
with cry of despair. What win
they think"
Il dare say he ventured hopefully.
81 could hire team at some farm
house"
But the delayl It's so late al
ready"
Undeniably late; one O'Clock at the
earliest. A thought longer Maitland
hung in lack of purpose then without
word of explanation turned and again
began to wade cut.
What do you mean to do?" she
cried, surprised
r.-ba+fA - o,fIo5
back. I know bit about motors.
Perhaps"
'Then-but why"
She stopped; and Maitland forbore
to encourage her to round out her
question 1t was no difficult matter to
supply the missing words. Why had
he not thought of investigating the
motor before insisting that he must
carry her ashore?
The humiliating conviction forced
itself upon him that he was not Sgur-
ing to great advantage in this adven-
ture. Distinctly a humiliating sensa-
ton to one who ordinarily was by way
of having a fine coRceit of himself.
1t requires certain amount of ego
tiSm to enable one to play the eX-
qGisite to ones personal satisfaction;
Maitland had enjoyed the possession
of that certain amount; heretofore his
approval of self had been passably en-
tire Movie could not oeny-the
boor had shown up through the polish
Of the beau.
I1%
claimed Maitland. bitterly This all
was due to hasty jumping at conclu-
sions; if he had not chosen to believe
a young and charming girl identical
with an-an adventures, this thing
had not happened and he had still re-
tanned his own good will. For one lit
tie moment he despised himself hearth
ly-one little moment of clear insight
into self was his And forthwith he
began to mediate apologies, formu-
lating phrases designed to prove ade-
quate without sounding exaggerated
and insincere.
By this time he had reached the
car. and-through sheer laundering
luck-at once stumbled upon the seat
of trouble-a clogged valve in the car
bureter. No serious rIat,er; with the
assistance of a repais xiv more than
commonly complete, he 2a1 the valve
clear in a jiffy.
News of this triumph he shouted to
the girl, receiving in reply an ooh,
thank you'll" so fervently grayefus; that
he felt more guilty than ever
Illuminating unhappily on the end Of
contemplated abasement, he waded
round the car, satisfying himself that
there was nothing else out of gear;
and apprehensively cranked up.
Whereupon the motor began to- hum
contentedly; all was well. Flushed
with this success, Maitland climbed
aboard and opened the throttle trife.
The ear moved. And then, with
swish, a gurgle, and watery whoosh!
it surged forward, up, out of the river,
CALAMITY up the slope.
At the top the amateur chauffeur
shut down the throttle and jumped