The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-08-15
THE RUT
BY VICTOR REDcLIFFE.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Copyright. 1918, by Western Newspaper Onlon'l
Professor ArchelanuS TidwOrth re-
tired from the rostrum in the little
village hall of HOLLYWOOD with a smirk
and a bow. and hurried his steps, once
behind the scenes, to a table where MS
wife was counting over the meager
receipts of the evening.
"Well have to cut out these way
back towns-feld too narrow for our
Abilities" muttered the professor.
attentive audience. though. How
you did pour it into them, Archelanus
quoting the classics! -
That was the stunt of the impressive
looking, baSsO-prOfundo voiced pro-
feSSOr. de had a worn, tattered lee
ture. which proved that every town he
went to had missed Il marvellous COM
mercial future through striking a rut
and sticking in il. Get out of the
rutw was his loud braying appeal to
towns and individuals.
The discourse was dreary and vapid,
but its one essential point took root
with at least two Of the audience,
Muriel Baird, eighteen, an orphan,
drudge in the home of a distant rela-
tive, seriously drank in the glowing
pictures delineated by the rostrum
fiend as to the wonderful prospects
open in the great thriving city for the
young and ambitious, and Muriel long
ed for expansion and independence.
/ Across the aisle from her, Arnold
Wade was likewise fertile ground for
the seed sOwn by the lecturer. He had
worked at wages never increased in
the next town, had saved some money,
even enough to enable him TO buy an
automobile, and in a modest way en-
joyed life. but he, too, left the hall re-
solving to 'get out of the rut.
/ This estimable young man the next
day made all his arrangements for
giving up his position. He experienced
a rare sense of freedom as he started
away in his auto, bound for the city
fifty miles distant.
/ At the same hour, carrying a neat
looking suitcase, Muriel Baird took
+ the old turnpike road leading to the
nearest railroad town. She was Sec
reilly glad as an automobile slowed up
and its owner sang out cOurteously,
"Can / give you a lift, young ladyT
/ Muriel turned to view her questioner,
discerned that he was a young man,
blushed divinely and murmured: Il
was going to Ledbury."
"Right on my way. Why" he add
ed, didn't see you at the lecture last
EVENING""
To which Muriel assented, and this
naturally led up to the discovery that
they were "twO souls of a single
thought'-"getting out of the rut.''
well. WELL" commented the free and
open Arnold, "this is quite cOinciden-
tai. Here we are, starting out with the
world all before us. Suppose you save
time and railroad fare by staying right
In the machine till we reach the city.
I tell you, l consider having your pleas
ant company all the way seems like
harbinger of good fortune. 1t would
be pleasant to keep track of one an
other. Won't you write me to the gen.
eral delivery when you get settled?
And I'll do the same to YOU"
And then they parted with good
honest, hearty handshake, and neither
was likely to forget the other for a
long time to come.
Arnold sold his automobile for q
fair sum and spent a week looking
for an investment for his little capt.
tai. One day he received a brief note
from Muriel, telling that she had found
work at a delicatesSen store.
Arnold started to locate the place
that evening. Inquiry led to it being
pointed out to him across a street he
had been traversing. A swift automo-
bile turned the corner. He met a
crushing contact and knew no more.
1t was not a long story he heard,
when, after a week of Inconsistencies,
fever and delirium. Arnold was made
to comprehend that he had been ten
derby cared for by Muriel and her en-
ployer, a Mrs. Latcombe, who lived
behind the little delicateSsen shop. 1t
was directly in front of it that Arnold
had been run down. 1t was Muriel,
who witnessed the mishap, and a
recognition of his friendly face had
led TO her caring for him as If he were
an own brother.
, Arnold mended slowly. One day
from an adjoining room he heard his
kind hostess say:
''Tve got some rather bad news for
you, Muriel, dear. / have word from
my invalid husband in California, and
he wants me to sell out and come to
him. l am offered four thousand five
hundred dollars for the five stores.
You have made .this one, with your
pleasant manner and neat way of
keeping II, and l am going to ask the
purchaser to retain you In charge"
At that Arnold joined the ladies'
"Going to sell the store!" he exclaim.
ed. I'D like a chance at this one
Mrs. Latcombe. have over one thou.
sand two hundred dollars in the bank.