Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-06-29
II Phlneas hesitated it was for only

Course" he promised. "Er-there's
a man, he's comm with it,, an he's
goin' ter stay little, Jest ter-ter
make sure everything's oil right. After
he goes I'll come. An We want to be
ready-Ill show We thing or twol"
he finished with Q swagger that was
meant to hide the shake In his voice.
In due time the man and the auto.
mobile arrived, but Diantha did not
have her ride at once. It must have
taken some time to make sure that
Everything was all right" for the
man stayed many days, and while he
was there, Of course, Phineas was &C.
cupied with him. Colonel Smith was
unkind enough to observe that he
hoped 1t was taking Phineas Hopkins
long enough to learn to run the thing
but his remark did not reach Diantha's
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 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, 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 !;
IAN see!" he added; and forthwith he
burst into a paean Of praise, in which
tires, horns, lamps, pumps, baskets,
brakes and mud.guards were the domi-
nant notes. It 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 that
! start. There were several false moves
; on Phineas' part, and Diantha could
F! not repress slight scream and q ner-
vous Jump at sundry unexpected puffs
! and snorts and snaps from the throb.
bling thing Beneath her. Size gave a
louder scream when Phineas, In his
nervousness sounded the siren, and q
wall like a cry from the spirit world
shrieked In her ears.
'Phineas, what was that7' she shiv.
! cred, when the voice had moaned into
| silence. ,s.s.
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 II
\ great? I thought you'd like I'll" And
!! to hear him one would suppose that
to sound the siren was always neces
sary preliminary to starting the
wheels.
They were off at last. There was
"a slight indecision, to be sure, whether
they would go backward or forward
i and there was some hesitation as tt
whether Diantha's geranium bed Of
the, driveway would make the bes
thoroughfare. Rut 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
"Oh' amt this grand!" murmure,
1 Diantha, drawing long but somewha
.tremulous breath.
; Phineas did not answer. His lip
were tense, and his eyes were fixed OF
the road ahead. For days now he hal
run the car himself, and he had beel
given official assurance that he wa
quite capable Of handling 1t; yet her
The was on his first ride with Dianthi
almost making failure Of the whole
thing, at the start. Was he to b
beaten-beaten by a senseless motor
car and Colonel Smith? At the though
:Phineas lifted his chin and put OF
more power.
l.; "Oh, my! How fast we're goin' !
icried Diantha, close to his ear.
Phineas nodded.
.'Who wants ter crawl7" he shouted
and the car leaped again at the touc
:of his hand.
] They were out Of town now, on
wide road that had few turns. Occs
] sionally they met a carriage or 4
E wagon, but the frightened horses an
the no less frightened drivers CAV
g !: the automobile wide berth-whic
{ was well; for the parallel tracks b
hind Phineas showed that the ca
k still had its moments Of indecision 8
9 to the course to pursue.
The town was four miles behin
them when Diantha, who had bee
J. for some time yainly clutching at IL
flying ends Of z her veil, called
Phineas to stop.
The request took Phineas by su
prise. For one awful moment his mir
was blank-he had forgotten how