The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-14
MOTORS
BY GRACE IRMA ELWELL.
oo0o0ooo0ooooo0oo

20 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Sput, sput, cough, cough, hesitate,
sput-silence.
Darn"
This one word expressed more dis
gust, anger and hopelessness than a
member of the masculine sex could
have expressed In twenty. AS you have
| guessed, she was a fair lady, but the
fair lady's motor was not so fair.
Yes, truly, it looked as if it was n
of the cars driven on the ark. And
o the engine had died, never to go
again, so it seemed to Phyllis. She
knew nothing about engines except
that they propelled the automobile
which she drove. Anyway. she had
never driven this one-no n had
except the gardener.
"Disgusting-with seven cars in the
family, that l should nave to take this
old thing, and what will l do when
mother comes home-she'l scold me
for skipping when / was supposed to
be resting with a headache"
However, Phyllis was not the girl
to sit down and sigh. She had heard,
why yes, her brother Bob had told her,
that once when his car got stalled he
had started 1t again by juggling wires.
Well, she could jiggle wires. She jig
gled wires and cranked the old thing,
but to no avail.
1t looked serious to her; here She
was on this lonely country road, at
least ten miles from civilization,
whence she came, and no II know
ing how far ahead. She was still con-
templating, when a long, yellow road
ster, with a single occupant, peered
over the hill ahead. The car stopped
in front of her and the occupant got
u Yes, it was he, tall, handsome
and a little naughty.
MY poor child" he smiled pityingly
and superiority.
He seemed hugely amused about
something, and at once Phyllis became
| conscious that she did not look quite
dapper. Her face was smudged from
her greasy hands and her hat was
askew. Besides, there vas a streak of
grease on her skirt.
Having some trOuble?"
olis - Slle itlOI tGut just pay
Ing. Don't you want TO play, too?"
The sarcasm went over his head, as
1T often does with n self-satisfed per-
son.
what a piece of old junk" he ex-
pIoded next. at ought to be in the
junk heap, hen 1t wouldn't stall way
out here" Phyllis had a wee bit of
temper as well as pride, and she
thought savagely: You'll pay for that.
young man." -
Her tone was quite meek and visit
fulnas she said: Il suppose so. but it
usually has rome. II mist look fright
full to you-I am used TO it, you see"
"WeIl, where were you going TO,
child, when this thing happened? Any
way. you'd better let me take you
home. I'll not get messed up and
dirty because this thing is dead" with
emphasis.
VERY we'll. just as yeu say, sir"
with just the proper amount of re-
spect from a person so inferior. Phyl-
lis settled down luxuriously in tn"
deep roadster and sighed.
Like it, kidd" he asked her after
they had slid along for a few sec
onds.
"Gee-it must be wonderful to
be rich, isn't it,"
"Why, yes, quite; we have another
mOtor-we call them motors-besides
this one"
Honest? You must be a relative
of Rockefeller" Thus the conversa-
ton proceeded; all the while Phyllis
was racking her brain to solve the
problem as to where to be left. Sud
denly she struck on it-she'd have him
leave her at the ~laundress' house. She
would see about that blouse that had
! tailed to return with the rest of her
fine l;sIndry.
Say, do you live here?" he asked.
"Ugh-isn't it hot and unpleasant here,
though"
ooh, of course not as nice as your
mansion, for it must be a mansion you
live in; but it's better than nothing.
Oh, here we are. How can ever thank
you. kind sir? You've been a real fairy
prince TO me except, of course, they
always marry the poor girl and make
her happy
well, you see, father would cut mo
off without a cent. They did not do
that in prince days. Perhaps, though, |
will come to see you some day, poor
kid"
In 4 moment more the slick yellow
roadster slid out of sight. Phyllis stood
for 4 moment with a smile of triumph
on her begrimed face. She had fooled
him, and ONE time he would meet her
in her own environment and then per-
haps his head would diminish in size
a wee bit.
\ week later Phyllis, radiant and
/ charming, stood greeting the guests at
her coming-out party. Soon he stood
before her. He opened his mouth,
closed 1t, opened it again, but emitted
no sound.
0COnI o,o-s-- NJ DrnnFxuFn0 7 r.