The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-07-02

broad highway.
We even went so far as to arrange
for Il jolly reunion in New York city
at no distant day! l remember dis
tinctly that We were to dine ut Sher-
rvs. To ME the day seemed a long
way off.
suppose, being a writer of fiction,
l should be able to supply at this point
in the narrative Il series of thrilling,
perhaps hair raising. encounters with
the enemy in the form of spies, cut
thrOats, imperial mercenaries or what
ever came handiest to the imaEina-
ton. 1t would he a very simple mat
ter to transform this veracious history
into the most lurid of melOdramas by
the introduction of the false and
bizarre. but it is not my purpose to do
so. I mean to adhere strictly to the
truth and stand by the consequences.
Were | inclined to sensationalism 1t
would he no trouble at all for me 10
have TarnOwsy's agents shooting at
our tires or gasoline tank from every
crag and Granny or to have Rosemary
kidnapped by aeroplanists supplied with
drag hooks Or to have the countess
lodged In a village prison. from which
/ should he obliged to liberate her with
battleaX and six shooter. my cOmpen-
sation being a joyous rest in a hospital
with the fair Aline nursing me back to
health and strength and cooling fond
words in my rapaciOus ear the while
l reelected on the noble endowments
of a nature that heretofore had been
commonplace and meek. But no!
None of these things happened, and l
decline to perjure myself for the priv
ilege of getting into the list of "six
best sellers"
So far as l am able to judge there
was absolutely no heroism displayed
during u fight through the hills and
valleys unless you are willing to &C
cept as such a single dash Of sixty
miles an hour which Britton made in
order to avoid a rain shower that
threatened to flank us if We observed
the speed laws.
But wait! There was an example of
bravado on my part that shall not 60
u%nrecorded. l hesitated at first to put
it down in writing, but my sense of
honor urges me t 0 confess everything.
It happened just after that memorable
picnic luncheon in the shady dell. The
countess, l maintain. was somewhat
to blame for the incident. She sug-
gested that we-that is to say. the two
of u%s-explore the upper recesses of
this picturesque spot, while the others
were making ready for the resumption
of our journey.
Shame. contrition. humiliation or
whatever you may elect to call it, for
bids a lengthy or even apologize eX-
PLANTATION of what followed her unfor-
tunate suggestion. l shall get Owe
with it in as few words as possible.
In the most obscure spot in all those
ancient hills | succumbed to an eX-
ecrable impulse to take her forcibly in
my arms and kiss her! l. don't know
why l did it or how. but that is just
what happened. My shame, my horror
over the transcendental folly was made
almost %unbearable by the way In which
she took it. At first l thought she had
SN OOIlCu, SuC Jay . ~ imp dlu uhlC-
sisting in my arms. My only Excuse,
whispered peniteEtly in her ear. was
that | couldn't help doing what l had
done and that deserved to be drawn
and Quartered for taking advantage OF
my superior strength and her gentle
~fOrbearance. Strange to say. she mere
ly looked at me in Il sort of dumb
wonder and quietly released herself,
still staring at me as if | We're the
most ineXplicable puzzle in the world.
Her cheeks, her throat. her brow grew
warm and pink with a just indigna-
ton. Her lips parted, but she uttered
no word. Then | followed her defect
edly. cravenly back to the roadside and
executed an inward curse that would
hang over my miserable head so long
as it was on my shoulders.
Her vivacity was gone. She shrank
down into the corner Of the seat, and.
with her back half turned toward me.
gazed steadfastly at the panoramic val
ley which we were skirting. From
time to time l glanced at her out of
the corners Of my eyes, and eventually
was somewhat relieved to see that she
had closed her own and was doing.
My soul was in despair. She loathed.
despised me. ! could not blame her.
l despised myself.
And yet my heart quickened every
time allowed myself to think of the
act | had committed.
The day was IA glorious one and the
road more than passably good. We
BOWED along at Il steady rate of speed
and shutdown found us about twenty
five miles from our destination. Not
caring to Il the risk of IA prolonged
stay in the town. we drew up at a
roadside inn and had our dinner in the
quaint little garden. afterward pro
ceeding leisurely by moonlight down
the slopiDg highway.
Billy Smith met us six or eight miles
out. and We stopped to parley. He ex
amined the countess skillfully pre-
pared n"rOnOuncod than pen-