Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1921-03-04


lack to throw open the door, but kept
his foot on the clutch release, leaving
The gears in mesh, first speed ahead.
All his precautions were In vain.
AS he opened the cab door his coat
sleeve was seized In very determined
grip and drawn inward, catching his
elbow I'm jiu-jutsu leverage that left
him the Hobson's choice Of either get
ting out and facing his captor or lis
tening to his arm break. He chose
to get down from his seat quickly.
swell, Bobby" murmured Miss Van
IT.
Mr. Randolph attempted no evasion I;
he handed the lady to the curb and
guided her gently toward her own
door and up the high steps "Madge,"
he said, "you fought great fight to-
night and when you had won you felt
sorry for fremont and surrendered.
You were swept too high on the wave
Of the best that Is In you. Promise
me that you won't forget that you
have won. Promise me that you will
wait and take fremont, all Of him,
with honor"
what do you mean? What did
| you hear" cried Miss Van T. angrily,
her pale face suddenly flushing
From the start of the ride to the
finish l heard every word" declared
Mr.. Randolph frankly. land more"
"And mOre!" repeated the hard
pressed girl. "What do you mean by
mOre?" She still tried to browbeat
him. but remembering one incredibly
long kiss. her eyes fell in the unequal
battle with Bobby's and attempted to
create diversion by staring at his gal
tered legs and heavily booted feet.
Look up. Madge. Look at me-"
said Mr.. Randolph and waited patient
ly until first her long lashes futtered
and then her lovely eyes swept slowly
up to his face. That's it," he con-
tinued as their looks met and locked.
Lets hold that so we can't lie."
"Why should l lie If you really heard
everything?' asked Miss Van T.. and
suddenly smiled.
'Madge, you little DEVIL" said Mr..
Randolph, suppressing an impulse to
shake her, "can you think of what
you've been doing and laugh?"
"Yes, 1 can, just now," said Miss
Van T., In little gasping phrases that
to man, especially one of Mr.. Ran
dolph's limpid nature, carried only
their face value in words, but which
to any woman would have read as
plainly as the red-weather signal,
"LoOk out for showers of tears fol-
lowed by Storm
"Well," said Mr.. Randolph solemnly,
"if you really don't realize just where
you have been, let me tell you. First
you flew high into clean air and you
took fremont with you. You wore
possessed OF a vision and you made
him see it, too, mirage of those
lifted places that are the altar of the
mind before love. Just a mirage, an
Illusion of perfect happiness, which
cold rea son tells us we can't ever turn
into reinforced concrete and plant in
the yard, but which We must either
forever hold as vision or admit that
love is sordd and wingless thing"
Miss Van Tellier's eyes fell from
his frank gaze. Something seemed to
crumple within her; she put her arms
around Mr. Randolph's neck, chung
to him, dropped her face against his
shoulder and sobbed, not noisily, but
as one who weeps to rest.
He held her close to him and went
Oh, his face set as though to duty.
"Then what did you do? Because he
hesitated, merely hesitated at the high
door of alteration, you promptly
slammed it and dropped plumb
straight down like that traitor arch
angel Johnny out of heaven into the
arms Of hell"
Bobby" cried Miss Van T., throw
Ing back her head and struggling to
release herself. "How dare you say
a thing like that? How dare you be
here, anyway? / hate you. / don't
know how l ever could have thought
loved you. / fell, but it was into
Beacher's arms, and wish was there
right now" More sobs, convulsive
ones, that shook the slim body in Mr..
Randolph's embrace from twitching
shoulder to tired feet.
Lest the reader be startled by what's
coming next It will do well to remind
him that this poignant scene was
staged at three o'clock In the moi ming
on the high stoop of the Van Teller
residence In East Ninth street and
never left the perimeter of the door
mat which In itself presented an al
most feminine contradiction, i'm that
II bore, done in red on It's face, the
word welcome" but was neverthe-
less padlocked and chained to the iron
railing.
Even as Miss Van Teller was Sob
bling her heart out and Mr.. Randolph
was standing In the bewilderment OF
one who knows he has not only taken
the wrong turning but placed both his
feet in beartrap, thick, heavy,
unsympathetic voice arose from the
foot Of the steps.
Here Yousel Break away an
come along of me-"