The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1922-08-18
AFOrgOtten
Engagement
By R. RAY BAKER


ilmpld hand, and with wistful eyes
watched the stars straggle forth into
the gathering night, her father, Ben
Crandall, rocked by the stove and
read Of Black jim Simpsons lawless
depredations.
No sound disturbed the dusk ex.
cept the piping OF a ~tree-toad and the
%creaking Of Mr.. Crandalrs chair. Mar,
jorie had sat by that window much Of
late, in a pensiye mood. with her mind
far away, at race tracks where de.
mons In motorcars annihilated time
and sometimes tossed a human life
aside.
Her father always occupied the
creaky chair by the stove. at this time
Of day. The stove was dead, because
summer was here and almost ready
TO depart, but it was his custom to
huddle near 1t, forever reading a
paper.
"That rascal Black Jim is at II
again" Mr.. Crandall observed aloud.
"And he's not so far away. He seems
to be edging toward Happy Valley
and I'm feeling a little bit scared, al
though Of course there would be moth
ing here to interest him."
Marjorie scarcely heard him. Her
thoughts were Of her racing demon,
Harry Trenton, and she had a vague
hope that he might keep the big en-
gagement, very vague, indeed; for
Harry was now famous and would
not be likely to remember his sweet
heart Of a year ago.
The big engagement was made early
In September a year ago, while Mar
JOrie and Harry sat in Belle Isle park,
In Detroit, having motored thlther In
his rattle-trap, made-Over auto Of vet
eran service which had been pur-
chased for less than a song and given
a racing appearance by means Of
some clever body work. AT that time
Harry vas a mechanic In a Detroit
automobile factory, but the racing
fever had gripped him and he was re-
solved to make a name for himself
on the speedways.
On the September day Harry had
proposed marriage, Marjorie loved
him and she was exceedingly roman
tic, but there was a practical side to
her nature and this asserted itself.
Harry was not In the proper financial
circumstances to care for a wife, so
she advised that they wait a year be-
fore becoming engaged.
"All right" Harry sighed. Make
1t a year-a year from today. On
that date III call on you for my an
swer."
This appealed to Marjorle's roman
tic p%ropensities.
Exactly a year from today" she
said. But" she added, as an after
thought, perhaps we shall be far
apart by that time"
ut makes no difference" he assured
her. mo matter where you are, ! will
keep that engagement. And I'm the
meantime. wen never refer to II
again. Neither Of US Is 10 be re-
minded. for II we continue TO care
Wen remember. One year from TO
day, II we are both living, ] shall call
on you for my answer"
Within a month Marjorie moved
away. Her fathers health suddenly
had failed and his physician advised
outdoor life. They went to North
Dakota, where Mr.. Crandal invested
his savings In a small farm.
Marjorie and Harry correspondent,
but as time went on and he began
forging ahead In the business Of mo-
tor racing, the letters became more
andamore Irregular.
The date Of the big engagement was
now only two days away, but Mar.
jorle entertained little hope as she sat
by the window and pondered. Fame
had taken Harry from her, she was
afraid, for 1t had been more than a
month since last she heard from him.
How dead everything was in the
valley Happy Valley How she
loathed I'll No, she did not quite fee
that way, because II had restored her
fathers health. But Mariorie's TO.
manticism did not thrill to lonesome
places. Crowds Of people, glltterin,
electric lights, appealed to her. Sh,
was unhappy In Happy Valley, espe
cially as the day Of the big engage
ment drew near; Tor II meant dis
appointment, she was almost sure.
The night before that day dawnet
Marjorie was alone. Her father haC
found 1t necessary to go to Blsmarcl
on business, and he would be gonl
several days.
swatch out for Black JIM" he ad
monlshed as he hoped into his fiv
yer, In which he would drive 80 mile
10 a railway station. II hate to leav,
you alone like this, but the bushes
can't walt and somebody must sta,
10 look after the stock. / guess BlacI
Jim is after bigger game than thu
little piece Of land, anyhow. An,
don't fall into the well-and take car
OF your cold. Your voice sounds Tx
an a~uctioneer's after a week Of har,
work. I'd never recognize II as your
n I didn't know"
The well was o hele In the srnnn.