The Snowflake herald., 1922-02-10

She was older, that was certain, al
though not much older.
swell, how what" he stammered.
That's what 1 say" she exclaimed.
'How-what-"
Its got me beat" he declared. DO
you happen to know Maxine Brooks?"
II certainly do. She's my younger
sister. But she left town yesterday
shortly after / arrived to visit Aunt
Sarah"
Garvin'S heart sank. SO this was
the outcome of the carefully laid
elopement plans. He stepped on the
starter and turned the car out in the
road, heading it for Sarendac. For
some time as they rode along no words
passed between them.
So Maxine had gone back on him
Well, he didn't understand it, but he
wasn't going to play the fool by asking
questions.
But the car took hand in the game.
A rear tire went flat and Garvin had
to mend puncture because the extra
was at a vulcanizing station undergo
ing repairs. 1t was fully an hour be-
fore the car was ready, and then, aft
er going the distance of a block, it
stopped and could not be induced to
move. With a flashlight Garvin ex-
plOred in the hood, but was unable to
remedy matters. The girl tried to
help and got dabbed with grease, but
Sho didn't coop to mind
"Tm just peasant, anyway" she
said, smiling.
No, she was not Maxine. She was
too willing to help and too patient.
Maxine would have fretted and fumed
and made no effort to help matters.
Garvin was beginning to like the girl.
"Well, L can't fix it," he finally ad-
mitted as he walked away from the
hood and tripped for the fourth time
on the dangling scabbard. While she
laughed merrily he detached the sword
and threw it on the car floor. "We're
miles from any habitation, and this is
an unfrequented road. It's more ro-
mantle than the main thoroughfareS,
that's why Maxine wanted-why
chose it,
"Then there's nothing to do but
spend the night here" said the girl.
ut isn't very proper, but circum-
stances don't recognize proprieties."
She curled up on the seat, while
Garvin tried to make himself COM
Portable on the running board. Yes,
Maxines sister was extremely like
able Why hadn't he met her first?
They stayed awake by conversing
on various subjects, which became
more and more personal as the hours
passed.
"Please tell me how it happened
my kidnapping you instead of your
sister," Garvin finally urged.
Before l left home" said the girl,
II had a talk with Maxine's former
fance, with whom she quarreled some
time ago. He gave me message and
when Maxine received it she went
back to marry him. She asked me
to substitute for her at the ball and
said she would arrange for me to meet
a very nice man under the oak tree.
l didn't know about the elopement
plan, of course, and l thought it
would be just lark. And it seems
1 thought right"
They became better acquainted,
while the frogs warbled in the nearby
marsh and Luna sank beneath the
western horizon. When dawn crept
up from the east the girl yawned and
had an idea.
did you look at the battery
wire?"
Garvin had not, but he did, and
found it loose. Remedying the
trouble, he stepped on the starter,
then paused to remark:
Love at first sight is-wonderful,
isn't it? Shall we do it now?"
Her answer was inaudible, but when
the machine rolled along the road it
carried two elopers toward Charlotte.