Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-02-13
For a Long Time John Valiant Sat
Motionless, the Opened Letter In
His Hand, Staring at Nothing.

~ AllCQ HIS UlidI-WOOQ pipe anu
drew In great breaths of the fragrant
incense. What a pity you. don't
smoke. Chum; you miss such a lott"
After a time he shook himself and
knocked the red core from the pipe
bowl against his boot-heel. Il hate to
start" he confessed, half to the dog
and half to himself. ITO leave any
thing so sheerly beautiful as this!
However, on with the dance! BY the
road map the village can't be far now.
So long, Mr.. BULL"
He clutched the self-starter. But
there was only a protestant wheeze;
the a declined to bulge. Climbing
down, he cranked vigorously. The
motor turned over with a surly grunt
of remonstrance and after a tentative
throb-throb, coughed and stopped dead.
Something was wrong. With a sigh
he flung off his tweed jacket, donned a
smudgy Jumper" opened his toolbox,
and, with a glance at his wrist-watch
which told him it was three o'clock,
threw up the monsters hood and went
bitterly to work.
AT udll past lAIGO In0 investigation
had got as far as the %lubricator. At
four o'clock the bulldog had given 1t
up and gone nosing afield. At half
past four John Valiant lay fiat on his
back, like some d~isreputable stevadore,
alternately tinkering with refractory
valves and cursing the obdurate
mechanism. A sharp stone gnawed
| frnn1faI1xY into Tho ANAL nf hfc honK
and just as he made a final vicious
lunge, something gave way and a
prickling red-hot stab of pain shot zig
tagging from his smitten ~crazy-bone
through every tortured crevice of his
impatient frame. Like steel from flint
it struck out a crisp oath that brought
an answering bovine snort from the
f~ence-corner.
Worming like a lizard to freedom,
his eyes puckered shut with the
wretched pang, John Valiant sat up
and shook his grimy fist in the air.
You silly loafing IDIOT" he cried.
"Thump your own crazy-bone and see
how you like it! You-oh, lord!"
His arm dropped, and'a flush spread
OFOl Lis AoSO W lAO OAOH GOA LIS
eyes had opened. He was g~esturing
not at the bull but at a girl, who
fronted him beside the road, haughti-
ness in the very hue of her gray-blue
linen walking suit and, in tho clear
cut cameo face under her felt cavalry
hat, myrtle-blue eyes that held a
smolder of mingled establishment and
indignation. An instant he gazed, all
the muscles of his face frightened with
chagrin.
IL beg your pardon" he STAN
mered. 81 didn't see you. l really
didn't. / was-I was talking to the
bull"
The girl had been glancing from the
flushed face to the thistly fence-corner,
while the startled dignity Of her feat
ures warred with an unmistakable ten
dency to mirth. He had struggled to
his feet, nursing his bruised elbow,
irritably conscious of his resemblance
to an emerging chimney-sweep. Il
don't habitually swear" he said, "but
I'd got to the point when something
had to explode"
Ony BIG oaAQg 0OA Z AAh0 AhCs
Then mirth conquered and she broke
forth suddenly into a laugh that
seemed to set the whole place aquiver
with a musical ~contagion. They both
laughed In concert, while the bull
paved the ground and sent forth a
rumbling below Of affront and chal-
lenge.
She was the first to " you
did look so funny!" she gasped.
Il can believe it," he agreed, MAX
ing a vicious dab at his smudged ell
bow. 1.-THE possibilities of a motor for
comedy are simply stupendous."
She came closer and looked curious
ly at the quiescent monster-at the
steamer-trunk strapped on the carrier
and the bullying portmanteau peeping
over the side Of the tonneau. lis 1t
broken?"
Merely on strike, I imagine. Are
we far from the ~village?"
about a mile and a half"
"I1l have to have it towed after me.
The immediate point is my traps. !
wonder If there is likely to be a team
passing"
I'm afraid it's not too certain" an
swered the girl, and now he noted the
liquid incubation, with It's slightly
questioning accent, charmingly South
ern. There is no livery, but there is
a negro who meets the train some
times. I can send him IL you like"
You're very good" said Valiant, as
she turned away, land I'll be enor-
mously Obliged. Oh-and If you see a
white dog, don't be frightened If he
tries To follow Won. He's perfect1v