The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-30
Epening Story
Deus Elk Machina
BY FREDERICK HART

if you get there in ten minutes
Clifford Harlow's voice was strained
as he shouted the directions at the
driver of the taxi he entered at the
to Boston that afternoon to close I.
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 abided
his time. Fretting could do no good.
The taxi shot out of the gloom of
the tunnel exit into the busy traffic
of Seventh avenue. swung to the north.
and selected a comparatively quiet
crosstown street in the upper thir-
ties for its crosstown run to Fifth
| avenue
AS they crossed Sixth avenue Har-
low looked at his watch Twelve
| minutes to train timei But they would
be at the station in five more; a COM
Portable but not too close margin of
safety tn teaM ground to an
abrupt halt, and Harley recovered
himself from the floor, whittier he had
been uncerem ohiously pitched by the
sudden stoppage, and looked out of the
window to see the cause of the dis
| turbance.
Immediately in front of his vehicle
| huge delivery van, undoubtedly owned
by one of the department stores whose
| hacks lined the street, had attempted
to make a short turn. Its driver, mis-
calculating 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 i'm
mediately in front of the hurrying
taxi
| The driver had made a gallant eff
fort to clear the numbering obstruc-
/ ton, with the result that west
bound taxi. also imbued with the same
idea, had locked wheels with him and
] skidded against the curb. The de-
livery van. finding It impossible to go
backward any farther. and further
prevented from forward motion. had
stopped. and each of the three drivers
was busily explaining in the purest
| Manufacturers just what they thought
of the driving skill, mental endow-
| ments 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 a voice
| that was the direct descendant of the
music of the spheres inquiring: well,
why don't we go ahead?"
Har1ow's intention of using bad Ian
guage instantly died He raised his
hat as well as he could in his cramped
quarters and replied: I'm sure I
don't know. We seem to be stuck
| here forever. And have to mako a
| train, too"
But 7 must be at the McAlpin by
10 o'clock she said imperiously. as
tho Harlow's troubles were of small
account. And I don't see why this
taxi doesn't go ahead. Driver! Why
Blue, Eyes seem ed Ifn1atisfied be~tf1e
explanation, if explanation it can be
called
But 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 immediate progress Har-
| low 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 aban-
! doned all thought of his train. now
! hopelessly 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
together, and it was impossible to open
either door, but II one door were re-
moved the other could swing wide
enough to permit the exit of a slen-
der person. He opened his door as far
as he could--a foot OF so-and threw
all his weight against it. The old
hinges creaked and gave. Another
violent push and the door tumbIed
into the street between the two cabs.
Harlow swung open the door of the
other machine and assisted the girl to
alight He was just about to climb
out himself when the driver appeared,
irate and indignant.
Hey! Wotcha think yer doin' 80
howled he. ''wotcha wanna bust that
door fer? Who's gonna pay fer it. I'd
like ter knew?''
! TN pay for it." interposed Harlow
MY name is Clifford Harlow and I
am travelling for the Henderson Iron
Works in Cleveland. I" but he got
no further.
81 dunno you from ADAM
shrieked the driver. I'm gonna call
with nothin' like that in n Yawk,
sec?"
Harlow felt a sinking sensation. He
had helped beauty in distress it was
true-but at what a cost He would
have to go to the police station: his
trip would be lost; he knew he did not
have enough money with him to buy a
new door, and would be reduced to
wiring the firm for more. 1t might
cost him his job. He turned slightly
i pale. The driver looked adamantine.
What could he do?
But a cool little voice interposed IT.
self into the dispute.
''Driver.' 1t said sharply.i The taxi
bandit turned. The girl from the 9TH
er car was standing beside the two
men.
Driver. you will not take this man
to the police station. or anywhere else.
I happen to know him personally; he
will make good any damage you may
have sustained. Here is my card
She handed the slip of cardboard TO
the taxi-driYer; whose truculence was
instantly translated into reverence
"Oh, all right, II you say so, Miss
Van Venter. I didn't know de gent
was a friend OF yours. If you say it's
Hall right. wy. dat goes. see? It's all
right. misteEIH let you know wot de
damages is. It's all right. He took
off his cap. "Lemme git you aHudder