The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-08
The Eueni,.e Story
On the Roadside.
(By Molly McMaster.

On the Roadside
(By Molly McMaster.>
"nignt was drawing to an omin-
Gus close amidst threatening rain
clouds yet Martha still struggIed with
the spark plug Of her motorcycle, She
was far from shelter and the road
through the country was long and
ieaa Never before. since she had
found herself in 80 helpless a plight.
Sne nad always considered herself
master OF her engine. and yet she was
stranded on lone country road for
| sneer INABILITY to spark that engine
After an hours struggle exaspera-
ton gave place to tears and Martha
crumpled up on the roadside in a par
oxysm of weeping. Had Martha been
less feminine she would undoubtedly
have given her cycle a fling across
the street and marched home bv the
nearest meadows.
In that case. the young man in the
great touring car which swerved
around the corner could not have zone
| to her assistance.
Anything 1 can do?" he called out
as she slowed down. =
Martha raised a face ON which tears
had made little crooked roads of
had been surprised in a weak moment
| and by chauffeur. Martha,s atti-
| tude was decidedly superior when
she made answer to the man who had
o1fered her assistance. She realized
also that she was looking anything
| but attractive with her dusty tear
stained face and angry eyes
oh. ho!" laughed the man not a
whit put out by her manner, II
thought you were man." He glanced
down at her masculine cycle costume
and tard1ly removed his cap.
My clothes are no different from
any one else's!' said Martha wrath
fully.
.Whew! am sorry stopped" said
Calvin Sutcliffe with laughing polite
ness. He turned to start his machine
then as suddenly jumped down and
examined Martha's cycle. There il
no reason why I should permit you to
sit here on the roadside all night even
il you are foolish enough to want to.
1t is going to rain shortly" He paid
no more attention to Martha than II
she had been an obstreperous child
A second later he returned to his car.
| 1t Is all right now" he said.
You are a most detestable person.
! Martha informed him coolly. but
thank you for helping me-
Don't mention it, called Sutcliffe
and whirled off down the dusty road
| Martha was far too angry to watch
him go. A moment later she too was
spinning in the same direction. The
cool air revived her spirits and she
found time to laugh at the predica-
ment which had made of her a most
1
ted her rudeness to the chauffeur not
withstanding his brusque treatment of
her. She wondered where he was en-
ployed and what he must be thinking
of her Certainly her disposition
would not have recommended her to
him, and she hoped he would not cir
culate the story.
| Sutcliffe did not circulate the tale
He did. however. go about trying his
best to find out who the girl was
l vxyt1n ho ho6 hA1v
the number of her license and it was
not difficult after that to find out that
her name was Martha Glover, and that
she was a resident of Douglas Manor.
sutcliffe spent his summers usually
at Port Washington. and 1t was easy
. to make, guarded inquiry about the
/ name of Glover Since he was not q
chauffeur. as Martha had supposed,
but the owner of two cars and a num-
Der of boats, Sutcliffe realized that it
was quite an easy matter to make his
way into the social circle in which
Martha revolved.
1t was at the quaint little clubhouse
at the manor that a. mutual friend
| presented Sutcliffe to Miss Glover.
There was not a glimmer of recogni-
ton in the mans eyes as he shook the
hand extended to him, nor did he seem
in the least overcome by the pleasure
afforded him: He was. as a matter
of fact. frigidly polite and did not
ask for even a fox-trot with her.
| Martha had flushed brilliantly
when. looking up at the stalwart
white flanneled man whom Mrs.
| Goope was introducing to her, she
person. Instantly in her mind she
| was flung back to. the roadside with
a disabled motorcycle and tears and
dust mingling freely on her face. She
not recognized her. yet somehow Mar
tina felt hurt.
She watched him during the even
ing dance with every attractive girl in
the room and she. in turn, flirted out
rageously with each of her partners.
If he observed her Martha was not
aware of the fact. Sutcliffe to all APP
pearances was oblfvious Of her pres
ence in the clubrooms. Toward the
end of the evening he made his way
night to her. The dancing, the men
and flirting lost all charm for Martha.
! and she too. went home.
! During the days following Martha
til twilight. Perhaps she was de-
sirous of fleeing from constant thought
/ of Sutcliffe, or she may have hoped
to meet him in his big car.
The most courageous thing that
| Martha ever did in her life was to
swerve suddenly across the road pre-
cipitating herself and her motorcycle
i into ditch. The idea had suggested
| itself with desperate swiftness the mo-
ment she had seen Sutcliffe whfrling
| toward her in his racing car on that
same part of the road where the pre-
vious encounter had taken place. She
| had felt perfectly sane and rational
until he had appeared in the distance:
| then she had taken her courage In
both hands fully determined to fling
herself across his path.
Sutclfffe jerked his machine to
stop and jumped quickly out ana over
i to the PROSTATE figure by the road
side Picking her up .and recognizing
her his face went white and Martha
ionaned wfd0 her evaa 4he wna