Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-06-04
The Little
Green Auto
II Brought Great Joy Into the
Lives of Two People
By ALICE 3. ALLEN
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

1 -
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Why first watched for that particu-
lar automobile 1 don't know-perhaps
because 1t was dark green instead of
red, perhaps because there was room
in 1t 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
had all day, because. you see, was
well and strong, like other people, and
I rode away in the green automobile.
Always wore a pretty long coat
warm days it was soft and silky. and
cold days 1t was soft and furry-and
| the prettiest hat and a pale blue veil
with long ends, just like the other la
dies In their autos. Really, though,
after once flew 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
1t 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 1 was too old to play such
LII.
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. 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
knew 1t would, the green automobile
came flashing round the corner from
the city.
I leaned out as far as / could. /
waved my blue shawl. The man in
the automobile must have been look
ing my way that time, for almost at
onoo he' starpad- nointed 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 a large square
-. m, l.. Ii -.
again, and away he went round the
corner out into the country.
Billy came running to me.
mister said," said Billy, banding
me the package, "ter give this ter
you"
ITO meT,
"Yep, fer the little goil on the porch.
mister said. An he guv me dime"
I 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 1t back" said moth
er. Her voice was so stern scarcely
knew 1t was mothers. Then cried,
1t was bad enough to have no way of
thanking the man In the automobile.
I 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 it was the auto. l tried to move,
but 1 couldn't And Billy had gone
home. The next thing knew the man
| In the auto had stopped In front of
our house.
"Hello, little bluebirdr he cried
"Fly down here and have ride with
me-"
shook my head
you're not bluebird? Well, never
mind. Run down, then, and take a
nice ride with me. like little girls"
"But I'm not a little girl at ALL"
cried. "Pm 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 so much bigger
and stronger and taller than I'd
thought. He almost filed the space
back Of the vines. he looked down at
me, very little and lame and ashamed
there in my wheel chair.
on came his cap.
"pm SO sorry," he said. For min
ute he didn't say anything else. just
stood looking down at me. Then he
went on. "You Just must forgive me
somehow. was rude, impertinent,
stupid, everything ought not to have
| BEEN"
"You thought was little girl?"
said.
Il wasn't SO far wrong there, was I?
You're grownup little girl. that's
all. But what did you do with the
doll and the picture books, Miss
Kathleen" said before thought.
There had never been any one to call