Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-08-16
The Ride to
Paradise
B, MARTHA 'MewlLLIAMs

x
l@ 1891. By Mcclure Newspaper synaioa1s''
Upon a lovely, languid June after
noon Hopley Dean suffered suno-
eating sense Of newness. bis clothes
were fire-new, his car likewise; ne
had driven 1t along a new street IN q
town that old on the map, was wnoiiy
new to his experience. Moreover. ne
had In his pocket many new business
cards, by help whereof he hoped 70
make new acquaintances promising
much profit.
The first Of these potential acQuaint-
ances were, however, ancient indeeo
almost venerable, In the eyes OF their
neighbors. This partly from age, part
" also from the fact that they had
owned farm where now the new
street ran, and had been too canny to
sell a foot Of tall the new homes
were leaseholds, on long and easy
terms, to be sure, but inalienable With
out a by-your-leave to the first own
ers.
Hopley had gone straight from col
lege into real estate-and with great
success. "Send Hop O. My Thumb
he'll fetch EN-" had grown to be an
Office Jest when things kinked or
snarled. Especially with women-he
had surely way. Yet he was not q
bit spoiled-all the witchcraft he ever
used was a CHEEKY manner, q pleasant
soft voice, breathing Difference before
it could be spoken, and a spirit OF
genuine fairness, exc Of kindliness-he
would 20 mile to do errands tnat
could profit him nothing.
Naturally Hay & Hawkins cherished
him, gave him the cream OF their
business, never batted an eye over ex-
pense accounts nor frowned If he
stretched weekend leave q day or so.
The firm was, happily, daughterless-
else 1t Is safe to guess there would
have been a battle royal for the Hop
ley prize.
A power in the big city, the firm yet
ran strongly to developments. Hence
Hopley's presence here, where still the
scent of roses and the tang Of ripe
fruit haunted the summer air. To-Day
his quarry was to be the Finley SIS
ters-three single ladies-no whit un-
certain either, as to their ages or
their business. He stepped inside their
gate, smiling little at the house front
1T was of. the solidest red brick and
was redeemed from forbiddingness
only by a brick penthouse above the
entrance that was as humorous as q
gargoyle. :.
Hopley grinned ingratiatingly at II
before lifting the big brass knocker.
Three times he knocked In vain. AS
he turned to leave he heard faint sing
Ing from somewhere back, so picked
his way along rearward path that
ended lower down In tangle Of plum
and brier thickets. An outlaw cherry
tree rose tall and slim from the mid.
die of the thickets. 1t was loaded with
dead-ripe fruit-so darkly red 1t was
black. And up in the very top there
was a boy in overalls singing and
swinging perilously by one hand and
foot, the while the other hand plum
dered the twigs farthest to reach.
Again ,Hopley grinned-cherries
dead-ripe ones, were his special weak.
ness. He all but ran toward the tree
calling as he went: Throw down q
hatful. sonny-Ill pay you all right
I'd climb for 'em myself If the tree
had room for us both"
Sonny started visibly-swung toe
far out and over, lost foothOld, chung
by both hands to the trunk, which
branched little below, and brought
half Of 1t down with crash upon
Hopley's head. The Overalled one lay
prone upon the plum boughs, but
rolled from them to the earth, and
crawled out, saying angrily: I'D like
to know what you are here forT
Cherries The same as you,
Hopley began-then stopped short
blushing crimson. Inside the overalls
there was no boy, but girl, pretty In
spite of scratched face, snub nose
and a sleeve ripped out Of the dress
underneath her disguise.
you're ninny!" she said sue.
cinctly. "l'm q freebooter. Just that
I did want cherrles-less to eat than
to gather them-so offered those three
old cats ten dollars to let me do 1t
they turned me down cold-any way
they hate granny and all her works
SO when saw them 90 off in their old
chariot put on these" looking proud.
ly at her outer integument, "and came
for the good Of their souls"
"How happened 1t you had emf?
Hopley asked with twinkling eyes.
"Lou-that's the other one Of US
my cousin. you know-fell for that
farmerette fool doings-these are
hers" the girl explained. "Pity you
hadn't on some. Just look at your
coat. You'll never get the stains out
I hope you can afford new one."
after while-maybe. Now, let's
eat our fill of cherries" Hopley re-
turned, suiting action to words. TWEEN
ty minutes later. hardly marred BY
conversation, he wiped CORY mouth
with purple fingers, then said, refiec
lively: 1--WE don't care to be seen as
we are. Suppose we take ride-tc
last until dark. Here's insurance thai
I'm respectable"
"And I'm Betty Lndsay-that ough,
to be enough for you" the girl said
reading the card he held out. "I'n
game-I know all about you-and ther
some. But you'd better leave me be
I can stagger home somehow. II the
Finleys hear you've been carting mt
around It's good-by ball ground fol
yours"
"You know quite too much" Hople,
laughed back. 81 shan't ask how
only tell you, If can swing the deal
shall be most unreasonably happy"
II don't see why. Uncle Timothy
told me last night, after gran was
asleep, about your people-the Double
H's he calls them-wanting that craw.
fishy land-and what fort He's wild
to have you get it-says 1t will mean
so much to the town now that mills
are here and 80 many men and boys
have no real play-place. But he dares
not speak out-the Finleys hate us 80.
l told him to memorabilia them against
your plan It would help a lot, /