Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-05
ELLEN ADATR IS
SERENADED BY HER
ACQUAINTANCES
The Disastrous Pleasure
Trip Comes to an End, and
She Resolves to Join in
Such No More.
XIX.


nants of the borrowed car half in the
hedge. half in the ditch, and quite a
wreck. | dc not like these curious even
ings spent at wayside inns
Actions speak louder far than words,
and since | have recorded all the actions
OF the night, I will refrain from undue
moralising But ono thing ] must say,
and that is this-out "on party such
as the above, no soft persuasive words
could ever make mo go again!
From a spectacular point of view, that
nvc-mile homeward tramp might have
been amusing Yet even as loolSer-on,
and not a sharer in the game-whch
heaven foroid!-my sense of humor al
most failed me. and felt both tired and
cross.
The merry jests Of "lliddo." like the
brook. despite the fact that men might
come, and men most certainly might go.
went on! In her own eyes. age could
not wither them, nor custom stale their
Infinite variety Yes human rature Is
curious thing,
THE PARTING
At length we reached my quiet lodging
house. dc not like to dwell upon the
parting there. The hour was , a. m, the
neighborhood was still and on the carly
morning air strange sounds of revclry
now broke Tho strange seNtette-yes.
there were six OF thcm-lned UP upon the
pavemcnrs edge. Mere words could never
give the oddness of their looks as they
stood there like scntinels.
Good night, good night" | murmured
hnrf1ailN eft kind of tO
ask me out, ana very many thanks.
hope the car is not too badly smashed!
II was a blessing none of us was hurt
Good night"
They stood there in a solemn row, the
while l hastened upstairs to my room
To my amazement when I gained my
room and looked out through the little
window to the street, they still were
there, and had not moved one inch!
What was the latest scheme evolving in
their brains. | wondered nervously? Why
were they standing there all in solemn
row?
My mind was soon put right upon this
point. y parting hymn of praise now
rose upon the early morning air. The
strange seNtette were bent on serenad-
ing me. No anthem ever sounded like
their song! Each planned to take a diff
ferent part, and all were chanting in a
different key:
Good night. little girl good night!
nope Npu We got nome all Tight
1 will not quote in detail all their song
the gentle ballad costs about ten cents
Let il suffice to say that after what
appeared to me an age, the window Of
a neighboring house flew up with all
celebrity. A large wet sponge went hurting
through the air aimed with deadly aim
at "Kiddo's' toque. 1t proved to be a
bull s-eye, too, and carried devastation in
its train! II caught that chaste "chapeau"
I'm violent broadside and 1t hurled it to
the very dust. Shades of French mil
linery, what fall was there! For to
the vanquished hat there cung a little
bunch of solitary golden curls, which, in
true naval parlance. had refused to leave
the sinking ship! I saw her stoop and
pick the ruin up-also the curls Her
coyness, with her smiles, had fed!
Then. with detected air, the one-time
happy band went off. One hears that
soldiers will go through the flercest bat
ties and will feel no wound, yet little
things may vanquish them at last. Such
seemed the state of things in this cam
paign. For, with the fall of that chapeau,
great Caesar fell
THE MORNING AFTER
The following morning I was very late
in hy arrival at the office, and had a
hehdache all day long. due to the ardor
~ which we had embraced the tele-
ph pole the night before. My fore
fad showed a large, conspicuous mark
Ghere it had struck the metal frame in
front Of the car.
But I felt that I was truly lucky 10
have escaped so lightly from such vio-
lent collision. Moreover l had gained
a new insight into the curious methods
of unearthng pleasure which are so
prevalent among a certain class. Each
TO his own taste; in the future I should
now shun all JOY rides and all parties of
that type. I think the old adage, "Expe-
rientia docet." is very true. One only
learns from sad experience,
Some party kid, some party, eh?' in
uuired the telephone girl with amused
glance at the tokens Of the battle II
could have told you that that fellow
cannot drive a car! 1t was a shame you
got a bump like that upon your fore
head. / hope he feels ashamed of him-
self by now, upsetting every one into a
ditch If I had been right there I would
have tcld him what l thought of him!
He's just a boob and you were far too
soft! I hope he's going to pay the doc
tors bills for every one all roundy"
mo one was really hurt" l said, "al-
though We really had a pretty narrow
shave! l do think that he meant to be
most kind, though, all the same"
"of course ne did, you simple little
kind TO you? OF course, he was Just
dying to take you out, and il was quite
all right for you TO go-but I do think
It was the widest stunt Of his TO 90 TO
my best fellows house wnen he was at
choir practice, and calmly talk his
mother round 10 let him have the car
iust for the evening. II I'd been there
nyself I'd soon have put the lid on any
such idea! You must admit he showed
the greatest nerve, when 70 my knowl-
edge, ne has never driven a car alone
before in all his life!'
stared aghast; then breathed a sigh
of thanirSulness for dangers passed. I'm
40 afraid that he will have to pay a
ereat deal Of money 10 have the car
Repaired. We left it lying sadly bat
tered up" / said. I really did not like
10 think that l had involved him, how
ever innocently and unwttingly in any
you need not worry about tlat. my
dear" said the telephone girl, cheer
fully. you see my fellow owed your
friend SIS anyhow. Besides that, tho
old car was almost useless, and would
never dream of going out in such piece
OF ancient iron. The very children in the
streets shouted when II bumped and
banged along. Once in my life 1 went
Tor a ride in II, and never again for
me- Ny fellow Is well rid OF II, and
heu settle up with your friend by can
.a4in- sbnf old sos debt Pretty tough