The Washburn leader., 1910-05-06
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; The Little
( Green Auto
It Brought Great Joy Into the
) Lives Of Two People
By ALICE E. ALLEN
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association.

WHY uCSI WulCucU lOC IuuL puFICu'
lar automobile don't know-perhaps
because 1t was dark green instead of
red, perhaps because there was room
in it for only two people.
Perhaps. though. the real reason
why watched the little green auto
mobile was because of the man who
drove it.
The hour after the green automobile
passed our porch was the best one l
had all day, because. you see. was
well and strong. like other people, and
rode away In the green automobile.
Always l wore pretty long coat
warm days 1t was soft and silky. and
cold days it was soft and furry-and
the prettiest hat and pale blue veil
with long ends. just like the other la
dies in their autos. Really. though.
after once few away round the cor
ner and along the smooth, broad road
beyond never once thought again of
what wore. for there was the coun
| try. Sometimes the road wound be-
tween beautiful wind blown meadows
of daisies and tall grasses; sometimes
| it lost itself in tangles Of sweet. moist
woods; sometimes it ran down hills
and across bridges only to climb other
| hills with other sunny spaces. other
patches of woodland and other hills
beyond.
| OF course was too old to play such
things. But if one hasn't walked a
step in five years and never can walk
again one has to imagine things some
times
Then came the day when Billy. the
little boy next door. fell asleep in the
middle Of the road. 1 called and called.
but couldn't wake him. nor make his
mother in the next house hear. nor any
mother, nor any one And then, just as
l knew it would. the green automobile
came f1ashing round the corner from
the city.
l. leaned out as fur as T could.
waved my blue shawl. The man in
the automobile must have been look
ing my way that time. for almost at
once he stopped. pointed to Billy.
He jumped out Of the car. picked Billy
up just as carefully and laid him on
the grass under the maple tree. Then
he lifted his cap to me. and away he
went in the little green auto.
Well. the very next day the green
automobile ran so slowly past our
house almost thought it was going to
stop. Billy was playing under the
tree. The man in the auto called to
him and handed him large square
package. Then he lifted his cap to me
again. and away he went round the
corner out into the country.
Billy came running to me.
"Mister said" said Billy. handing
me the package. ter give this ter
you"
ITO me?"
Yep, fer the little goil on the porch.
mister said. An he guv me dime"
l opened the package. There were
two beautiful books bound in blue and
full of colored pictures.
Three days later Billy brought me
another package. In it was the love-
lest doll. all in soft blue, with forget
menot blue eyes and golden brown
| curls.
"You must give it back" said moth
| er. Her voice was SO stern scarcely
knew it was mothers. Then l cried
1t was bad enough to have no way of
thanking the man in the automobile.
| l couldn't bear to hurt his feelings by
giving back the doll. And by and by
mother said. well. well. Kathie. new
er mind this time!"
Then one day. long before the usual
time. when was sitting in the sun.
heard an auto coming. Somehow
knew 1t was the auto. l tried to move.
but couldn't. And Billy had gone
home. The next thing knew the man
in the auto had stopped in front of
our house.
"HeIlo. little bluebirdv' he cried
"Fly down here and have ride with
me-"
shook my head.
"You're not q bluebird? Well. never
mind. Run down. then. and take
nice ride with me. like little girls"
But I'm not Il little girl at ALL" I
cried. I'm eighteen years old. and
I'm taller than mother"
The man in the automobile laughed.
Jump up and show me-" he said.
"It's true." said. but can't show
you cause I'm lame
What do you suppose happened?
The man jumped straight out of his
auto. He came up our narrow little
walk. The next minute he was on our
porch. He was ever 80 much bigger
and stronger and taller than I'd
thought. He almost 6lled the space
back Of the vines. He looked down at
me. very little and lame and ashamed
there IN my wheel chair.
or came his cap.
"l,m so sorry he said. For 4 min.
ute be didn't say anything else. jus,
stood looking down at me. Then tie
went on: ..You just must forgive me
somehow. ] WAS rude. impertinent.
stupid. everything ought not to have
been."
"You though, ! was little girl?''
said.
Il wasn't 20 far wrong there. was 1:
You're Il grownup little girl. that's
all. Rut what did yon 10 with the