The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-07-31
WHY HE
SOLD 1T
By RUTH GRAHAM
By RUTH GRAHAM

you have sold your automobile"
II have"
Jones was surprised at the man CIV
ing up the auto sport. for he had beer
an enthusiastic automobilist.
Had an upsetw
mo"
Found it cost too much to keep the
machine in repair, reckon"
Not that. either"
well, then" looking at a handsome
collie that was evidently in Rogers
company, you've set up dog instead
of car as less expensive and more
amusing"
~ sold my auto for 5000. and you
couldn't buy the dog for $4,000"
did you pay that for him?"
mo; didn't pay anything"
Come; what does it all mean?"
Rogers asked Jones into the house
and told the story:
MY friends always supposed from
the speed put on while travelling
through the country on good straight
roads that I was perfectly fearless. 1t
wasn't so at oil. I realized the dan
ger of fast travelling, but enjoyed the
sport so well that | was willing to take
the risk. Fact is, danger always adds
to the zest of sport. The very thought
that l might burst tire at any mo-
ment and swerve into telegraph pole
or stone fence gave me pleasurable
thrill. Besides these was the danger
of some drunken driver coming along
with wild yep and knocking me into
the middle of next week"
We'll" interrupted Jones. which
was it that cured you of AUTOMOBILE
ing?"
who's telling this story-you or IL"
You. Go on"
Nothing broke in my machine and
nobody ran into me. My auto was as
good as ever except for several years
use, and l never had spill while
drove her. l don't know for certain.
but think If had been tossed
through the wind shield and shot
dozen yards forward without getting
killed l would have been all the hotter
for autoing.
"But Pm not getting on with my sto-
ry. I was driving along one day at a
forty mile gait when. looking ahead, l
saw place where the road ran through |
a narrow cut. 1t wasn't turnpike by
any means, but one Of those country
roads in which, when teams meet. one
must pull up In the best place to let the
other pass. The narrow bit was tell
ing you about was Just wide enough to
get through without scraping. On
either side the ground sloped at an an
gle quite capable of overturning a car.
no matter how slow It was moving. /
craned my neck 10 see IL any one was
coming that l would meet in the cut.
didn't see an auto or a wagon. but l
did see something that sent a cold
chill through me-a little child tod
ding about right In between the two
banks.
1T was near dark. and I didn't see
what was in the way till was almost
on It gave warning foot. but 1t
1idn't even attract the child's atten-
ion. 1t was so young that couldn't
tell whether 1t was boy or a girl. but
BY its dress concluded 1t was girl
She was making a dirt heap in the
'oad. As to age, she must have been
between two or three years old.
$50 much went through my mind In
| few seconds that it seems there
wasn't time for 1t all. / knew there
must be house near by or the child
have been there. / glanced
o the right and the left and on the
eft saw a small cottage about 200 feet
rom the road. How I did long for
ONE one to run from the house to get
he child out Of my way! But when l
aw her there wasn't time for any one
0 go over half the distance. looked
t the right bank to see If it would
o possible to run up over 1t without
ny machine turning turtle. There was
o possibility of climbing it without
ding over on the child, If not on my
CiA' AhC iSLL was WOISe ludn L
he right.
1--WE heard what an awfu. strain it
; on locomotive engineer to run
own human being, but had no con-
option of the horror of it till now.
put on my emergency brake, or tried
}, but was so ratified that lost time II
l getting my foot on ii. By the time II
was pretty near the child was 60
lg slow enough, but-great Scott
hat difference does it make how slow
ou're going when you run over soft
tile bundle Of flesh like that?
81 had given up all hope when of a
ldden saw yellow streak making !
'om the house to the child It was a
Dc, and I've never seen train or an
nto that seemed to get over the
round so quick. He made bee line ii