Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-25
Evening Star S
Daily Story
ILLOGICAL REASONS


Flanders declared with almost boyish
enthusiasm to the girl beside him in
the roadcar
Thula Desmond turned her eyes
from the winding river they were
skirting, laid one of her small hands
lover the big one which was nearest
her ON the steering wheel
I'm so glad, Tom" she said.
Think OF it! I'm To build my first
bridge. Do you think you'd like Ar
gentina, Thula?" he asked.
She looked at him steadily, but the
blood mounted her smooth checks;
also a certain quick light sprang into
her dark eyes II don't know. Tom
Why"
Tom seemed very much Interested
at that moment in the dial of the
speedometer before him. At least, he
kept his eyes glued to it.
Well you see" said he, evidently
not wholly at his ease. the boss be-
lieves in married men; in fact, he
practically insists on a man being
married before he gives him very
much responsibility. He has made it
pretty plain to me that I'd better be
married before | start on the job. So
it seems perfectly logical, Thula.
doesn't it'll say it seems perfectly
He had looked up from that fasci-
mating dial of the speedometer
Something in her face brought him
stammeringly to pause. I'm try
ing to ask you to marry me-" he said
at length.
For some few moments her eyes
We're on the flying roadway. Even
when she spoke her eyes did not meet
his. Il wouldn't. if l were you, she
| said quietly
Wouldn't, Thula? Why not2p
| You'll simply draw refusal.
You mean you won't marry me2'
That's the impression / intend to
convey"
He slowed down the car. They
moved along at a veritable crawl.
He was whistling tunelessly between
| his teeth.
You don't think you'd like il
| down there in Argentina, Them
II haven't said So" she replied.
81 think ia like it very well. I'm
| not a sticlSler for places, anyway. l
can be happy in almost any old place
with the right people"
Il take il then I'm not the right
people,
Il haven't said that. either, have
IL" she asked sweetly.
Look here said he, 'the boss
wants a married man ON every job
requiring responsibility. have Just
been offered the chance of my life in
such a job. Isn't that the most
logical reason in the world why l
should ask you to marry me-"
II see that it is the most logical
reason in the world why you should
be asking some one to marry you,
but not necessarily me-
He started the car ahead with a
vicious jerk. lie grunted something
under his breath. Then you won't
marry me, Thula?"
mol"
The car went ahead even faster
after that They swung into the
they whirled He stepped from the
car and helped the girl out.
THANK you for such a nice aft
ernoon, Tom" said she.
He started to say something, evil
IDENTIFY thought better of it and bit
his lips over the words.
Lets see, when do you leavc?"
she asked -.s---.-
'srhe thirtieth"
'I'll see you, of course, before you
go"
81 haven't gone yet" he said
roughly, and, getting into the car
again, he went down the drive in a
great whirl of dust
Can you beat that" he COM
lplained to the stone gate posts that
shot past him. "How can man ever
be sure of girl? | always supposed
when made good Thulal wouldn't
hold me off any longer. WE'LL hang
i'their job If | can't have it without
marrying, and she won't marry me,
l1'll chuck it,"
He found himself at length on the
old turnpike leading to the city. He
left the car out to its best speed. He
had made up his mind on a certain
point and he wanted to have it over
! and done with.
He did not see Thu1a Desmond for
two full weeks. Then one evening
just al dusk, as he was coming home-
| ward from the city in his car, he
heard a wee, small voice hailing him
from the roadside.
I'm just running over to your
mothers" said 1hLla. You might
ask me to ride over with YOU"
"By all means" said he. Get in"
II was going over TO say good-by TO
YOU said she
you don't have to do that said
he, and then. realizing that she had
not caught his meaning, he went on:
you won't have to say good-by, be-
cause I'm not going"
Not goingl" she repeated blankly.
self. it was a splendid chance--tile
chance Of lifetime, and
| Exactly" said he "lSut | happen
to see fit TO throw up this chance OF a
| lifetime"
why" she asked.
! "The reasons are perfectly logical
said he "To have the job / have to
be a married man. The only girl I
care about won't marry me-"
Down the road they went. turned
into the winding white way that
slSirted the river and rolled along be-
meath the poplars
"They can have their old job" said
he. IT know what | want and what
don't want | wanted--I still want
Ito marry you. WE'LL il you won't
have me. it's all off. I'm not going
to marry somebody else and spend
whole lifetime regretting 1t just for
the sake of this chance-good as IL
is. There'll be bridges to build some
where else. / imagine"
| He did not notice that she was pick
| ing nerVously at the fingers of her
| gloves. But he did know her eyes
sought his and were quickly lowered,
while the red stole higher and higher
| in her cheeks.
tom" she said in the faintest OF
| voices TASK me again TO marry You"
| "Huh' said he bringing the car
up so short they were both in immi-
nent danger of shooting headlong
over the radiator
| ASK me-"
"Well-of all-say. Thula, viii you
will you really?'
! Yes"
Because I've chucked up going to
! Argentina-was that really the rea-
son why you wouldn't have me be-
fore?'
| She shook her head. 81 thought"