Middletown transcript., 1920-10-30
IA 1 ses a ss7s
Deus E I M ' I |: J
By FREDERICK HART

| $~>~~>~~~>>~NN~>s~
| t0. 1920. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
| "Grand Central-and make 1t fast
There's an extra dollar in it for you Il
YOU get there in 10 minutes!"
Clifford Harlow's voice was strained
as he shouted the directions at the
driver of the taxi he entered at thu
Pennsylvania station. He had to gel
to Boston that afternoon to close 8
| big deal, and he had been two hours
| late in getting into the Pennsylvania
the Springfield Express left, he knew
in quarter Of an hour. There was an
outside chance of his making it. if the
taxi driver was up to his work. So he
settled back in the cushions and bided
his time. Fretting could do no good.
The taxi shot out of the gloom of the
t,lnneled exit into the busy traffic OF
Seventh avenue, swung to the north,
and selected a comparatively quiet
crosstOwn street in the upper thirties
for its crOsstOwn run to Fifth avenue.
AS they crossed Sixth avenue Har-
low looked at his watch. Twelve min
utes to train time! But they would
be at the station in five more a COM
Portable but not too close margin of
safety = = The taxi ground to an
abrupt halt. and Harlow recovered him
self from the floor, whittier he had been
unceremoniously pitched by the sudden
stoppage, and looked out of the win
dow to see the cause Of the disturb
ance
Immediately in front Of his vehicle a
huge delivery van, undoubtedly belong
ing to one Of the department stores
whose backs lined the street, had at
tempted to make a short turn. Its
driver, miscalculating the distance
from curb to curb, had been forced to
back, which he did without sufficient
preliminary assurance that the street
was clear. with the result that the
stern of his vast equipage had thrust
itself Immediately in front Of the hur-
rying taxi.
The driver had made gallant ef-
fort to clear the numbering obstruction,
with the result that west-bound taxi,
also imbued with the same idea, had
locked wheels with him and skidded
against the curb. The delivery van.
finding it impossible to 60 backward
any farther, and further prevented
from forward motion, had stopped,
and each of the three drivers was bust
ly explaining in the purest Manhattan
csc just what they thought of the
driving skill, mental endowments and
immediate ancestry Of the other two.
With his mind on his train, Harlow
tried to swing open the left hand door
of his taxi to find that the rear Of the
van blocked his exit. Despairing, he
turned to the right hand door, to find
himself looking into a pair Of indig-
nant blue eyes and hearing voice that
was the direct descendant of the music
Of the spheres inquiring: "Well, why
don't we go ahead?"
Harlow's intention Of using bad lam
guage instantly died. He raised his
hat as well as he could in his cramped
quarters and replied: "I'm sure don't
know. We seem to be stuck here for
ever. Ard have to make a train,
too"
"But must be at the McAlpin by
10 O'clock" she said imperiously, as
though Harlow's troubles were of small
MI 7 1nnsf univ fNic
taxi doesn't go ahead. Driver! Why
don't you go on?"
Blue Eyes seemed unsatisfied by the
explanation she was given, for the
driver was still engaged in his wordy
controversy, to the huge delight Of the
small crowd that had gathered, and
seemed to hold out no promise Of i'm
mediate progress. Harlow came to the
rescue.
Suppose we get out and take an
other taXi?' he suggested.
-"But I can't get out !" The voice was
almost fearful. Harlow abandoned all
thought of his train, now hopelessiy
lost, and turned himself to the problem
of extricating beauty from distress. In
a moment he had solved it.
The two taxis were locked firmly to-
gether. and it was impossible to open
either door, but if one door were re-
moved the other could swing wide
enough to permit the exit of a slender
person. He opened his door as far as
he could-a foot or so-and threw all
his weight against it. The old hinges
creaked and gave. Another violent
push and the door tumbled into the
street between the two cabs.
Harlow swung open the door Of the
other machine and assisted the girl to
ali..Et. He was just about to climb
out himself when the driver appeared,
irate and indignant.
"Hey! Wotcha think yer doin'?"
howled he. "Wotcha wanna bust that
door fer? Who's gonna pay fer it, I'd
like ter know"
"I'n pay for it," interposed Harlow.
my name is Clifford Harlow, and l am
travelling for the Henderson Iron
Works in Cleveland. l." but he
got no further.
Il dunno you from Adam!" shrieked