New Britain herald., 1915-12-01
How Madge Escaped From Harry Un-
 derWOOd.

1 rying toward the door of the omni- l bus on the top of which I was riding, I half rose from my Seat in a wild idea of flight.
 I knew that he intended to join l me- l felt that I could not ride up 1 Firth avenue conspicuously seated up- on the top of bus with this man | by my side.
 But second thought made me stay | where ] was. I could not reach the | street and get away unobserved. He | would meet me coming down. I had experienced enough of his persist l ence to know that he NBuld turn and walk With me wherever I went I 1 was afraid he would urge me to have 1 lunch With him.
 Unreasoning and silly as I felt the feeling to be, yet I really felt safer with him on the top of an omnibus than I would with him on the street. resolved to stay where I was, to treat his appearance in the most mat ter-of-fact way, and to invent an errand in some part of the uptown route of the bus which would enable me to leave him suddenly. So when I heard his deep voice a moment later I was able to return his greeting coolly.
 "Inspecting the Street of the Big Bluff, How do you like it?" He bowed meekingly.
 Very much indeed. Why do you call it that? ?'
 If I could only keep the conversa- tion at this pitch I need not fear any unpleasantness other than the dislike I always had of his presence. ci or,11 buffers to the square foot than any other street in the world"
 Dear Miss Iceberg"
 He stood expectant1y by my seat I had hoped he would take either tbe seat opposite to me or the one behind me, and I had not made room for him. But he laid his hand on the back of the seat as if he were going to sit down, and, willy, nilly, I had to move over.
 The seats on top of the buses are, marrow enough when two slenderly built people share them I am slen der, but Harry Underwood is a big man, tall and massively framed. I shrank over as close to the side of the seat as I could get, but I could :! not escape being crowded uncom- fortably against him.
 NOW we are nice and cosey," he sad audaciously slipping his arm across the back of the seat. ";
 l had made many trips on the om- nlbus in the old cousinly days with Jack. Before we were married Dicky ana mad taken two or three blissful rides upon this seat, or one just like it. ,
 The memory of those rides, the | peaceful and the blissful ones. made this enforced one taken in the com- pany of man I detested, even more hateful than it would have been or dinarily.
 How is Mrs. Underwood this morning?" resolved to take the con- versation into my own hands, and keep it there.
 'Very well, thank you." He put his finger in his mouth and mimicked a small girl repeating a first lesson in courteous answer
 1T am so glad" I said, ignoring his buffoonery. "I was so afraid she would be i'll after her hard work last night"
 'She was bit upset after We got home, but she was all right this morning when she left for the studio."
 I wondered what business or pro- fession this man could have to enable him to stroll idly down Fifth avenue in the late forenoon, while his wife was busy at her studio. I meant to ask Dicky about it.
 But I didn't come up here to talk about Lii, my dear Miss Iceberg" l interrupted him hastily I had no intention of letting our talk get away from me.
 Do you know I experienced a most embarrassing, annoying sequel to our adventure of last night?"
 The speech showed my desperation. ! Ten minutes earlier I could have ! imagined no emergency which would i lead me to retail my experience of 1 the morning. But I was determined not to let this man begin his embar- rassing personalities.
 You don't say!" He was all pre- tended interest. I saw that he imag- ined I had dropped my unfriendly at
 titude towards him.
 'Nicc Little Temper"
 Yes, indeed. The maid brought
 hack the hot water bottle early this
 morning before we were up, and told
 Katie the baby was better"
 Rather ungracious way to return i it ="
 That is what I told Dicky. But
 he said they were probably so upset
 they did not think of convention
 alities.'
 That's just like old Dicky. He
 always has an excuse for everybody ] Yes, I know. But when I tel
 him what happened I think he will
 admit my first judgment of them was
 right"
 "Tell me. I am sure you are all
 ways right"