Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-01
something. Perhaps she could sell it.

something. Perhaps she could sell IT.
She wrote to the lawyer to send it on.
One morning it arrived at the sta
ton and she had it brought home at the
end of the cartman's truck. He got II
| into her barn and there it stood. 1t
| was a peculiar-looking car. almost
| white in color. On the doors was Aunt
Abigairs monogram. 1t was so big
i, and heavy that Celia was almost afraid
of it. But after a week or SO she got
| used to seeing it in the barn.. She
called it the white elephant.
The neighbors were very curious Some
who had scarcely noticed Celia hitherto
| began to talk to her now. The Whites,
| next door, who had a car of their own.
| new that spring, came over to look at
Celia's.
THAT cost lot Of money! Mr.. White
! said as he examined it critically.
How much will it sell for?' demanded
Celia, with swift hope.
II don't know as you could sell 1t
round here It's a seven passenger and
| an old model Why don't you learn to
run it yourself? It's in good shape
Celia gasped and flushed. Gould I?'
she appealed.
Sure" replied George White. I'll
teach you.
So one evening Celia and the Whites
went to the fair grounds, where, on the
unimpaired mile track. George put the
white elephant through her PAGES. Celia,
at his side, watched eagerly. After a
while she allowed herself to be per-
suaded to take the wheel.
Within a week she could run the car
reasonably well. and she felt increasing
confidence in herself. She dreamed Of it.
roads perfect. One morning she took
the car out alone. For the first time In
her life she felt exhilaration, joy, triumph
in living. The machine obeyed her like
a living thing. She could make it fly or
crawl. She was gone for hours. and
when she came home she was hungry,
happy, excited. She looked at her snnil-
Ing self in the glass and wondered.
II guess I'm crazy" she laughed. AT
this rate I'll have to put a mortgage on
the place to buy gasoline
1t was then she had her great inspira-
ton. In that weeks paper appeared an
advertisement which set gossip agog. 1t
said modestly that Miss Celia Twain
her car every morning and afternoon at
25 cents an hour each special rates for
the day.
It was not long before Celia had her
hands full of patronage. The White
Elephant was proving it's worth. Some
nights she had as many as sixteen quar-
tiers in her black handbag, and when
she jingled them she felt almost as rich
as though she were Aunt Abigails heiress
in very truth.
Fresh air, excitement and interest in
life and unlimited human companionship
did wonders for Celia that summer. She
became Independent. self-reliant, cheer
full. And when in the first cooling days
of fall she donned a thick red sweater
and cap she looked. with her new. healthy
color, almost pretty.
One day Justus Linden held Celia up
on the street and asked her if she
wouldn't take his mother riding. He had
sprained his wrist cranking his own car,
and. as he couldn't run it until his arm
was well, his delicate mother missed her
daily outing. Celia added Mrs Linden
to her list. and on two or three occa-
sions she took Justus also. His mother
felt safer, she said, when he was along.
So Justus came back into Celia's life,
and this time he came to stay. Some
times when she had let the White Ele-
plant out to top speed she felt as If her
happy thoughts were going faster. And
she was glad that Aunt Abigail had kept
back the money and given her instead
-FOUR wheels with which to overtake her
happiness.
(THE END.)