The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-13
Eueni,1g Story
Moon and Mountain.
nv RIIRy DOUGLAS.

Helen Morrison had come to the
Berkshires as travelling companion 10
an elderly and very wealthy Invalid
who took the trip each autumn as
regularly as she tore off the Septem-
Der sheet from her calendar.
1nasmuch as Helen was eighteen
and her employer was eighty. the
young girl found herself. at post
times, desperately lonely. The ehauf-
feur who drove the big limousine in
some of the most wonderfully lovely
roads Helen had ever dreamed of. was
as nearly a machine as the motor he
was running.
He spoke of nothing but speeds and
spark plugs, batteries and bearing
Helen was sure it was a carbureter
that kept his body and soul joined to
gether during this earthly span. AMI
now could even desperately lonely
girl chum with a man so mechanically
inclined?
oh" she wrote home. ito be IN this
gioriously romantic country, in these
mooniit mountain paths without SO
much as human being to talk with!
One Of my companions is eighty and
doing continually The other is a
machine running according to a spec
dometer- I'm afra d If had an even
| ordinarily attractive male person any
where near me l should forget that !
mad such thing as a brake"
The party stopped for the night in
mountain town that lay in a beau
tiful valley with hills climbing up on
every side and river flowing between
the two states. Helen's employer re-
tired after she mad partaken of the
simple country supper the hotel offered.
Helen, lonely, homesick, wandered to
the yeranda just in time TO see The
chauffeur starting out for the garage
to put up the car for the night
Hawkins" she called. almost with
| out thinking what she was about TO
do, where are you going?"
To put up the car. Miss Morrison.
| Do you want something"
Mo. That is, think I'll go with
you just by way of diversion. Madam
IS asleep and will not need me -
| Helen stepped inside the big car and
the aston shd chauffeur closed the
| door and took his sat.
| I'll walk home alone, Hawkins"
| she said when the man opened the
| door for her again after they had
reached the inside of the big garage.
where there seemed to be many tour
ing cars put up for he night.
You know the way, Miss" Haw-
kins asked
/ Helen was sure that she did. and
with a short aood night she found her
way out to the street.
. As she was ledVln8 tHe garage a car
bearing an Iowa license was about to
| enter. Helen stopped short and
| looked the driver squarely in the eyes.
lori"
! The young fellow stopped his ca
and jumped out to grasp Helen's two
| hands.
Helen, however in this world did
you happen to be herein Brattle-
boro. Vt?''
Il have a job---rm travelling COM
panion to rich Mrs. Easely-don't you
remember her?"
Il can't remember anything-any-
/ one-but you. Helen, at this moment.
the young man announced very firm
ly. Wont you come out for u drive
and tell me all about it?"
"But-btt you were putting up your
car. weren't you?" asked Helen.
II was, yes. But my family has
gone to roost and 1 didn't want to
drive alone. Will you Gomez"
Helen demurred for moment, and
then. after returning to the garage to
leave message with Hawkins. who
did not seem to listen to her since he
was absorbed in the explanation of the
use OF carbon remover, she decided
to go.
George Taylor had made tbs trip
more than once with his people. and
he was surprisingly familiar with the
beautiful mountain roads about Brat
tleboro. He and Helen explained to
each other in the course of an hour
just how they happened to find them
selves SO far apart during the summer.
There had been another girl at college,
and there had been another man at
home, and they had missed each other
! more than either of them had realized
till Helen'S eyes caught sight of the ia
miliar home town automobile license.
I'VE are going on to Williamstown.
and then round about and back by the
Mohawk Trail, George Helen was
saying when George stopped the car
beside an exquisitely moonlit view OF
mountain and riverA
He turned squarely toward her. now
that he was relieved of the response
bilitly of guiding the car. You were
saying"
"Oh, George, weren't you listening? ?"