The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1910-07-09


an hour. suddenly slowed down, there
was a creaking like that of a rusty
hinge, and the machine came to a
dead stop and refused to start again.
Mr.. Fred SempIe had owned an au-
tomobile for a year or more. but un-
til recently he had left the driving to
chauffeur. Then his ambition was
aroused. He knew as much about
mechanics as he did about the man
who superintendent the job of building
the pyramids. but he went ahead and
took lessons. When he had succeed.
ed in covering three city blocks with
out knocking down any pillars of the
elevated, chasing any street cars into
side streets, or upsetting any news
paper stands, be became unreasonably
conceited.
That was the reason that. after look
ing at him for minute. Colonel Kirke
offered to bet him $100 to half that
sum that he could not drive the ma
chine Is miles and return without
help. The wager was made. 1t was
easy money. Mr.. Semple crossed the
ferry to the Long Island depot in
company with the colonel and others.
and then set OF up the island to do his
10 miles and back. Fifty or a hun
dred dollars didn't count much with
him, but honor and glory did.
How easy! 1t was merely matter
of letting the machine goi Not
farmer threw potatoes at him, and not
a train hit him at the crossings. Those
ckauffeurs were humbugs. A boy ten
years old with sawdust in his hair
could run an auto all around the
world. Colonel Kirke was thirty years
behind the age, and an old buffer. too,
in the bargain. Yes, sir, all you had
to do was to get her headed right, set
the speed. and then keep her going.
And then-the automobile stopped!
It was not far from civilization and
help as is the usual case, but right
in front of comfortable looking resi-
dence. Mr.. Semple got down to see
hat was wrong. The machine might
be tired or something out of gear. So
far as his experience went. the back
action might have overcome the right
angle, or the Quadruple become mixed
u with the main-topmast. After peer
ing and investigating he came to the
conclusion that wrench was needed
3.
looked in the tool box for a wrench,
but it had gone toSthe pawnshop, or
elsewhere.
A house standing by itself, half a
mile from a village. ought to keep a
wrench on hand for emergencies. and
Mr.. Semple would go in and ask for
the loan of it. His ~in6 at the bell
was answered by a woman about fifty
years old. Her jaw was set and there
was no joyous welcome in her eyes
Yes; she believed there was a wrench
somewhere in the house. If he would
step in, she would hunt for it. He
stepped in and she disappeared He
was looking around as one will in
strange room, and wondering what he
should wrench with the wrench when
he got it, when the woman returned.
She didn't have the wrench in her
hand. She had a shotgun instead,
and she came to halt and pointed it
at him and said:
''If you make a move, I'll blow the
top of your head off,"
''W-what is it?" stammered Mr.
Semple, after a moment
"A loaded shotgun and a deter
mined woman" she answered, as she
sat down to face him.
'But-I-I called to borrow q
wrench"
Yes, know. So did tin peddler
the other day. / asked him to wait
while l got it, and he sat down where
you are. When got back he had
skipped with SIS clock and a $25
vase. I'm Aunt Ellen, l am, and 1
can't be fooled twice running on
wrenches"
But, ma'am, I'm no tin peddler."
You may be worse l think you
are! l think you are Rallies. At any
rate, you have walked into a trap.
and you don't get out of 1t until know
all about you from the day you were
born. 1t must have tickled you just to
| find an old woman all alone In the
house. You reckoned on binding and
gagging me in about five minutes, Ell /?
Well, there'n be no gagging here to-
day, though there may be some shoot
| ing!"
Madam. there is a great mistake
here" said Mr.. Semple as he endeav-
ored to collect his wits.
Yes? A mistake about getting in
| the wrong house? Mistake about find
ing Aunt Ellen instead of a servant
| girl here? Mistake about getting a
shotgun instead of a wrench?'
Il can prove to you that am a gen.
tleman. came down from the city in
an automobile. It's out there in front
Of the house, but something went
wrong with it. Here is my card and
Hands down or / shoot!" she ex-
claimed, as he felt for his card case.
II don't care about your card I've