Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-11-08
"Road part way and open coua

"Road part way and open coua
the rest Of the way" observed t.
Wreck. Anything the matter witt
that? You don't hear me yelling?'
I'LL hear you yelling If you try to
make It In a f1ivver." remarked the
sheriff. and he coupled another laugh
with 1t.
Sally was musing over it, and
found the idea slightly exciting.
bob, l don't see any reason why
1t can't be DONE" she said, slowly
And II we had to turn back. why
there's no harm, anyhow"
'"Turn backr' echoed the Wreck.
What for? You want to catch a
train. don't you? Well, when 1 start
catching trains. catch 'em. Want
to go?"
why. L"
Sally looked at the sheriff. He
shook his head authoritatively.
cant be done. Sally. 1 know
what I'm talking about. And be-
sides"
He paused to observe the Wreck.
who had pushed his chair back from
the table and risen. Sally nibbled at
her lip: there were times when she
wished Bob would not be so sweep
ingly authoritative.
+ ANY time tomorrow that you're
ready, I'm ready" said the Wreck.
regarding her with a stare that was
almost belligerent. And anybody
who tells you it can't be done Is suf.
fering from arrested mental develop
ment."
He limped out Of the room. but
there was something absurdly ag.
gressive in his gait. Dad Morgan
eyed his back appraisingly and then
looked at the sheriff.
Wrecks kind of saddle sore." ne
observed, mildly. ''but he certainly
keeps clipper"
Hes a nut" said the sheriff. He
can't do it in a million years"
but he might, Bob" Sally had
look in her eye that BODIED a desire
for discussion.
What? In a flivver?"
i've heard" said Dad Morgan
mot that I've got personal expert
ence-but I've heard that folks can
go most anywhere IN them things.
except in society"
CHAPTER II
The Two-By. Nothing Prairie
lTHE ranch buildings were miles
l. back Of them. how many. Sally
could not exactly TEN. for there
was no speedometer on the f1ivver
But they were fifteen miles from the
ranch, at least. and the railroad was
still more miles to the north. BY
the trail which wound high along
the eastern flank of Black Top 1t was
about twenty miles, as nearly as
Sally could figure. They could no.
follow the high trail. of course. some
where, road branched. which they
must take and Sally was intent on
watching for the road.
Ii was an add sensation. Dumping
over the tla.i Oh wheels. II helped
her to forget that there had been
words with the sheriff the night be
fore. just as he was saddling to r.~I
back TO his job al Fisher
Once she remarked the fact TO him
that il was pretty bad trail. after
he had navigated delour that car
ried them around a boulder.
bad trail?" he echoed. almost
sharply. You don't call this bad. do
you? / call it boulevard
He was obsessed with resolve to
make the task so childishly simple
that the sheriff would eat his words
and be overwhelmed with mortif1ca'
ton.
The Wrecks name was Henry
Williams. and he belonged consid'
erably farther east than Sally had
ever been: as far as Pittsburg, In
fact. His coming to the BARN. had
been without specific generalization,
1t was merely an incident. 1t ap-
peared. in great plan. They first
sighted him in the middle Of fore
noon. two weeks back. coming flu
riously up the coulee. with radiator
that boiled like Old Faithful and a
carbon knock that sounded like the
crack Of doom. He brought the
thing to a stop in the dooryard. in.
troduced himself. asked for water.
tarried for lunch, tinkered with the
car, stayed for supper. and then kept
on staying.
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