The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1921-10-06


it on his city-loving hSart forever. The
huge library at Forty-second street,
with its guarding lions on each side
"Begad! how l love them lions"
groaned Pat. The Plaza hotel, which
he had seen being built and rush
comet-like into first place in the fash
| ionable world. The park, with it's
mysterious distances of green-he re-
| membered how it looked at dusk, when
the green turned to a soft lavender
| and myriads of little lights, like stars,
twinkled through it for mile upon
mile.
At Eighty-si~th street he turned
east, leaving behind him the modern
I palaces and the park. He crossed
Lexington avenue, then Third, then
| Second, Avenue A-until it seemed as
| if the street was leading them right
| into the East river.
In front of a little row of ivy-cov-
| cred red brick houses stood familiar
| taxicab, and at their approach out Of
it stepped the same pretty lady. She
paid her driver hurriedly and sent him
back toward the rushing world Of
Fifth avenue as Pat drew up.
Pats fare first caught sight of the
lady as he was in the act of descend
ing from the cab. He stood stark still,
half in and half out of the cab, mo-
tionless, as if turned to stone.
philip said the girl, laying her
hand on the gloomy young mans arm.
Pat was a gentleman. Hts associa-
ton with The beauX monde in those
splendid Old days stood him in good
stead now-for he sat on top of his
ancient vehicle looking neither to the
right nor to the left; as if he heard
the quiet street. Pat, the young lady,
and the angry-eyed gentleman were
alone on the brink of the East river.
philip" continued the lady, breath
lessly; when l saw you drive off with
that desperate look on your FACET
just couldn't stand it, and when the
starter at the hotel told me you had
given orders to drive hereto the
river-all sorts of horrid things came
into my mind I could have bitten
my tongue out for the things I had
said to you. why did you come to
this jumping-off place, Philip"
The young mans face twisted into
smile. 81 live here, that's ALL" he
said. pointing to the last of the little
houses in the row. You would have
thought you We're miles and miles
away from the theaters and the ships,
it was so quiet and still on East End
avenue. The little red house cleaned
warm and snug in the fading sunlight;
the only maving thing to be seen was
big four-masted schooner Qike Pat
and his cab, one of the last of its
kind) moving majestically up the river
in front of them-silent and swift as
the wind caught its broad white sails.
Perhaps it was the unexpected
beauty of the scene that made the
girls eyes fill with tears and turn her
head away. Or perhaps it was be-
cause she realized the tragedy of Pat
and his old hanson, or the four-masted
schooner on what might be it's last
voyage or the passing of love-who
knows? But whatever it was, it was
enough for Philip. He leaped out Of
the cab and lifted her in. as if she
had been a feather His erstwhile
gloomy face was alight, his voice vital
and ringing as he called to Pat:
'Hey, there, old sober-sides; drive
on 1t doesn't matter where-iust
drive on" and he jumped back into
the cab beside the girl.
eyes, sor." said Pat, who made for
Central park, where he saw the green
distances beginning to turn to dainty
lavender and the little lights sparkling
through the dusk
"And some folks say the country
beats New York" he unused, forlornly
st. Patrick, How Well hate it, the
| nag and mel"
| Three hours later he opened the lit
| tie trap door in the roof. "Shure, it's
| not iookin' I am, sor,' he called, ''but
| how much longer do YOU want me?
It's hard day I have ahead of me
tomorrow and it's no dinner I've had,
sor''
He heard a laugh below and
DINNER! the poor old thing wants
dinner!' came up through the trap
door. Then the young man got out
and came up close to Pat.
"Say, driver" he said, smiling at the
| girl who was leaning around the side,
tive both think this is the incest taxi
in town. We've our own special rea-
sons for liking this old bus. What
would you say to engaging yourself
to US as our own and particular driver
at the rate OF eighty dollars a month?
! Would that cover things for you"
There was a silence, through which
Pat looked at all the little blinking
lights of Central park and the brilliant
length of Fifth avenue beyond. The
young man, not understanding, con-
| tinued:
"We're going to be married next
week-and-well we like your style,
that's ALL What do you say?"
/ Good God sor-I, WELL make it
eighty-foive and I'm wild you," said
Pat huskily.
i Somnambuliat's Escape.
Being somnambulist, I have had
I many startling experiences, but none