The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-24
An Exponent That
Failed Of Its
Intended Purpose
By ELINOR MARSH

Emily Roberts was in peck of trou-
Die. Her father was insisting that she
marry Deacon Hardwick, who was
sixty and rich. She loved Gilbert Bit
finger who was poor and worthless.
Emily was not tractable maid. hav-
ing as strong will as her father and
was much more headStrong
Bittinger was where she could not
reach him, or she would have run away
with him. Since she could not run
away with him and her father had ar.
ranged for her to marry the deacon by
certain date, she determined to run
away by herself. The truth is, her IA
Their was violent man, who had
shown symptoms of insanity, and En-
lily was afraid of him.
On the morning Of the day that her
enforced wedding with the deacon was
to take place Emily went out to the
barn, Saddled her cob, which was quite
fleet, mounted him and spurred into |
the road, down which she tore at a |
breakneck pace. Her father caught |
glimpse of her from his bedroom !
window, at which he was shaving, and |
SurmiSed the reason of her going. Tn /
fortunately he was but half shaved /,
and the right side of his face was COW !
cred with lather But he forgot this
and, throwing down his razor, threw
on his coat. and, forgetting to put over
! his shoulders his suspendcrs, which
! were hanging from the rear buttons he
F., ran to the stable, called his man and
! the two i'll a twinkling harnessed his
/ horse to the trap he usually rode in,
and. hketty split. he went after his
daughter
Emily's immediate object was to
put distance between her and her IA
Their. After that the deluge. From
crest couple of miles from her home
she refined in long enough to look back.
Her father was at the time on a rise
about a mile behind her and about to
plunge down into hollow. Emily
turned, gave the horse flashing with
her whip and darted on.
Those were days when automobiles
were coming into vogue for convey.
ances, and before long Emily met with
one of them spinning toward her
When the car and the horse met. En-
lily recognized IN the driver Jim Hast
ings, to whom she had once been en-
gagged, but had dismissed in tiff.
To hn1
a dinner table rugged out for tennis,
without coat or ncckwcar. She had
found fault with him for appearing
at dinner in such costume. He had
not taken his reprimand kindly, and
she became angered and sent him
! for his revenge.
oh Jim she cried father is aft
er me to force me to marry old Dea-
con Hardwick! Turn your auto about
and take me in"
$50 l will If you'll marry me, as
you once promised to do" said he.
Il won't"
"Then get away from your dad the
best way you can
81 consent"
Jim turned his auto about. Emily
dismounted and. leaving her horse nip
ping the grass beside the road. climb
ed into the car beside Jim. In those
days half the cars were on the road
moving, the other half beside the road
stuck. Jim's auto went at a brisk rate
for mile or so; then no mule could
have more resolutely refused to stir
farther. Jim dismounted. examined the
engine and the running gear and fuss
ed with the brakes, while Emily was
mad with anxiety to get on. 1t was
no use trying to persuade the mechan-
ical heart to move. 1t would not
bulge In time there was clatter
behind. and the angry father, one half
of his face very red and the other half
very white, alighted from the trap
and, his suspenders dangling under his
coat, hurried to the auto
Flows ths9' he said, selling jim.
~ thought it was all of between you
two long ago"
$50 it was" said Jim, "but now it's
on uSallI.
at isn't any such thing" cried Emily
holly. "Jim showed by dining with
out coat that he wasn't gentle
man. and | shook him"
wasn't worthy TO be tho son-in-law
: of such a well dressed man as your
dad, eh?'
Emily surveyed her father, at first
with horror; then his ludicrous appear
: ance, despite the serious situation,
brought smile.
: "See here" said the old gentleman
: tartly. you shall never marry that
good for nothing Blttinger so long as |
live. I'll Kill you first. Either you
marry Hastings this very day or youli
marry Deacon Hardwick."
} I'm consent If your dad shall give
you away. just as he IS" said Jim.
r Another smile from Emily. rms
time 1t resulted in a musical laugh.
: "Take your choice" roared the ia
, Their savagely.
hn a