Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-03-12
HER BIT OF Stiffness
BY KATE ClEvES.

The big yellow car started up the
long incline to Quaker Ridge just as
the little red car stopped on the sum-
nit and glided slowly down the well.
oiled road.
The occupant OF the big car was a
big young man whose strongly marked
features looked very %forbidding unless
one could see behind the concealins
goggles: then the kindliness of the
gray eyes discounted the sterness Of
the lips.
oh" breathed Dulcie Whitmore
from her seat in the little car; its
Elmer Cheshro's ~csr-grud old thing,
Shall l ever forget what Bert Chesoro
repeated TO me? Never He said !
was a cute little kid"
Whereupon Dulcie's little car sud.
denly began to act in the most eccen-
trio manner II wabbled uncertainty
from one side of the road to the other
until the big car came 10 a stand still
half way up the hill and it's occupant
leaped to the ground.
Head ME of, will you?" chuckled
Dulcie at the very moment that the
little red car twisted around and ran
up a slight embankment at the side
Of the road. 1t backed into the ditch
where it gently rolled over TO one
side.
Chesbro snatched the girl into his
arms and carried her to his own ar,
where he tenderly placed her in the
tonneau; then he brought out a pocket
flask and poured some OF the contents
between Dulcie's tightly closed lips.
Whereupon Dulcie promptly choked,
and sneezed. and opened her brown
eyes dreamily and inquired what had
happened.
You ran your car into the ditch"
explained Chesbro. DO you feel pain
anywhere"
Dulcie shook her head.
There's only one thing to do" said
Chesbro to himself; and that is to
take her to the nearest house and
summons a physician"
Bracing her about with cushions,
Chesbro sprang to his steering wheel
and started his car gently up to the
summit of Quaker Ridge. The first
open gate led into the grounds sur.
rounding a red gabled cottage, and In
five minutes Elmer Chesbro was car
rying the limp little form up the stairs
of the cottage and into a chintZ-hung
chamber.
The two little old ladies who had
admitted him had screamed at once
at sight of his unconscious burden.
Why, it's Dulcie." shrieked the
gray-haired one. Telephone for Doc.
tor Vann at once, SARAH"
Then. you know Miss Whitmore?"
asked Chesbro ~curiously as he turned
away.
She is our grandniece-I knew she
would come to some harm with that
wicked little red car! Tell me how it
happened-Biddy, bring me another
basin of cracked ice!"
Chesbro related the astonishing &C.
cident-how the red car had been com
ing smoothly down hill when it sud.
denly began to wabble to and fro and
finally ran up the embankment. throw
ing Miss Whitmore to the ground.
Miss Hannah thanked him and
back to the little red car which he
managed to right with the help of a
passing farmer, and presently the big
yellow car was towing the little red
car up to the cottage where he had
learned that Dulcie was visiting her
aunts.
Miss Hannah Lees met him in the
veranda.
The doctor says there isn't a bone
broken-nor even a bruise. She
seem to be suffering from shock!
Oh, dear, why will girls attempt to do
such reckless things! In my day
we wouldn't dream of running IA
wheelbarrow!"
Was Miss Whitmore a skilful driv.
err" Chesbro asked.
She is considered sol have been
told that she Is very careful but some
thing happened last week-that made
me change my mind"
And that was?"
She took young Enderby Dawson
for a spin Gas she called it) in the
car. For some reason Dulcie does not
appear to like Enderby, although he
is a most proper young man and has a
perfect horror Of automobiles, but
she persuaded Enderby to go. and
when he returned he said that his
nerves were shattered"
What happened?" asked Chesbro,
with interest.
Il don't know all that happened,
but it seems that the wicked child
made a wager with Enderby that she
could drive the a up the embank-
ment by the buttIfnut tree"
BY the butternut tree?" interrupt
ed Chesbro quickly.
"Yes-up the ~embankment and
down again without accident. OF
course he protested against such a
reckless risk OF life and limb, but
Dulcie did it safely; but when they
returned Enderby declared he would
never ride with her again and he has
gone back TO town, although we all
Demagogic Wall Not New.
There are persons who constantly
rIamor. They COMPLAIN OF oppresgIoD.