Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1912-04-11
CHAPTER /.


street, chung to the arm OF the young
man alongside, as II she were terri
fed at the Iawbreahng, neck-risking
speed. But evidently some greater
fear goaded her, for she gasped;
Cant he go a little faster?"
Cant you go a little faster?" The
young man alongside howled as he
thrust his head and shoulders through
the window in the door.
But the self-created taxi-gale swept
his voice att, and the taut chauffeur
perked his ear in vain to catch the
vanishing syllables.
Whats that?' he roared.
Cant you go a little faster?"
The indignant charioteer simply
had to shoot one barbed glare Of re-
proach into that passenger. He turned
his head and growled:
Say, 90 youse want to lose me me
hcense?"
For just instant he turned his
head. One instant was just enough.
The unguarded taxicab seized the OPP
p~ortunity, bolted from the track, and
flung, as it were, its arms drunkenly
around a perfectly respectable lamp
post attending strictly to its business
on the curb. There ensued a con
densed Fourth Of July. Sparks flew,
tires exploded, metals ripped, two
wheels spun in air and n wheel,
neatly severed at the axle, went reel
ing down the sidewalk half a block
before it leaned against a tree and
rested,
A dozen or more miracles conceded
to save the passengers from injury.
The young man Bc1aa himself stand
ing on the pavement with the IN
hinged door still around his neck. The
young woman's 8Tms we're round his
neck. Her head was on his shoulder.
It had reposed there often enough,
but never before IN the street under a
lamppost. The chauffeur found him
self in the road, walking about on all
fours, like a bewildered quadruped.
Evidently some overpowering need
for speed possessed the young Won
an, for even now she did not scream,
she did not faint, she did not muir
mur, Where am II" She simply said:
What time is it, h%oney?"
And the young man, not realizing
how befuddled he really was, or how
his hand trembled, fetched out his
watch and held it under the glow OF
the lamppost, which was now bent
over in a convenient but disreputable
attitude.
"A quarter to ten, sweetheart.
Plenty Of time fer the train"
But the minister, honey! What
about the Minister"
The consideration Of this riddle was
interrupted by a muiied hubbub Of
yelps, whimpers and canine Mysteries.
Immediately the young woman forgot
ministers, collisions, train-schedules-
everything. She showed her first sign
of panic.
"Snoozleums, Get Snoozleums!"
They CROPPED about in the topsy-
turvy taxicab, rummaged among a
tumble of s%ultcases, handbags, UNI
brellas and minor impedimenta, and
fshed out a small dog-basket with an
inverted dog inside. Snoozleums was
ridiculous in any position, but as he
slid tail foremost from the wicker
basket, he resembled nothing so much
as a heap Of tangled yarn tumbling
out Of a w~ork-basket. He was an In,
dignant skein, and had much to say
before he consented to snuggle under
his mistress chin.
About this time the chauffeur came
proving into view. He was too deep
ly shocked to emit any language Of
the garage. He was too deeply
shocked to achieve any comment more
brilliant than:
THAT mess don't look much like Il
ever was a taxicab, does 1T?
The young man shrugged his Shout
ders, and stared up and down The
long street for another. The young
woman looked %sorrowfully at the
wreck, and %queried:
do you think you can make it go?'
The chauffeur glanced her way
more in pity for her whole sex than IL
scorn for this one type, as he mum
led:
Make it go? It'll take a steam
lch a week to unwrap it from tina
lppost."
ne young man apologized.
%oughtn't to have yelled at you
-le was evidently a very nice younl
man. Not to be outdone in courtesy
the chauffeur retorted:
II hadn't ought to have turned m,
head"
The young woman thought, VIVA
a nice chauffeur!" but she gasped
"Great heavens, you're hurt"
TITS muffin but a scratch on M
t'umb."
Lend me a clean handkerchief
Harry"
The young man whipped out his re
serve supply, and In a trice it was
bandage on the c%haufeur's hand. IN
chauffeur decided that the young won
40 uag t4. ,.cft h. lit yDlu