The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-05

sombrero. got out OF the vibrating
machine, made az spring thru the
sheets of rain to the protection of the
platform. and approached MAZDA.
"You see I'm right on the job he
said, smiling and grasping her hand.
"I'rn a regular nemesis"
TheSyoung man was. of course, Joe
Fargo. Mazda was not SO much sur
prised as she would have been had she
not known of the apparent coincidence
of Joe's coming west recently and her
father hiring a new ranch manager
who was young
.There's not an umbrella at the
ranch" he apologized, "and the store
keepers don't know what they are.
Well have to make a break for it.
MAZDA came near being drenched,
but it was warm rain and the effects
were not particularly uncomfortable.
Soon they were winding their way
along a mountain road Joe explained
that the ranch was not on top of the
mountain, but was on the other side of
a ridge and this was a short cut.
Instead of diminishing the rain III
creased. The side curtains prevented
it from entering the car in any guam
tity, but Joe found difficulty in making
his way owing to the constant swirl of
water in the road ahead. They We're
going along at fairly rapid gait be-
tween two high stone embankments
when Joe suddenly pulled back the
emergency brake.
Snake bridge has washed away he
announced. Now Wen have to back
up about a mile. because We can't turn
here"
But the car had not made much
progress rearward when Joe again
stopped it and turned to Mazda with a
helpless look. :
Now we are up against it for fair"
he said dolefully. The bridge in front
has washed away and a big boulder
has blocked the road behind us-and
we can't possibly climb over these
stone walls.
Mazda turned and peered thru the
muddy isinglass window. Sure enough,
mammoth rock had lodged between
the walls. completely blocking the
road. The prospect was not inviting,
but she was smiling when she looked
up into Joe's gloomy countenance-
"Oh. well, it might have been worse.
If that rock had hit us"
1.-The same little ont mist said Joe.
II don't know but that you are right
at that. 1 can see only one thing to
do, and that is to sit right here until
the rain lets up-if it ever does
But the rain apparently had no such
intention at present, and the gathering
shadows of evening found them still
stalled in the road. while water pelted
the car from all sides.
Mazda was feeling sharp pangs of
hunger. She had not eaten on the
train in the morning. intending to
make up for it when she reached the
ranch. Presently she observed:
Joe, do you know I'm pretty
on board this-this ark?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
Well, no-nothing regular to eat"
Whats in that wooden box on the |
back seat?" she inquired
why, that" he stammered and |
his face grew red, that, isn't really |
food. It's edible all right but you
Il could eat one of the tires off. this
car she broke in. land what's more, |
I'm liable to do it unless I get some !
thing else
I'll show you" and he climbed into |
the tonneau. Opening the box with |
the aid of a screwdriver he showed !
the contents to be two dozen long
cardboard boxes. He handed her one /
of these and she took off the cover.
"Oh, you dear boyi" she calculated.
You couldn't furnish better food than
this. Did you know was crazy about |
them ~
mo. I can't say that I did You I
see I'm crazy about them myself !
Have been ever since I was a kid, but |
was rather ashamed of the habit-if I
it is a. habit"
she was mdStlcatlng a Dig req gum I
drop. /
''At least we have something in COM
mon" she said. Yum, yum. Have |
one yourself
He accepted a pale. yellow one.
Say. that's right, and you told me |
once that if we ever found something
in common"
She finished with the red one and |
accepted a white one.
You're right: and I'lY stand by what /
I said. Anyhow. what's the use of try
ing to fight your own heart-like. I've
been doing?'
The rain bombarded the trapped I
fIivver, but inside it were two young
persons who cared not for weather.
They were too busy eating gundrops,
and-well, figure it out for yourself.
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)