The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1922-06-24
If Phineas hesitated it was for only

a moment.
Course" he promised. "Er-there'
man, he's comm with it, an he
gOln' ter stay little, jest ter-te
make sure everything's all right Afte
ne goes I'll come. An We want to b,
ready-I'll show We a thing or two =
ne finished with swagger that wa!
meant to hide the shake in his voice
In due time the man and the auto
mobile arrived, but Diantha did no
have her ride at once. 1t must hay,
taken some time to make sure tha
everything was all right" for the
man stayed many days, and while he
was there, of course. Phineas was oc
cupied with him. Colonel Smith was
unkind enough to observe that he
hoped it was taking Phineas Hopkins
long enough to learn to run the thing
but his remark did not reach Diantha' i
ears. She knew only that Phineas
together with the man and the auto
mobile, started off early every morn
ing for some unfrequented road, and
did not return until night.
There came day, however, when
the man left town, and not "a hours
later, Phineas, with a cleaning thing
Of paint and polish, stood at Diantha' S
door.
Now, amt that pretty" quavered
Diantha excitedly. "Ain't that awfully
pretty"
Phineas beamed.
"Purty slick, l think myself" he &C.
knowledged.
"An' green is so much nicer than
red" coOed Diantha.
Phineas quite glowed with joy
Colonel Smiths car was red. "Oh,
green's the thing" he retorted airily A.;
IAN see!" he added; and forthwith he
burst into paean Of praise, in which
tires, horns, lamps, pumps, baskets.
brakes and mud guards were the domi-
nant notes. 1t almost seemed, in
deed, that he had bought the gorgeous
thing before him to look at and talk
about, rather than to use, SO loath was
he to stop talking and set the wheels
to moving. Not until Diantha had
twice reminded him that she was long
ing to ride in it did he help her into
the car and make ready to start.
1t was not an entire success-that
start There were several false moves
on Phineas' part, and Diantha could
not repress a slight scream and ner-
vous jump at sundry unexpected puffs
and snorts and snaps from the throb-
bling thing beneath her. She gave a
louder scream when Phineas, in his
nervousness sounded the siren. and a
wall like a cry from the spirit world
shrieked in her ears.
"Phineas, what was thatY she shiv-
cred, when the voice had mOaned into
silence.
Phineas' lips were dry, and his
hands and knees were shaking; but
his pride marched boldly to the front.
why, that's the siren whistle,
course" he chartered. "Ain't 1t
great? I thought you'd like it," And
to hear him one would suppose that
to sound the siren was always a neces-
sary preliminary to starting the
wheels.
They were of at last. There was
a slight indecision, to be sure, whether
they would 60 backward or forward,
and there was some hesitation as to
whether Diantha's geranium bed or
the driveway would make the best
thoroughfare. But these little mat
tiers having been settled to the ap-
parent satisfaction Of all concerned,
the automobile rolled down the drive
way and out on to the main highway.
ooh amt this grand!" murmured
Diantha, drawing long but somewhat
tremulous breath.
Phineas did not answer. His lips
were tense, and his eyes were fixed on
the road ahead. For days now he had
run the car himself, and he had been
given official assurance that he was
quite capable of handling it; yet here
he was on his first ride with Diantha
almost making failure Of the whole
thing. at the start. Was he to be
beaten-beaten by senseless motor
car and Colonel Smith? At the thought
Phineas lifted his chin and put on
more power.
"Oh, my! How fast we're goin'w
cried Diantha, close to his ear.
Phineas nodded.
"Who wants ter crawl?" he shouted;
and the car leaped again at the touch
Of his hand.
They were out OF town now, on a
wide road that had few turns. Occa-
sionally they met a carriage or
wagon, but the frightened horses and
the no less frightened drivers gave
the automobile q wide berth-which
was well; for the parallel tracks be-
hind Phineas showed that the car
still had its moments Of indecision as
to the course to pursue.
The town was four miles behind
them when Diantha, who had been
for some time vainly clutching at the
flying ends of her veil, called to
Phineas to stop.
The request took Phineas by sur
prise. For one awful moment his mind
was q blank-he had forgotten how to
stop! In frantic haste he turned and
twisted and showed and pulled. end
ing with so sudden application Of the
brakes that Diantha nearly shot head
first out Of the car as it stopped.
"Why, why-Phineas she cried
little sharply.