The Cordova daily times., 1919-09-26
A House on Wheels
By T. B, ANDERSON


 trol and power. When her father died leaving her large estate he selected Walters as her guardian until she was eighteen. His wife had been a flash ing beauty of the fOOtlights and their nrSt born, Hector, had inherited her vlvacity and love Of excitement He had not her sterling worth of soul and character however, had gone to the dogs swiftly, and after both mother and son died and John Trever him. self was stricken with a fatal disease. he thought gloomily of the uncertain ] future of his remaining child. Il have made a will giving you en- tire charge of Lucia" Mir. Trever told | Walters. I can cOntide to you that fear the gypsy, Bohemian traits which only made my dear wife charming, but in Hector developed into reckless vaga 1 bondage. Lucia must marry before she is eighteen or the bulk of my for l tune goes to charity.
 l For five years Lucia lived with the Walters people. It was a lonely, de- pressed existence. Everything was l kept from her that could develop l longing for change, entertainment or cOmpaniOnship. When Lucia was four | teen Mrs. Walters died. For a few months there was a hOusekeeper Then | Walters sent Lucia to an old aunt of 1 his who kept a small boarding school.
 Lucia was just past seventeen when | Walters took her for a weeks vaca- l tiOn to his gloomy house. While Lucia was there cousin of his. a young man namer Jasper Trull, repelant to Lucia in every way, came and went, and essayed to make an impression upon her. The day that Walters took Lucia back to the school he said:
 Lucia you will not have to remain much longer here. Then you will be eighteen and my guardianship of you ends. As you know, you must marry before your next birthday, and I have acted in accordance with the wishes of your dead father. I have selected an estimable young man as your huS- | band-Jasper Trull."
 Lucia said not word, and Walters 1 supposed that she had meekly, mute ly submitted to her fate, but Lucia shuddered whenever she thought of Trull, with his grim, awkward ways. She set her lips firmly in defiance as she outlined a plan of escaping the fates her tyrant guardian had in store for her. He appeared one day, drtv ing an old wreck of an automobile 'YOu are to come home with me-" he said. q have employed a lady to act ns housekoeper and help you prepare for your new life.
 Firmly Lucia made up her mind to escape. Fate favored her. They had l proceeded about 20 miles whrn at the edge of slough, the automobile sank to it's hubs. Walters hailed q farmer driving by with a team of mules, the team was at once transferred to the machine, Walters pushing behind the auto and the farmer at it's side.
 "Gently pull that lever just enough to give the auto a start" Walters di- rected Lucia. There was jar the af- frghted mules made a spring. Shak- ing off Walters into the mud and tear ing the lines from the grasp of the farmer, they dashed out of the rut and down the road, a runaway indeed
 It was at the end of a mile that 1 Lucia leaped from the auto, darted into a stretch of woodland. and felt that sho was frPo at last. She hurried on and on, thinking only of evadng re- capture. As she reached a country road, it began to rain. Lucia was wet and chilled when a wagon overlook her. It had a strange-loOking top on it; young man was it's driver and woman appeared at the door of the tourist vehicle.
 Get in if you want lift" suggest ed the young man, and there began new and delightful chapter in Lucia's young life. The occupants of the car were brother and sister, Roland and Marcia Brooke, both artists, taking their summer outing.
 There seemed to arise a mutual lik- ing between them. Lucia told only enough of her story to apprize these sympathetic friends that she was flee l rlage with a man she despised. There was room in their house on wheels and in their hearts for this homeless waif, and the glories of the universe burst upon her radiant vision amid tlse syl- van beauties of scenes they passed 1 through.
 "Oh, have something to tell you" exclaimed Lucia one day in her i'm petuous way, approaching spot where Roland sat fishing. "T almost forgot Tomorrow is my birthday, and I must | get married"
 "Why! what are you talking about, Lucia?" he inquired, startled at her in l genuous eagerness.
 "Oh, I must, you know, because" She hesitated as to making a full explanation, and added simply: "So those two men cannot make me go GnG