Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-13
CHAPTER LXVIII

We'll, where do we go from mere
Mrs. Jimmie" asked Sheldon, as
he followed me into his low-hung
gray racer. Shall we make it a
spin up the River road?"
Anywhere you like. Just to skim
along in this adorable cars enough
for me-" l replied, truthfully-for-
getting my chagrin at the way
Envy had forced Sheldon to play
host to me, whether or not he liked
it.
you might have said just to skim
along-with me-was enough fol
YOU" suggested Sheldon. with SUCH
a nice boyish grin that l grinned
right back to meet it.
Il might have-but what's a COM
pliment from a staid old married
woman like me?"
Sheldon turned and examined me
critically.
Not so staid, Mrs. Jimmie. You're
sparkling like a two-year-old be-
fore we even start"
Well, l feel like prancing colt
turned out TO pasture" | confessed.
I've been shut in for days, you
know"
Sheldon patted my arm in what
I took to be nice, big-brotherly
fashion, and then silence fell be-
tween us. He devoted himself to
the eXacting task of driving through
the e@heavy saNenue----~l l
became absorbed in the luxury OF
rolling up that avenue as part OF
the stream of pleasure cars, instead
.of racing madly from curb to curb
in a wild effort to avoid the vast
tangle of onrushing wheels.
"At last we reached the park,
Sheldon turned into it, and clean,
woodsy smell blew across our faces
drew a great breath of it into my
lungs.
It's better than the dust and per-
fume and patchouli of the avenue,
murmured Sheldon, as If agreeing
with something | had said.
"Oh, how comfy of you to under
stand my shifting like little dog,
said.
ITO show how well understand
I'll drive down the paths where all
the balsam and pine trees grow. Sc
prance away, little colt-and sniff
away, little dog!"
OF course, we laughed at our non
sense-and that laugh made US
really just as friendly and at home
with each other as we'd been pre-
tending to be.
Like it?" asked Sheldon as we
drove through a narrow path under
great cliff hung with birch anc
| pine.
Like it? love it," cried
This is the first friendly niue
drive without quantities OF iolk'
along. I've had since-my honey
moon. 1t rests me and makes me
| feel all clean-and sweet. >.
1 wasn't coquetting when l salt
| it, but all in q moment knew
| Sheldon thought l was. lie siowet
the car. and leaning across the
wheel, he looked into my eyes an'
! said. in q very quiet, intent voice
| "You are sweet! You dear little
quaint little Lilac Lady - you are
sweeter than l ever guessed 1ol
aren't afraid to say you're enjoy
ing yourself and you arent toe
blase' to enjoy the simplest things
How under the sum nave man
aged to miss you all these months
For just one minute was IN
| clined TO put Sheldon firmly bacl
| in his place with an abrupt word
Then I thought of Jim-content t
! be alone with Envy and taking m,
so completely for granted as his owl
property that he could bundle m,
! out with Sheldon as calmly as 1
III were his maiden aunt. It wa
silly not to enjoy this ride-and il
sauelched Sheldon he would right
| about-face and take me home. So
! grinned as mischievously as l dared
and said:
"Well-I've missed you. too"
Meaning that I've managed Il
keep my charm hidden pretty thor
oughly-eh, what? Well-do you Sc,
it now? Do you begin to see wha
vou'ye missed the way / do?'
asked Sheldon almost tenderly, a
tho gray roadster drew out on tn,
River road and drove into the hear
of a glorious crimson and purple
and gold sunset.
"rhe river - all tawny under it
nurnIe shadows!" l criedi impul
siveIy. forgetting personalities be
fore the grandeur of the glowinI
! sky and water.
"We'n drive on into the heart o
the sunset-and then on into tn,
dark-and then-and then, Littl,
Lilac Lady," asked Sheldon in {
low voice with a queer vibrating
sAnd then we'll turn around ant
drive home again, suppose" 1 salt
in a dry, practical tone. For sud
danIv / had come to realize tha
Sbaidon Blake was flirting with m,
Piirting hard, and with all the Ger
tainty and fineness of a man to whom
this was an old game. Was n
doing IL merely because he was 'tha
| a..i.l q nd kent his hanQ IN MlLn an.