Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-03-30

the trip. Wheeler kept the automobile
now in q neighbours barn and took
care of 1t himself; it was much cheap
er than keeping II in Dearborn's ga
rage.
There were several other friends in
the AS and BIS and two in the C's who
were taken out In the Wheeler automo-
bile before Herbert one day groaned {:
"JessiCa, this alphabet business is
killing me. 1t does seem as if 2 never
would be reached!"
"Why, Herbert and they're all our
friends, and you know how much they
think of it,"
II think of it, too, when the dinner
checks and the suppers checks come
in, Jessica, we just simply can't'stand
it ~
Jessica frowned and sighed.
81 know, dear; but when the car
didn't cost anything"
"Well, lobster salads and chicken
patties cost something" mentioned the
man grimly.
81 know it; but 1t seems $3.50 sell
fish to so all by ourselves with those
empty seats behind us. And there are
l~so many l have promised to take Her.
bert, what can we do?"
81 don't know; but I know what we
can't do We can't feed them to the
tune of a dollar or two a plate any
longer"
There was a long pause; then Jes-
sica clapped her hands.
Herbert, l have it! Well have bas-
ket picnics. I'll take lunch from the
house every time. And after all,
that'll be lots nicer; don't you think
500"
"Well, that might do" acquiesced
the man slowly anyhow, there
wouldn't be any dinner checks a-com-
ing"
August passed and September came.
The Wheelers were in "M' now; they
had been for days, indeed. Even
home-prepared lunCheOns were beyond
the Wheelers' pocketboOk now, and no
| lIItlu Iul Dttn lINllbl " rue LOT II
week past. The spelling Of two tires
and a rather serious accident to the
machine had neccsSitated the Wheel
ers spending every spare cent for re-
pairs.
In the eyes of most Of the town the
WheelerS were objects Of envy. They
bad an automobile. They could ride
| willie others must plod along behind
them on foot, blinded by their dust
and SicEened by their uoiSome odOr
Of gasoline.
As long as the Wheplers were "dp-
Gently hospitable" about sharing their
car. the townspeople added to their
envy an Interested tolerance based on
lively speculation as to when ones
own turn for a ride would come; but
when a whole week went by, and not
one Of the many anxious would-be
guests had been invited, the interest
and the tolerance fed, leaving ONLY an
angry disdain as destructive to happi-
ness as was the gasoline smell Of the
car itself.
There wore some things, however,
that the -townspeoplo did not know.
They did not know that, though the
Wheelers hid a motor-car, they had
almost. nothing else: no new clothes,
except dust coats and goggles; no new
books and magazines, except such as
dealt with "the practical upkeep and
operation OF car" no leisure, for the
car must he kept repaired and shin
ing; no fresh vegetables to eat, for
the garden had died' long ago from
want OF care, and they could ruy only
gasoline. But they did have an auto
mobile. This much the town knew
and there came day when this fact
loomed large ana ominouS on the nor
lion of the Wheeler's destiny.
On the first day of October the bank
in which young Wheeler worked closed
it's doors. There had been a defalca-
ton. A large sum ofamoney was miss
Ing, and the. long anger of suspicion
pointed to Herbert Wheeler
Dn he not sport an automobile?
Was he not living far beyond his
means? Had not the Wheelers for