Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1916-11-02
CANFIELD'S ADVENTURE
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

htluJ DuL ulu yOu 0tC uu titphdLa
go along this way2"
The girl turned and regarded him
seriously. 81 don't remember" she |
answered. "Perhaps did. may have,
but you see, so many elephants go by
early in the morning that really don't
notice them particularly. Was your
elephant any special kind-pink or
striped or something like that?"
Garfield laughed and the girl, put
ting down her pan, laughed too.
"Really I've never heard of anything
so funny. How on earth did you hap
pen to lose an elephant? How, in the
first place, did you happen to have him
at ALP
"Just because I'm a silly ass! Van
Kleek and 1 were motoring through a
village near here and it happened to
be circus day. 1t seems business had
been bad and while we were having
lunch at the hotel we heard that the
whole outfit was being sold by the
sheriff. Van Kleek and / hurried
over and he dared me to buy the trick
elephant. got him for twenty-five dol
lars. And then some imp out of Hades
put another notion into Vans head.
I'll bet you five thousand dollars said
he, that you're not game to ride the
rest of the way on this peanut-eating
beast into the borough of Manhattan
and up Fifth avenue to-" Garfield
stopped in confusion.
"TO where?" she demanded.
"To a friend of mine," he finished
evasively.
"NIay help you hunt?"
"Nothing I'd like better" His face
lighted up instantly.
Suddenly he gave a whOop. "Look
here, quick! Here are his tracks,
about as big as a washtub! Come on!
Up this way. Let's hurry!"
They followed the trail up the beach,
then across grassy swamp to grove
of young saplings.
81 believe hear him." he whispered.
There was a crashing among the trees.
"Mercy, I'm getting terribly fright
ened. wish hadn't come"
He reached for her hand and held on
to it. "NOw listen. He won't hurt us
if we just keep still. He's used to
people. Picks 'em up and carries them
all around in the circus. If he spies
us let him alone and see what he'll
do"
Sure enough the elephant came their
way. The girl gripped Canfield's hand
hard, but she didn't make sound. The
animal, seeing them, cantered up and
stopped. Then gently he wrapped his
trunk around Canfield's companion,
lifted her over his head and set her
carefully in the gilded box on his back.
Then Garfield, too, felt himself lifted
off his feet and the next instant he was
beside the girl.
well, this is what call homelike,"
exclaimed Garfield. "If we'd only
brought some Of that bacon. I'm hun
CRY as a bear"
where do you suppose he's going?"
cried the girl, for the elephant had
started off toward the road at gentle
lope.
Let us hope to the Bronx Zoo. Any
place toward civilization and food"
He had forgotten that he was to pre-
sent himself at the door of a certain
lady. He turned and took a good look
at the girl beside him, slim and grace
full in a blue sweater suit, her light
brown hair blowing in little curls
around her ears and forehead, and the
| flush of exercise and excitement in
her cheeks. She was very, very pretty
His hand still tingled where she had
| touched it. She raised her eyes sud-
denly as if to speak, then, seeing his
own upon her, she dropped them,
flushed deep red and was silent.
"What were you going to say?" he
asked.
"Fn tell you some time again. You
are going to be very, very angry
when 1 tell you, so I'd rather post
pone it."
Promise to tell me some time"
"Yes. Look. Here's a car"
''Van Kleek! And somebody with
himw
The car stopped and, strange to say,
the elephant stopped, too. Van Kleek's
companion got out and slipped chain
on the elephants legs.
'Hello, Rusty, old bOyw said the
man.
THANK heaven, you're SAFE" called
Van Kleek. II worried over that fool
bet till couldn't sleep. Come on down
I out Of that. You've won! Let his
owner take him, for goodness sake"
Then Garfield heard the girl give
a queer little click with her tongue.
The elephant reached up with his
trunk, took her gently around the body
and set her on the ground. Then he
did the same with Garfield.
"Sort OF family reunion, isn't it,
father" said the girl, leaning her head
against the mans arm and looking mis-
chieyOusly at Garfield out of the cor
ners of her eyes. Lets all so down
to my tent and have breakfast"
II second the motion" assented Can