The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-07
The Euenir,g Story

ne EUG5ttSt8 0tOIY
The Shortest Distance.
(By Richard b. Shelton.)
Tnere was jam at the crossing.
The traffic squad officer held up an
authoritative arm. Street cars and
motors slowed down or came to a halt.
On the outskirts of the jam Eleanor
Vance sat in the slow-crawling limou-
sine and watched the many moving
figures in the gray March dusk. The
lights inside the limousine had not
been switched on. for Eleanor in these
rides uptown was fond of watching the
hurrying thrOngs in the streets and on
the sidewalks, and with the light off
she could see out very much better.
Slowly the limousine threaded its
way into the waiting jam and then
came to q full, stop.
Scarcely had 1t done so when the
door was pulled open. a big young
mar, muffled to the chin in a heavy
coat, got in and seated himself on the
cushions beside her. She could not
get q good glimpse Of his face. but,
since he might be any one Of a hum
dred or SO young men. the girl greeted
him laughingly:
'Oh, hello, Tom, or Bob, or Billy, or
Fred! Or is it Harry. or Jimmy, or
Dick 20
Jimmy is right" said the new
conner.
Jimmy" she said rather coldly. "I
know only one Jimmy-that's Jimmy
Vance. You're much too big for him."
I'm Jimmy, just the same," said
the man beside her.
At that moment the traffic squad
man waved his arms again and all
about them the various vehicles began
to move. With the rest Eleanor's
ing street and went whirring away up
town.
Eleanor calmly reached for the
switch and turned on the lights. She
was not in the least alarmed; she was
curious. Nor did she any more than
stiffen slightly when she beheld the
muffled young man beside her was an
utter stranger.
The flashing up Of the lights above
their heads disclosed two things to her
that he was perhaps thirty and that
he was extremely good looking. De-
spite his rather hard eyes and the
cleancut, powerful jaw, there was
about the mouth hint Of gentleness,
even tenderness.
But she looked at him very coldly
as she said quietly: For your sake.
I shall assume this is a mistake, and
will let it go at that
She reached for the speaking-tube
to bid her chauffeur stop. But this
out a hand, and somehow he con-
trived, without seeming to be unduly
rude, to take the tube from her hands.
'Tn admit I'm an utter stranger and
quietly. .But I'd like to explain be-
fore 1 get OUT
'fweli?' she said, without overmuch
enthusiasm or encouragement.
I'm Jimmy. all right" said he:
Jimmy Barrows. of-of-oh. any
where Most any place will do. I've
been knocking around the earth and
all the corners thereof for the past ten
years."
sYes." she said, and her tones were
icy.
He looked at her suddenly. "And I
have come from the ends OF the earth
to ask you to marry me-" he said'
quite calmly.
Eleanor Vance had been trained in
the school which can successfully re-
press its personal emotions, but Just
now she gave a very quick and q very
startled gasp of amazement.
The man beside her smiled. There
was something reassuring in that
smile. No insane person certainly ever
smiled like that.
There's a traffic cop on this next
corner we're coming to-" said he. You
might have me thrown out OF here for
annoying you"
Eleanor bit her lips, "1t won't be
yourself, with no fuss whatever, I'm
sure"
The muscles along that nghting jaw
frightened. Mot until I've told you
what I've come to tell you." said he.
Really. hadn't you better speak to the
officer?'
mo" said she, with spirit: Don't
make the mistake OF thinking I'm
afraid of you"
s.Goodness! 1 hope notr' said he
contritely 'sWin you listen to me?'
'Have 1 any other alternative?"
He shrugged his shoulders. The Of
hcer," he suggested.
Then say whatever you have to say
and say it quickly
He smiled quite at his ease. appar-
emily. "As say, I'm Jimmy Barrows,
of-well. just the world" said he. I'm
fabulously rich. but that doesn't mat
rich, too. Only I've made mine all my
self, with these two hands.
''Tm not interesting you! he ended
suddenly.
Immensely" said she. with fine sar-
He seemed not to have heard. but
continued: Whatever have under
taken to do in this world. have done
so far; and whatever I undertake I
shall always expect to accomplish.
have done it by the shortest distance
between two points-always a straight
line. Two months ago in Cape Town
saw your picture in an old magazine.
came here as soon as could. Tonight
i was IN the car just DenluQ your IN Lue
jam. I asked my chauffeur. who is q
regular animated Blue Book. If the |
lady in the car ahead wasn't Eleanor |
Vance. Then left my car and got into |
yours"
For what purpose?'
"I told you" said he patiently. II
shall ask you to marry me-
'.When?''
''I don't know
He looked out the window Of the
whlrling car.