Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-13
In An Automobile

When I.ynn's mother saw him come
racing down the street and fling him
| self through the gate and up the front
steps. she knew that something had
| happened. N.r
Mother! Mother" he shouted. II am
| going to have ride in it this after
noon." p....
| She did not need to be told what ut"
was There was only one automobile In
| the whole town, and Lynn's dearest
| wish for two months had been to TRY
how it felt to be in it,
Now I am going to know. Mr.. Dun
can has invited me-"
why did he invite you-' asked his
mother.
"Oh, just because he did. Maybe he
knew how much I'd like to go, and he
remembered when he was boy and
wished something very hard"
! Does he know where you liver
Yes. He asked me. He Is coming for
me at three o'clock. Won't it be fine for
the automobile to be standing right
outside our gate?"
Soon after dinner Lynn was impa-
| tient to get dressed and be ready. BY
! two o'clock he had his best clothes on,
| and them you see, he had to be very
ready" by three. So he sat down on his
/ handkerchief on the curbstone to wait.
BY and by Harry Deems came along
and talked to him. ..,-
! Where are you going?" asked Harry.
! Il am going with Mr.. Duncan in his
automobile" said Lynn. trying to
speak as if he did it often.
HIM" cried Harry Aren't you
glad?"
Lynn nodded.
Il wonder" Harry went on, IF Mr.
Duncan's dog is all right. l found him
way off by the pond the other night all
wet and cold, and his foot was hurt.
put him under my coat to try to keep
him warm. but he shivered the whole
way home"
Harry still talked, but Lynn did not
hear q word that he said. He under
stood now why Mr.. Duncan had invited
him.
But he did invite me. didn't try to
get him to: he just did. It wasn't my
fault. I couldn't help it. He said some
thing about his dog. But didn't under
stand it,
He wished that Harry would go on
away. He mustn't be sitting there when
Mr.. Duncan came.
Suddenly voice spoke out plainly
from somewhere deep down under
Lynns Sunday jacket. 1t was very
scornful voice.
"Of course you couldn't help it when
you didn't understond; but now you do,
and you can just as we'll as not. If you
pretend to be another boy from your
self, that is cheating. If you take
Harry's ride that is stealing"
Lynn jumped up from the curbstone
and took Harry by the arm.
GO right home" he shouted to him,
land get dressed! Hurry! There'll be
plenty Of time if you hurry. It was you
that Mr.. Duncan wanted to take in his
automobile. He made a mistake be-
tween u.s. That's all. When I grow up
I am going to have sense enough to tell
boys apart"
When Harry got the idea, he held
back little. But Lynn was determined:
ITS yours. 1t was meant for you. |
am not going to take it from you. You
wouldn't. You know you wouldn't.
Would you?"
This was why. when the big cream
colored automobile stopped at Lynn's
gate, Mr.. Duncan found two boys
standing on the curb
Lynn explained.
II mixed you up. did I?' said Mr..
Duncan, screwing his eyes into twink
ling Sits as he looked from one boy to
the other. You are not just alike, aft
er all. suppose your mothers can tell
you easily. Well. get in. The machine is
big enough for you both"
$50 didn't lose thing by it." Lynn
told his mother afterward.
But you gained something" she said
YES" agreed Lynn.