Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-08
TWO RuNA6oUTs.

you take the money, ana give me
back love-"
TWO RuNABoUTs.
BY Donald Allen.
copyright. 1910, by the Associated
Literary Press).
Young DR.. Bennett had just opened
his o,dce at Scottsville, and the peo-
Die of Scottsville, including the two
doctors who had been there for
years, were wondering how long 1t
would take him to starve out.
DR.. Scott had q few hundred dol
lars left after receiving his diploma,
and instead OF setting up his office
in the woodshed and preparing to
visit patients on foot he had fitted
up nice quarters and bought a run
about machine, Just as 1t had planned
to sail right to the top within three.
months. He also wore gloves and
silk hat, and he didn't hang around
the postofice and talk politics.
.Scottsville had It's way, and 1t didn't
like young DR.. Scott's way.
The only other runabout owned In
the vicinity was the machine belong
ing to Miss Ida June, daughter OF
the broker in the city, who had an
all-the-year house mile from the
village. The coming Of second ma
chine was resented by the villagers
and by Miss Ida. It wasn't overcrowd-
ing the field, but 1t was handsomer
vehicle and was said to be speedier,
and then it had been introduced with
out warning.
The doctor hadn't even limited that
he intended to work such an innova-
ton in country practice, and a feel
ing of pique was aroused. He had
made a bad start. He had not taken
the village into his confidence.
Every day Miss Ida came into the
village in her runabout after the
mail. DR.. Scott met her at the post
Office. He didn't stare, and her glances
were furtive, but the impression OF
neither was favorable.
Proud, naughty and selfish" was
the doctors verdict.
Thinks he's quite some, and needs
to be taken down." was the verdict
Of the girl
It was inevitable that the two ma
chimes should meet, They did meet.
Miss Ida looked straight ahead, as II
passing load Of straw, and the doc
tor only cast a swift glance at her
and wondered If she thought she
owned the earth. 1t was the same
the second and the third time. Then
some one told. the girl that the doc
tor was boasting that his machine
could travel three mile to her two. He
hadn't said any such thing, but the re-
port acted on her the same as the
truth, and she replied with great
spirit:
IF ever catch that young man out
on the road will give him lesson
And then some one told the doctor
that Miss Ida was going to "lay for
him and make holy show of his
machine, and though he only smiled
in reply he determined to humiliate
that girl If opportunity offered.
1t was month before it offered. He
found her apparently waiting for him
on the broad highway, and she started
off with defiant squeal of the horn.
He didn't attempt to overtake her. 1t
wouldn't be dignity to overtake and
pass young lady the very first time.
Besides, there was a good deal OF
dust flying, and he also thought he
could make out that she was bit
reckless in her driving.
On the second occasion, while the
doctor was driving at fair gait, the
girl came I'D and whizzed past him,
and he would have LAID odd that he
heard sneering laugh. On the third
he was sure of the sheer and the
laugh, and he said that he would not
spare her again. A week later he found
her on the road waiting for him. She
had descended to Gull wild flowers,
but as soon as he appeared in sight
she took her seat in the machine,
deliberately looked back and went
ahead 1t was her def, and 1t was
accepted. She was going to take that
young man down peg or two, and he
was going to bring about humiliation.
Farmer Henderson had sold a load
of straw to the livery stable the day
before, and on this day was driving
1t into town. He was driving in the
middle of the road, of course He
was half asleep, of course. There
was no particular reason why he
should keep to the right" and have
his eyes wide open. BY and by he
thought he heard noise behind him,
and he looked back to brave up and
exclaim:
Now, then, shoot my cats If that
June girl and that new doctor amt
racln' to beat the band and If some
thin don't happen, then don't
know" 4
AS matter of fact. the doctor did
have the better machine.
It was geared for higher speed, and
perhaps he was the better driver. 1t
began to- creep up and up, and Miss
Ida's actions showed that she was
getting nervous. AS the machines
ran side by side the load Of straw
doomed up eighty rods away. 1t was
right in. the middle of the road. and
evidently intended to stay there.
There were deep bitches on either
side of the highway, and the doctor
called to the girl:
Lets slow down and call it a
draw. 1t will be dangerous to try to
pass"
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