Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-01-09

share it with you, since you've sun
piled the drinks and dessert"
Then. taking her acceptance for
granted. he tshed out a large box from
the rear of the car and deposited it
beside her with the comment:
IF you like you may set the table
While finish pumping up these tires"
To them both the wayslde meal was
a delightful adventure, entered into
fundamentally and in the spirit of
c~oInradeship. Jack Raynor found him
self more and more impressed by the
charm of his companion and she her
self under his approving gaze grew
momentarily more radiant. Her face
lost its usefulness and her brown eyes
Sparkled with fun. He was sorry
when. the lunch hour over, she rose
to go.
It's been a wonderful party. Wood
Nymph," he said smiling down at her.
Il have you to thank for turning my
bad luck into fortune-now that l
know where you live perhaps you'll
permit me to stop without the excuse
of repairs. Meanwhile here are the
Hateful tacks to remember me by"
But even as he laughingly extended
them a change came over the girl.
She drew back with a little shudder
and turned her head away. But the
gesture was not quick enough to hide
the tears in her brown eyes.
"Why, Wood Nymph," he cried in
genuine concern, whats the matterP
Have l offended you? Surely you
know that 1 didn't mean to-I-"
Tits not you, it's-oh, you'll new
er want to see me again when I tell
you'll put those tacks in the road
myself"
"You put them there?" he repeated
wonderingly.
"Yes, be-because II wanted some
thing to happen, because 1 was tired
of seeing just the dust of the cars and
any of the people, put the
tacks there this morning when / came
out after berries-then behind the
bushes I waited-when your car came
along I heard what you said and real
lied the damage I'd caused. l was
frightened. First 1 thought I'd run
away, bu 7 wanted to make up a little
for whaf d done-so 1 brought the
water a the peaches. When you
treated me so like a real friend-I-
/ couldn't bear to explain and spoil 1t
all, but now" she added, m%iserably,
81 can't let you go without confessing.
I'm sorry about the tires, and" fam
bling in her pocket, I'D like to pay
for them with my berry money, then
I wouldn't feel quite $3.50 like "a
bandit she finished, helplessly.
"You poor little girl" he said gently.
Don't you realize I'm grateful to those
very tacks for helping me to find you
and of course 1 can't accept your berry
money. But I'll tell you what, you can
make it up to the Greyhound, if you
like, with your own society, say twenty
miles per tack"
With relief he observed that the
brown eyes we're smiling again.
1Ou SCO, lie We'll Ou, lucIC d
prospect of running the road through
your fathers fundamentally that
would considerably increase its value.
I'll be over to talk to him about it some
evening soon, and we can arrange
about the ride then. Is it a bargain"
Brief as it was, the handclasp sent a
thrill through his veins. With reluc-
lance he released her slim brown fin
gers.
Except that it wouldn't be playing
fair, I'm nightly tempted to turn ban
dit myself and carry you off; but 1
warn you it will take more than tacks
to keep me off this road in the future,
and just by way of farewell" he said,
climbing into the car-he knew he
should kiss her in another moment if
he didn't-'let me say that you've
achieved your wish, Wood Nymph,
something has happened, sure enough,
but I'm afraid this time it's a puncture
that can't be vulcanized."
Rose Carey watched the gray car
until it was lost in the white dust of
the road. Then, ~womanlike, because
in her heart she knew the answer per-
fectly well, she said aloud:
II wonder what he meant by a pune
ture that can't be vulcanizedT
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