Evening star., 1925-03-22


for the moon There wasn't a real
hope among them.
1t was then Mr.. Gudgeon went mad
He leaned over Gwendoline's side. I'll
you want ride-get in," he said.
Nobody could have blamed the Bus
Conductor. BY the time he had re-
! covered his presence of mind No
, AK was well under way and there
was nothing to do but go In and say
Fares, please" as though 81 raga-
mullins were normal freight.
The Stout Gentleman said, "One
twopenny," and added, II think the
man is driving much too fast. 1 shall
write to the company" and Elfreda
who was sitting next to him, breath
less and bewildered, said nothing.
Ere-where's your fare?"
Elfreda could only gaze and gaze
The other ragamuffins piped in chorus
"'E said we was to"-which was
neither grammatical nor illuminat tin &
and pointed at Mr.. Gudgeon's head
just visible through the glass par
| tition.
The Bus Conductor opened the lit
tie glass window over Mr.. Gudgeon's
head and shouted, "Wot do you think
you're doing?"
By this time 1t was apparent to the
meanest intelligence that Mr.. Gudgeon
and Gwendoline were running away
together
"Therell be an accident" said the
Stout Gentleman. II shall write to
the papers"
THE first policeman signaled to was
a stout man and hopelessly out
classed by Gwendoline. The second
Constable XZ-happened to be the
u 4. Il =
landed on Gwendoline's back step
He and the Bus Conductor consulted
rapidly.
The Policeman opened the glass
window. Look here, my man-you
pull up at once"
Mr.. Gudgeon could not possibly
have mistaken the accents of author
ity Gwendoline gathered speed.
You're under arrest" said the Po-
liceman
He hung out from the side rail and
blew his whistle. and the policeman
on point duty stood out in the middle
of the road and held his hand up, and
Gwendollne made sort of skittish
side curtsey and was past him and UP
the hill opposite before you could
count 20.
Constable XZ went back to the
glass window and shouted into Mr..
Gudgeon's ear:
Look here, my man, you can't do
that sort of thing, you know"
And, having thus announced the
law in unequivocal terms, he ex-
planned that he would have to report
the whole matter to his superiors,
who would no doubt deal with the
situation, and jumped clear.
'If you think" shouted the Bus
Conductor Historically, that I'm go
ing to be left here with a bloomin'
madman and a bunch of kids, you're
very much mistaken
He added something about a wife
and children and vanished overheard.
He missed his footing and landed in
an inconvenient puddle.
The ragamuffins whooped with joy.
Gwendoline at this point lurch ed
round an unexpected corner, and the
Stout Gentleman got up and spoke to
Mr.. Gudgeon himself.
My dear fellow" he said, breath
less but propitiating. Il quite under
stand that you intend this for treat,
but would you mind telling me our
destination? I'm not policeman,
and I'm perfectly willing to enter
into the spirit of the thing, but 7
prefer to know"
Mr.. Gudgeon shook his head. He
business. Perhaps Gwendoline knew.
He had given her her head. He him
self was simply obeying a blind in
stinct-a homing instinct Perhaps
homing birds, too, hardly know
where they are going when they turn
homeward-or how they are going to
get there. They just start out blind
ly and keep on going, as Mr.. Gudgeon
did.
ELFREDA, leaning snugly against
- the Stout Gentleman, could see
through the window opposite miles
upon miles of hill and valley, field and
forest, veiled in a Spring mist of
ethereal Colds and green's. And not
house in sight-if you excepted the
thatched cottage before which Gwen
doline had halted. A gayly-lettered
sign hung over the porch informing
you that THE Case Is Altered" and
that you could get Whitney's Ale
here, and there were real daffodils
swaying in a side garden so that for
one moment Elfreda imagined that
they were her daffodils come here to
greet her. But a moment afterward
she saw that they were quite differ
ent. There was such a glow and
brightness about their green and
yellow dress.
to sit very still so that Elfreda should
not be disturbed, groaned and
stretched himself.