The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-06-14
UNDER
DIFFICULTIES

:. :. !: =.
Haskins never did care for Selmore
anyway At first he had disliked the
fellow mildly ON general principles,
but later he hated Selmore cordially,
for specific reason. Alice Clark was
the reason.
When Selmore first saw Alice Clark
and fell victim Alice was In i4askins'
car, Though he did not realize it,
Haskins had grown to consider her
as belonging to his car quite as much
as he did himself He had glowed
with a little proprietary pride when
he detected the CLEAN of interest and
admiration In Selmores eyes, but he
was not prepared for what followed
Selmore had stopped by the car,
and after being introduced, had cheer.
fully asked for lift to his destination.
and got ii, occupying the entire time
of transit in conversing with Alice
quite as though Haskins were q hired
| chauffeur.
A week later, when Haskins called
on Alice and found Selmore there, he
learned through the conversation that
Selnore had accidentally met her in
candy shop and had promptly asked
10 call. And he kept on calling,
| Haskins tried to convince himself
that had II been any one else on
| earth than Selmore he should not
| have cared. 1t was simply. he told
| himself. because he disliked Selmore
so, Alice certainly had right to
| have as many callers as she chose, in
| asmuch as she was not engaged to
| himself. It was the first time the
| idea of being engaged to Alice had
| presented itself to him, and he
| thought about 1t great deal after
that, mainly because Selmore per
sisted In interfering so with his es-
| sablished routine.
He was especially upset one eve
ning when, having made an engage
ment over the telephone TO take Alice
automobiling, he called only to find
hat Selmore had just arrived
| Out of polteness he asked Selmore
TO come along. and to his rage Sell
more brazenly accepted Haskins had
quite counted on that ride as a pleas
ant one, for It was springlike eve.
ming. There was to have been spin
over the boulevards, supper at some
| quiet place and then home In the
moonlight--and who could tell what
might happen? Now, here was Sci,
more. fastened on him for the whole
evening.
He tried to make himself believe
that Alice had looked triae disap-
pointed when Selmore accepted, yet
he bitterly felt it could not be so. for
Selmore was looking especially hand.
some in his new spring suit.
The ride progressed in an electric
silence on Haskins part and with flu,
| ent conversation on Selmore's. They
had the spin and the supper, which
was ashes In lIa-h'ns' moath Then
they started howe On a downtown
street corner the machine wheezed
and stopped, IIaslsins took malicious
delight in making Selmore descend
and help him back 1t off the car
tracks. Then he investigated irrita.
bly,, for accidents were alien to his
car.
AS he delyed amid the machinery
Selmore sat aloft amiably talking to
| Alice. When at last Haskins had to
crawl under the machine and lie fiat
on his back while he pounded the
mechanism he knew how anarchists
| feel.
Here, Haskins," selmore called
down finally, cant you fix It?
should think you'd know your own car
better"
IT'S getting terribly late" said
Alice.
As Haskins ploddod away to a tele
phone he seethed with hatred of Sci
more After wrestling with the phone
and finding he could get no help, Has
kins phoned his home garage and
then went back to the two in his car
They're sending a tow after me-
he said you two can Just catch the
last suburban train II you hurry. II
will relieve my mind If you'll take IT
so that I'll know Miss Clark win get
| scfc'y home"
splendid idea" agreed selmore
and leaped out. He reached up a
helping hand to the girl in the back
| seat.
Maybe she had had too much Of Sci
more, maybe she felt sorry for Has
kins; maybe
at any rate she never moved, She
regarded Selmore coolly.
Il am not going TO desert the cal
and let Mr.. TIaskins wait here oil
alone tn goodness knows when" She
| 1ofl IVAN hurry al rpu a a