Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1910-05-19
Cupid Springs a Surprise
By OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON

| some one else hammered Oh the box.
This your trunk, Huntley?"
"No-it's box for "a gentleman
down the road"
| "Yes-we didn't think 1t was a tur-
tie. but the world is SO full Of num-
Der of things-what's inside, Hunt? Go
on and tell us"
"Cabbages!" he snapped Where y
| the garage?" He started the car
around the house. The girl with brown
eyes looked oddly after him, then with
a delicious little laugh she turned and
went up the steps with the others.
1t was clear to Huntley now. His
aunt. or rather his uncle's wife, was
too busy with church, clubs and social
duties to make the acquaintance OF
her brothers family. She had allowed
them to grow up-and rich-without
any effort to know them, except by
sending ridiculous presents. because
they lived in the country. "Lord-they
probably live in a palace" he groaned.
And me with cook stove for
birthday gift for that little queen out
there" A dull red covered his face
and then paled when he thought of the
brown eyes raised so frankly-so mer-
rily to his.
Huntley did not deliver the stove
that day. The box-four young men
were walking lame from taking turns
draping their legs about it In the ton
neau-still stood peacefully in the car.
Huntley took Alice in to dinner that
MI ooh - hot
had been together almost every Sec
ond since the young mans arrival. and
as he said to his sister: Hunts in the
race already, sis. give him clear
track I'd like to see him win"
But when someone proposed toast
to Alice. his heaven fell. If only he
could forget that COMPOUNDED stove.
Who ever heard of sending a stove for
birthday present. anyway?
He sat silent for awhile and Alice
looked at him with the same odd
smile that had followed him in the
morning. A question trembled on her
lips for the hundredth time. but died
unuttered. She longed to say: Didn't
Aunt Theresa send me any birthday
gift?" but some fine instinct, Hunt
ley's discontinue when her birth
day was mentioned, or someone joking
about the big box. kept her quiet.
And when Huntley came out of his
brown study and looked down at the
pretty girl beside him, she looked up
brightly and spoke of something else.
But she noticed the fierce light of de-
termination in his eyes.
He got away as soon after dinner as
he could without being noticed. With
out waiting to get cap or ulster he
slipped around the house to the
garage. keeping in the shadow of the
trees. The moon was full and the air
was heavy with roses. Only fear of
what the morrow might bring kept
him to his purpose. What night to
be wasting on FOOLS errand when he
migth be strolling through the garden
with the sweetest. dearest girl he had
ever met. The moon and the roses
were going to his head. when the box
and it's clumsy contents appeared like
specter. He could not sleep with
that haunting him. What If they
found him out? How they would
laugh, And what would Alice think?
We'll. won't be the goat if know
It," and he made a dash for the big
door. I'll ditch that stove or" The
door slid back at his touch and the
moon streamed into the vault-like
blackness of the shed. The silent mo-
tors looked like sleeping monsters in
the half light. Huntley found his car,
turned on the lamps and started to
jump to the drivers seat when he
heard delicate laugh from the ton
neau and the dearest girl in the world
was looking at him round the corner
of the big rough box.
You see, Mr.. Brown. I came out for
my birthday gift. l am sure this is it.
and I was afraid you had forgotten
about 1t. 1t will save you a trip. too.
II you give 1t to me now. | suppose
you had orders to take 1t home. but 1t
is ten miles to fathers, and I can take
1t in my own car when ! leave. That's
mine there-the white one" Then
very innocently: What is In it-a
washing machine or-or cabbages?"
"Oh. Lord-it's worse. It's a gaso-
line cook stove. was just going to
dump 1t into the nearest frog pond"
out her hand. "Oh. no. please don't.
IL should just love n stove-really.
And II you will wait till morning III
go around with you"
Huntley took the little hand and for.
got as usual to let go. And I am for.
given for being such a dummy? | do
not deserve It,"
Alice drew him toward the door.
Don't let us talk of stoves. Look at
the moon and-and SMELL" She drew
deep breath Of the perfumed air.
And hand in hand they wandered
toward the garden. without thought
of the wasted acetylene and the open