The Dolores star., 1923-10-26
EVEN THE AUTO
BY IDA M. TUPPER

s.sssssssssss.0
W. 1873 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicateJ
HRuT, father, you are SO unreason-
abie! It's just because you have
uved on farm all your life, and are
! prejudiced against city people. Your
IDEAS are SO old-fashioned Why, ia
ther, people in the city simply couldn't
exist without automobiles, and us for
vaughn Norwood Well. I'm sorry
to displease you, father, but l have no
Intention Of ending my friendship with
him.
After delivering this declaration
Jane Witherspoon, with a defiant toss
Of her curly head, returned to the
cookies she was skillfully cutting for
the baking pan. She had recently
| graduated from college. where accord.
ing TO her father Grated the wealthiest
man in the valley) she had acquired
notions"
The deacon's strong aversion for
these "new-fangled" city things was
demonstrated by his emphatic refusal
to buy car. The faithful mare, Roxy,
whom the deacon had raised from a
colt he declared to be plenty fast
enough for him, as he had no inten-
ton of endangering his life in one of
them thar road wreckers."
James outburst was due to her fa-
Tiers command that she never step
foot inside Vaughn Norwood's car,
and, further, he didn't want the young
"whippersnapper" to "sot foot on his
land " lana hal
ent before, although she had many
times been exceedingly annoyed by his
eXacting prejudices. But this was
more than even she could tolerate.
That night as Jane lay dreaming of
a wonderful motor trip with Vaughn,
crossing the country by cleaning lakes
and towering mountains, her fathers
agitated, Jane, Jane, come quick
mother" shattered the dream into
grim reality.
The girl was accustomed to such
calls, as Nancy Witherspoon, deli
cate, fowerlike little woman, had an
unruly heart. After a glance at her
mother, brief test of the pulse, Jane
ran for the strychnine. Her brain
reeled momentarily when she saw the
empty bottle. No stimulant, and
mother :! Like lightning flashed
the only possible chance Of saving her
beloved parent.
Grasping the telephone, she called
the bearer of her fathers animosity.
"Vaughn, Jane speaking Rush with
strychnine-your car-nother.' Her
faltering voice told the story, and he
needed no further explanation.
Her father, suffering intensely, as
his wife was the Idol of his heart,
groaned in dlsmay when Jane dis
closed the empty phial.
"Oh, Jane, what can we do? There
wouldn't be time with old Roxy!"
Jane shook her head in negation.
I've telephoned Vaughn, father, to
rush out in his car. He ought to make
it in ten minutes If he can get the
medicine"
The man first glared at her. then
nodded his head in submission.
AS he patted Nancy's ice-cold hand
he crooned, Just hold on few min
utes more, dear just few minutes"
She smiled at them wanly and Jane
worked over her almost frantically.
Would he never come? Nancy grew
paler and paler, her breath came in
flutterlng gasps.
The whir of an engine, the door
opened and Vaughn handed Jane the
medicine. She quickly administered to
her mother. All enmity was forgotten
between Vaughn and Witherspoon in
their united efforts to revive Nancy.
After several hours when life had
been restored and his wife was tran
GULLY sleeping. the old man extended
his hand to the departing Norwood
Vaughn, I've been an obdurate old
codger. Boy, 1 can't thank you"
Tears of gratitude trickled down the
elder mans wrinkled cheeks as he con-
tinued: you've helped me keep the
dearest thing In life to me, and just
to get even with you I'll buy one Of
your ding-busted road-wreckers."
When the Deacon drove out in his
new car and announced that Jane was
soon to become Mrs. Norwood, the
sewing circle held two meetings In
one week to fathom out how 1t ever
happened.
But the Deacon knew that "a friend
in need is a friend indeed"-even the