The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-03
The Euening Story
An .AIibi for Bond.
CBy Jane OSBORNE

while your mother and l are
away will be a good time to have the
car put into shape" This remark
addressed by Frank Bond. ST., to
Frank Bond, Jr.. on the eve of the
| formers departure for a weekend
trip to the country was a wet blan-
ket upon the plans that the younger
Bond had been laying for his own
weekend diversion. When the bolt
fell he was driving the car in ques-
ton home from business and to vent
/ his feelings he sounded the horn with
unusual viSor-
There are several little things that
need attention and there will be all
day Saturday to do it in. 1 want to
have those headlights Strengthened
and there is something the matter
with one of the mudguards. OF course,
you wouldn't be thinking of using the
car while We are away" Bond, senior.
/ grinned at his son knowingly. your
mother would be anxious if she
| thought you were driving about by
| yourself. I'll take the car over tic
! Gink's garage early in the morning
| before we start and tell him to have
it in shape by Monday morning"
/ Bond, junior, merely grunted and
turned an unnecessarily sharp corner.
That night he took little interest III
the plans of his elders for their short
weekend trip. His mind was too full
of his own plans that had been frus-
| trated. He had been so confident
when he had laid them before Molly,
and Molly's blue eyes had danced so
merrily as she made plans for the
picnic luncheon which she would pre-
pare with her own fair hands. If only
he hadn't been so sure, if he had only
! Iaf he
could make his exit.
! Should he tell her of his little ruSe
with the, speedometer that he had
/ worked before when he had taken her
out-te!I her that he had disconnected
| the instrument with a shoestring so
that parental eyes would not see the
telltale marking of miles.
To telephone the message was out
, OF the question, so, with the eXplana-
/ ton that he was going down town
for Il while" he sauntered out after
dinner in the direction of Molly's
| house.
Just IS he passed Gink's garage
Bond, junior. had an inspiration-not
a very brilliant one, but one which,
like the proverbial straw, was at least
worth s..atching at.
Frank sauntered into the gloomy.
badly lighted concrete interior care
fully stamping out the cigarette he
had been smoking as he moodily re-
garded the NO Smoking sign. Ginks.
junior, approached him, wiping gaso-
line from kis hands.
Say, Ginks," Frank said. with
what he took to be an interesting tone
of dependency in his voice, the gov
eFnor is going to bring the car around
early in the morning to have some re-
pairs done-nothing that needs to be
done Immediately, but some little jobs.
Listen to me! You can't fix it. You
haven't time. Everyone else is leav-
ing their cars here and your men
wouldn't have time to touch it. In
fact, you won't have room in the
/ garage for it,
Yes, we will said Ginks. junior.
Most every one always has their cars
out on Saturday. In fact, it is the best
time for us.
wake up muttered Bond Il said
you wouldn't be able to fix the car.
and. by the way. any time you
want to use my baseball pass it's yours.
Do you get me %
Ginks grinned. Il get you. Got a
lady friend 20
Never you mind what I've got Just
you take the hint if you know what's
healthy for YOU
well, of course stammered Ginks.
junior. IF the old man isn't in in the
morning I'll see what 1 can do. But
if he is l don't know how I can man
age. I'll tell youth watch for your
l father and when / see him coming I'll
go out and see what he wants. 1
know how you feel about it. Got a girl
of my own"
Rather resenting this piece of IA
miliarity on the part of the young son
of the garage owner, Bond went on to-
ward the home of Molly, and even
from the street he could see her golden
head bent over the yellow-shaded
electric lamp she was taking in
finitesimal stitches on her favorite
needlework. There was an air of
thwarted ambition in Bonds manner
that night that rather egged Molly on
to unusual vivacity and sympathy. On
leaving he remembered the loophole.
r. It's barely possible" he remarked
that the car will be out of commission
tomorrow. I'm awfully sorry. and if
it is I'll let you know very early
Father is going to take it over to the
whether they can do something about
it, and he'll try to have it done in time
for us to make an early start"
How very kind of your father
was MolIy's remark.
The plan of Bond Junior. aided and
abetted by Ginks. Junior. worked ad-
mirably in the morning and Bond,
senior ran the car back into his gar
age without the shadow of a suspicion.
As he left. however, he made note on
an envelope in his coat pocket of the
way the speedometer stood. He felt
half guilty at not being generous
enough to offer the car TO his son for
the day.
Never. never shall 1 allow my son
to marry a girl with that kind of hair"
he had muttered to himself. with what
he took to be coInmendable fatherly
prudence. and as he reached the curb
stone he turned to get a fleeing glance