Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-08-11
The Ride to
Paradise
By MARTHA MeWIL.LIAAas

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% 1874. by Meciars Newspaper syndiests1
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nJ0h H6pIey Dean suffered suffo-
eating sense Of newness. His clothes
were fre-new, his car likewise; he
had driven It along a new street In
town that, old on the map, was wholly
new to his experience. Moreover, he
had In his pocket many new business
cards, by help whereof he hoped to
make new acquaintances promising
much profit
The first Of these potential acquaint-
ances were, however, ancient, indeed
almost venerable, In the eyes OF their
neighb0rs. This partly from age, part
ly also from the fact that they had
owned a farm where now the new
street ran, and had been too canny to
ssll q foot OF tall the new homes
were IeasehOlds, on long and easy
terms, to be sure, but inalienable with
out q by-your-leave to the first own
ers.
Hopley had gone straight from col
Iege 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 q way. Yet he was not
bit spOiled-ali the witchcraft he ever
used was a CHEEKY manner, u pleasant
soft voice, breathing Difference before
Il could be spoken, and a spirit Of
genuine fairness. exc of kindliness-he
would go a mile TO do errands that
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 II he
stretched weekend leave a day or so.
The firm was, happily. daughterless-.
else Il Is safe to guess there would
have been q 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. Today
his quarry was TO be the Finley sis
ters-three single ladies-nO whit IN
certain either, as to their ages or
their business. He stepped inside their
gate, smiling little at the house front
lit was OF the sOlidest red brick and
was redeemed from forbiddlngness
only by a brick penthouse above the
entrance that was rs humorous as q
gargoyle.
HOpley grinned ingratiatIngly at 1t
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 a rearward path that
ended lower down In a tangle OF plum
and brier thickets. An outlaw cherry
tree rose tall and slim from the mid
die OF the thlckets. It was loaded with
dead-ripe fruit-so darkly red It was
black. And up In the very top there
was a boy in oyeralls singing and
swinging perilously by one hand and
foot, the while the other hand plum
dered thestwigs 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-I'll pay you all right.
rd climb for 'em myself II the tree
had room for us both"
Sonny started vIsibly-swung too
far out and over, lost fOothOld, chung
by both hands TO the trunk, which
branched a little below, and brought
half OF II down with a 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: "Fd like
to know what you are here fort"
"Cherriesl The same as you.",
Hopley began-then stopped short.
blushIng crimson. Inside the overalls.
there was no boy. SutT I'm. o.
spite Of a scratched face. n snuo nose.
and a sleeve ripped Out Of the dress
underneath her disguise.
You're q ninny!" she said sue
cinctly. "I'm a freebooter. Just that.
did want cherries-less to eat than
20 gather them-so offered those three
old cats ten dollars TO let me do it
they turned me down coid-any way,
they hate granny and all her works
20 when saw them go OF In their old
chariot put on these" looking proud
~ ut her outer integument, "and came
for the good OF their souls"
How happened II you had emit"
Hopley asked with twinkllng 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.
hope you can afford a new one"
After q while-maybe. Now, let's
eat our all of cherries" Hopley re-
turned, suiting action to words. Twen-
~ minutes later, hardly marred by
conversation, he wiped a CORY mouth
with puyple fingers. then said, refiec-
lively: 1--WE don't care to be seen as
We are. Suppose we take q rsde-to
last until dark. Here's insurance that
I'm respectable"
"And I'm Betty Lndsay-that ought.
TO be enough for you," the girl said,
reading the card he held out. "rm
game-I know all about you-and then
some. But you'd better leave me be.
can stagger home somehow. II the
Ffnleys hear you've been carting me
around It's goOd-by ball ground fer
yours"
"You know quite too much" H0pley
laughed back. II shan't ask how
.Onlx tel XQp. u can swing the deal ]
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