The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-01-16

as the shower was doing its smartest.
he came abruptly TO the end Of his
road-up against a stone wall lying
alongside a row OF great trees. This
was luok-there was not house in
si-ht and he was hungry and in dan
ger of drenching. AS he alighted and
set his motorcycle up against the
fence, he felt decidedly lonely There
was no one to talk to and he was miles
away from his stopping place-and
hungry. AS he seated himself under
the tree, he thought he heard a litter.
The sound was so elusive at first that
I II was as an echo In his memory-a
/ part of the old life where tittering girls
abounded The litter was repeated,
then II broke into a laugh. He looked
I up, A pair o, roguish blue eyes looked
down into his. There was q quick
thrill as OF an old experience, and a
musical voice came down to him.
What are you doing down there,
Mr., Man? Why don't you come up
here and keep out of the rain?" Rich
ard sprang up. He regretted that he
was not so agile as he used to be, but
he was on the stone fence and among
the branches of the tree in less time
than Il takes to tell of II. He found
himself face TO face with a girl of six
teen, or thereabouts. She was tall and
fair, with an air of friendliness he did
not care to resist. They both laughed
and she handed him a sandwich from
the paper bag out of which she was
eating They were both perfectly at
home. There was provoking old
memory in the situation for the man
something elusive and as If he had
been there before. The girl seemingly
had no thought but that of serene com
fort
Richard had not noticed that the
sun was shining again, until she called
his attention to It, 81 must be going"
she said, and suiting the action to the
words, she slid down to the stone wall
and was gono. Richard rubbed his
eyes-had he met with a real dryad |
and had she vanished? No; there she |
was, down the road waving him a
good-by, Then she really vanished |
and only the road stretched out the |
way he had come
He mounted his cycle and motored |
after her. He turned at the first di- |
verging path and came upoa an old |
farmhouse. This then was the home
of this nymph of the trees. He
knocked at the door and was met by .
an angular, hard-worked woman with .
a wisp of hair twisted tight in the
back and a ragged, not too tidy, gown
These seemed to be her distinctive
points. Could this be the mother of
his divinity? The woman looked at
him suspiciously-he must say some
thing. He asked for the usual drink
Of water She brought it to him in a
tin dipper and waited. He asked if
he might have some of the flowers
that grew by the walk
"Them's my daughters" the woman
said. She'll be here come supper
time"
May l stay for supper?" Richard
asked I'm hungry-Tll pay what
It's worth"
The woman said Yes" and went
about her work, leaving him sitting
IN the front steps He sat somewhat
Incomlortably and waited for the
Richard Dudley, erst.
while woman hater.
In an hour by the clock the daugh-
.er came. The mother caught sight
If her from afar. There she is" she
said Iaconically.
Richard strained his eyes. But it
vas not she-it was only a smaller ,
edition of the woman who had met
lin at the door He asked for the {
lowers, got them and went He went
o his hotel and investigated no more
'oads for days
Finally 1t occurred to him that if he
lid not expect to become a confirmed i
diot he had better get back to ma l
ure. He got out his motorcycle and
vent chugging off-not in a new di-
'ection al all, but down the salf-same /
Dad Of his unusual experience. He {
lad ridden for long time without S
meeting a single human disturber, and G
vas going on at a great rate, when he L
vas brought to an abrupt standstill by
/ burst Of grlish laughter. In fact
here were several peals and a shrek r
Ahead Of him on the road a huge1
motor car had met with some mishap. S
There were several persons standing @
md a young chap was under the ma t
.hine. If Richard Dudley loved one t
hing more than another, it was a c
curing car. He hadn't known this s
,efore, but now he anticipated an at b
ack and a mastery. a
What has gone wrong?" he asked, t
up. g
The young man crawled out, dusty !
nd crestfallen. 1t was plain to be h
cen that Ne knew nothing much c
bout motors. &
"Oh, do help US. please" chorused
he girls. V
Richard took one glance-he was .
ure one Of the girls smiled ironically, L
nderstandingly. 1t was she OF the d
lue eyes, of the golden hair, of the :
ong, 1.-THE, utterly distracting figure. =
He crawled under the machine.
here was really almost nothing the
natter. He rose solemnly Il don't
now" he said How far is it to the