The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-08-04
p 10
TEN MINUTES
Win TM
Short Story
Writers



credit be L said that he did not rea
ize how frosty his voice sounded
She bowed assent, ami folIowet
him over to the carriage, stanaiu
there while he took her cheek am
/ went Tor her trunk She Was hal
, minded 70 tell him that she ha,
lchangcd her mind aud would take til,
, down train back She coula tell iron
lhis voice that he d.al,lged her Already
. land, knowing Betty Brooks match
making propensities, found II not dii
ticult to guess the reason why
Il WIS iniolerable that she shout
be shut up with this model young mar
lfnr an entire two weeks II would BIZ
liar better TO make All exit while there
WIS yet time, and 10 escape an undig
lniiied defeat
Then she thought OF Belle. ant
lohediently climbed into the buggy
with his assistance He was In nc
pheasant rood as he followed her
land he gave - spirited colts lash
with the whip that sent them flying
tdown the road
II he had hoped to frishten her he
did not succeed, for she merely
lbraced herself against the foot rest
land smiled quietly from under the
nrim OF her hat. He raised the whip
again
| Do you think those colts will stand
lany more punishment she asked,
lquietly, as she laid a restraining hand
upon his arm.
To Tom Brooks that was tile final
Istraw He had had Grace Chalmers
and her many attractions flung at his
head ever since his return from Paris.
Now she has come to spoil the last
Ifwo weeks of his vacation; come to
capture his hand, If not his heart, ii
she possibly could, and here she was
debating to him before he had been
in the carriage three minutes.
He shook off her hand and brought
the lash down on the horses with
stnging force They broke into d run
and would not answer to his frantic
saving Of the reins.
AT best he was but a poor driver,
not 10 be trusted with spirited colts,
newly broken to harness, and he was
desperate The trunk became unEast-
ened from the back Of the buggy and
fell to the road with a crash that urg-
ed the horses to even greater despera-
tion.
Leaning forward, Miss Chalmers
grasped the reins Let go she cried, |
and shamefacedly he
the lines to her.
With firm, gentle hands she hand |
led the fractions pair and, recogniZ- |
ing the mastery of her touch, they !
dropped to a walk, steam
ing and trembling. As soon as the |
road permitted she turned them |
around and drove back to where the |
trunk had fallen II had been bullt |
to withstand Il European campaign, |
and was not broken, bit II was de I
cidedly shamefaced man who lifted It I
back to the wagon and lashed it on /
again
Ii might have been The eXcrtlon
which made his face SO red as he 4
climbed to the seat
Horses are like humans, she said, 4
inietly, rs she rcluquisied ihc feina
dt was very stupid Of me, ne
"but you see
= see" she said, with startling di Il
'eetuess you thought | had come
~ here for the express purpose OF
you, aud YOU were in q bad
There Is no use denying Il" she
vent on, as he made a gesture Of dis
sent. Belle is the dearest woman IN
he world. hat she viii Insist upon
rying to marry off her acquainiances
am as sick of hearing of you as YOU
are Of hearing OF me
hnNp "A
pleasant time this next fortnight rs
o have an understanding before we
each The camp 1t is agreed that
Turing these two weeks we sllail nor
.peal1 OF love Now, breathe freely
md be friendly
For a moment he sat stunned at
Ter directness. then the humor Of the
act saved the situation, and when at
asst they turned into the camp road
Belle Brooks noted with decided sat
sfaction that her guest and her
were upon the most
riendly footing
But as the week progressed she
ad less cause for satisfaction Tor
race gave not the slightest evidence
4 any willingness to wed AID the
erfect understanding between her
elf and Tom grew TO be positive lr-
itation. If Belle maneuvered to
aave them together for a while sne
tole softly back TO find them dis
assing Paris or some equally romah-
k topic.
She was in despair that Grace
.onld not WELD 70 the romance OF the
.oods. and for once. clever tacticiah
s She was. she had found her match
Ter most carefully arranged schemes
.ent for naught TO the growing dls.
omfori OF Tom himself, who found
leir pact an oppressive one.
Now that he knew Grace be was
,rrv for his rudeness, but not q word
love would she permit him to
oeak. hster a dozen attempts he
ave Ii no.. it was Irritating TO have
arnine finger unraised whenever ne
,uebf 10 reopen the discussion
we signed peace treaty she
sminded. "and I shall hold YOU 10
our faith
~But things turned out SO diaeren'-
he protested.
cts your fault. she reminded
rrom the moment I saw you J real
80 how hopeless your sisters amDl-
on was 1 came prepared 20 hke
,u too. 7 had heard much that was
,od. about young Patterson, for IN
who told You that rot?" he de