The Winslow mail., 1918-09-06
A Loan Of
a Loan
Copyright, 1917. Western Newspaper Union.
BY ETHEL HOLMES

every branch, but fiction was her ia
vorite. She read Sterne, Fielding
SmOllet and other authors who were
the first English novel writer's, as well
as the best fiction of the nineteenth
century. OF course she was dependent
on the town library for books, since no
private library could supply her re-
quirements for week. She was chum-
my with the librarian, who favored her,
notifying her of the return to the H.
brary of any book she wanted that had
been taken out.
Miss Winters was not wealthy, and
since she expected to spend her life
reading desired a husband who had
sufficient means to enable her to spend
her time in that way. She had decided
on the man she wanted. He was Bob
Shackelford with an income Of twenty
thousand dollars. Mr.. Shackelford had
just been graduated from college.
Bob was fond of Miss Winters, but
not fond enough to bring matters to a
head and ask her to be his wife. When
he wanted some one to spend an eve
his auto he had only to telephone Le-
ona Winters and a companion was pro-
vided. But the matter of giving up his
independence by marrying her had
never entered his head.
1t had entered Leona's head and
found lodgment there. But how to
turn Bob into lover was problem
she was unable to solve.
One afternoon Bob had called to
take Miss Winters to ride and was
waiting in the drawing room for her.
There was telephone in the hall. He
heard Leona's voice say:
"Yes, I'm Leona Winters"
Bob's ears were very sharp; he
heard a cracked telephone voice say:
"John Bunyan," and later, "is here
waiting for YOU"
Fifty years ago John Bunyan's "Pil-
grim's Progress" was read by millions
today 1t IL scarcely read at all. Shack
elford had never heard Of the book or
Its characters. Even Apolyon was not
known to him by that name, though
with Satan or the devil he was quite
familiar. The next thing he heard Of
this telephone dialogue was Miss Win
ters saying:
II can't come today; I'm just going
out to ride"
Don't let your engagement with me
Interfere with your meeting the gentle
man." cried Bob. 'T'll excuse YOU"
Miss Winters was standing with the
receiver at her ear. For a few mo-
ments she did not understand what
Bob meant. To gain time she said,
"wait moment" through the phone,
and asked him to repeat.
"Could you make our auto spin just
as well tomorrow she asked Bob.
"Oh, yes, certainly; any time you
like"
Through the phone Leona said: 'Tll
be with you in few minutes" Then
she entered the room where Mr.. Shack
elford sat scowling, said he was
lawfully" good to excuse her for the
day and she would gladly ride with
him tomorrow. But Bob went back on
what he had said, and told her that
he had engagements for every day dur
ing the rest Of the week. Then he left
the house giving the door a bang.
Miss Winters sank back ip chair
laughing, then began to think how she
should follow up the advantage she
had gained. She had thought Of bor
rowing lover from the young men of
the town, but none of them would
serve. The idea OF going back, to a
man who had beeJl dead a couple Of
hundred years haI never occurred to
her. After much thought she decided
to be governed f Or the future by cir
cumstGnces.
She heard nothing from Bob for a
week; then sh e wrote him to know
when they were, to have their ride. Bob
gave her curt reply suggesting that
IL Mr.. BunyarI had no car, he-Bob-
would be haT py to lend him one.
Leona, aft er consideration, wrote q
severe reply stating that she would not
permit him TO dictate as to who should
be her assC ciates. 1t was none of his
concern II she took up with Lawrence
Sterne, or John Inglesant or any other
OF her fr lends, though she confessed
that JohrA Bunyan was superior to any
of them.
Bob psver having heard Of these gen.
tlemeD made inquiries. Then he heard
that John Bunyan had written the
greatest Of all allegories, Lawrence
SterIAe was celebrated author of the
seve nteenth century, and John Ingle-
sapt was the name of modern novel.
Leona did not suppose that Bob
would semain long in ignorance Of the
fact that he had made guy of him
self, and she was not mistaken. One
afternoon she saw him drive up to her
door In his car, alight and pull Justify
at the doorbell. When she went
| downstairs to receive him she stopped
at the telephone and asked for the
library.
"Has Peter Simple come,in yetw she