Evening star., 1924-11-23

arrested and locked up on q number
OF charges such as vagrancy and con-
spfracy to defraud. They would have
learned that the miracle man him
self was suffering from a frightful
cold in the head and a loosening of
the vocal cords, accompanied by an
almost total loss Of his singing voice.
and that OF this condition he found
1t quite impossible to cure himself.
But the young people would not
willingly have spared that long run
in the bright fresh weather.
Ruddy had lifted the girl bodily
out of her chair and carried her out
to the car. All the way to San Juan
and return he looked forward to lift
ing her once more, and have her thus
for q little while In his arms.
All night she had been either in his
conscious or in his subconscious mind.
The feeling grew and grew in him
that he had discovered quite an ex-
quisite jewel, which because nobody
claimed 1t belonged to him and was
his to cherish and take care OF.
When they reached San Juan and
learned about the miracle man the
girl was bitterly disappointed. Two
very big tears came slowly out Of her
eyes and ran down her checks. But
Ruddy bought sandwiches and hot
coffee and brought them to her in the
car, and comforted her.
Suppose" he said, that there was
always going to be a car to ride in
and somebody to lift you in and out
of it? You should worry"
THE temptation to play Providence
L overcame him. Caution and COM
mon sense hed. He wiped away her
tears with his own handkerchief and
when he had finished his hand was
trembling.
I'm going to take care OF you" he
said. always" And he went on: I
knew 1t was up to me the minute ]
saw you and learned you had nobody.
But / was scared to say so. / was
scared that you'd never get to like
me enough and that you'd rather
go to some institution. But you
wouldn't-would you? I've
got a little ranch. lots OF tiptop pear
trees, and the cutest little house. But
that's not enough for one man to take
care of
You're just sorry for me- the girl
broke in "and-and you're stuck with
me and you feel that you've got TO
do something" She shook her head
and loosened two more tears. and she
SAID, Il won't 10 IL.
Well" said Ruddy, lust let me re-
turn those dishes and we'll talk 1t
over"
In few moments he came back.
cranked the car and climbed in. And
as they pulled out of San Juan he
said:
Now weIl talk 1t over" and as
the girl made no response, he added.
"I'n talk il over And he did.
You" he said, "have nothing to
say about the matter. I'm sorry you
can't jump and run and all that, but
you can't, and that's why you can't
even argue I never liked any girl
but you. / never thought any other
girl was cute and pretty. 1 never
wanted to be with any other girl.
And now I've got you. You're in my
power. II / choose to take you to my
ranch and leave you there while
get a license. you can't help yourself.
suppose you could refuse to get
married, as far as that goes. but
could keep you prisoner until you
changed your mind. And you'd
change your mind because I'd be SO
good to you you couldn't help 1t
The only trouble that 1 can
see is that like you and you don't
like me
II dow she said suddenly.
"Yes-a lot! You like me SO much
that sooner than do exactly what
say you'd let them send you to an
institution
The more 1 like a man." said the
girl, 1.-The more I'd want to be fair to
him-even IL it hurt me-"
The grade between San Juan and
Salinas is very heavy. and the pace OF
the baby-blue fiivver invited calm
and reflection. For nearly half a
mile of solid wild flowers Ruddy
nursed his machinery. reflected and
did not speak. Then, the top OF the
pass being reached, he turned his car
over to the one mechanism which
never misses fire and whose clutch
never slips-gravity - tested his
brakes to see that all was we'll with
them, leaned a little toward the girl
and said:
Suppose / take you at your word!
Suppose i take you back to your
house and carry you in and put you
back in your chair and say goodbye
and go away-and you know that I've
gone away for good and all--what
are you going to feel? With no one
to take care of you and no place to
go?"
She started at once to answer him.
but he cut her off short.
that offhand," he said. You've got
to do some thinking and imagining.
You've got to picture yourself back
in that chair with the one person in
the world who wanted to take care
of you and work for you gone. and
gone for good. You think hard
WHETHER she thousht hard or
DIAL No lxy oh -
didn't, because usually people don't
when they are told to; but she kept
silent and looked straight ahead of
her for such a long time that Ruddy
became worried. He was afraid
that he had offended her. But he
hadn't For she said finally:
This is honest truth. I've always
dreamed that somebody like you
would come along. and-and ike me
a lot, and take me away and be good
to me. And in the dream / got well
and we were always happier than
other people II you take me
back to my house and go away and
leave me I'll just die But 1t
isn't right for you to do anything
else. and I won't let you"
He could not shake her determine
ton. Her life was bound to be
mess anyway and she wasn't going
to let him make a mess of his. She
was stubborn, Ruddy thought. and
unreasonable. BY the time they had
passed through Salinas and crossed
the river and were well along the
winding valley road to Monterey he
believed that nothing would ever
change her. And he was very un-
happy.
He had begun the day with certain
misgivings. He had not been sure
~ ti, NUN rnotlyes nr aentimpntS