The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-21

MAKING
HISTORY
Only II Pertained to Two !
Persons Instead of .
a Nation
By ALAN HINSDALE

changing scenery. The spring had de
veloped into summer; the leaves Oh th,
trees were full blown, birds were sing
ing in the trees, a range Of distant hills
stood soft and mellow against the
horizon, light, feecy clouds sailed
laxily over an azure sky.
am one Of those who love to ride
slowly, that may see each vista, eac..
landscape, near objects. enjoying them
while look. l have no patience with
those who must be always tearing
| along so rapidly that no sooner does
one get an eye on green velvet slope
with cattle feeding upon 1t than, pres.
to! 1t has vanished and e
taken by ragged height "o"C"o@ III,
scrub trees. past which TIE read r,or
be so uneven as to require a three
mile an hour gait. Such drivers Will
get over twenty miles Of beautiful
scenery in jiffy, to drag and jolt
along beside quarry or street lined
with novels.
On this summer morning Of which
speak my heart had been warmed by
the beautiful fecked sunlight beside
the road, and l felt especially char.
table toward all the world. l was mo-
toring along narrow dirt road, but
extremely smooth, lined with broad
space Of turf on either side to the
fences. when l saw before ME a femi
nine figure whose lines and dress indi-
Gated that she was a young girl. She
was carrying a satchel Of ample dimen-
sions on her arm and used staff.
When l came up with her l brought
my machine almost to a standstill, she
turned her face toward me, and I no.
ticed that 1t was comely.
Shall give you lift?" asked
Thank you, sir. have far to 60 and
am aweary," she replied with that
Scotch accent which in woman Is
especially musical, though from a man
the words usually come like bullets
from the muzzle Of n pistol.
She was about to climb into the rear
seat when opened the forward door
and she took the seat beside me.
Where do you go?' asked.
Il dinna know at present." she an
swered. II am to meet my brother at
Medbury. Where we shall 60 from
there Gamma tell
l got out my road map, asked the girl
to unfold 1t and while held the wheel
with one hand held the map with the
other. l saw that Medbury was
matter of ten miles as the crow flies.
but 1t was fifteen by road and nearly
thirty by such roads as would be suit
able to an auto.
"At what hour do you expect to meet
your brother?" asked.
This afternoon"
1t was 8 O'Clock In the morning.
was not required to be at any particu-
ar place at any particular time. There |
was plenty Of time to get the girl to |
her destination before she was due t
here. She was pretty, her voice was ,
very sweet, and l saw no reason why
should not enjoy her companionship
or the greater part Of the day instead
If riding alone.
logged along till we came to a fork
the road, and as l was about to turn
nto the right road the girl made a
move to alight, saying that her route
ay over the left road, which was only
lane. ! told her that | would take
Ter to her destination over motorable
Dads, and she consented. Again l ex-
'mined my road map and laid out a
curse involving fifty mile ride. and
ince l preferred slow gait we would
make Medbury at noontime. As We
oiled along l led my companion to
ak about herself, for l felt some Gu.
1osity concerning her. She was not
lressed as farmers daughter. anG.
IL cough her accent was Scotch. It was
lot peasant accent. | could not un-
lerstand why so refined person
mould be trudging along on foot, and
Old not consider the lonely roads a
roper place for young girl to be un.
ttended.
During our conversation she gave
ne her name as Edith MacDowner
Ter rather and mother had come TO
AMERICA from Scotland when she was
bout ten years old, which accounted
or her retaining only portion O. the
ialect Of her native country. Her IA.
her had been a landed proprietor to n
cry limited extent in Scotland and.
aving been seized with the desire to
xtend his possessions. had sold his
roperty and come to America, where
he proceeds Of the sale would pur.
nase more extended domain. But II
Id not appear from what the girl told
le that he had utilized his American
cres except in devoting some of them
the cultivation of fruit.
AS We do not realize that we are
laking history, SO we do not recognize
small events that we are shaping
ur lives. l often revert to that pleas.
Mt summer day when l took into nv
uto for lift girl had never seen
efore, intending at the start to set
er down where our paths divorced.
ow l resolved to make her nv com.
anion for a ride: how she commun,.
ated to me brief statement as to her
'cfal position. 1t was under the
arm sunshine. tempered by a deli
GUS cool Drpaza whiIa xpa -,11o5 49,