Nogales international., 1931-09-23
TENTH LNSTALMENT
cCpYo,6HT 1881
BY TIE AUTHOR

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Rackruff Motors hire Rowena to accom-
pany Peter on nationwide tour in their
roadster as an advertising stunt. At the
last minute Little Bobby is engaged to act
as chaperon.
A few miles out Bobby becomes fearful
at being parted from her sweetheart and
Rowena insists taking her place in the
rumble SO that she can ride with Peter and
have him to talk to about Carter. Rowena
gets Peter to consent to divide the expense
money each week as soon as it arrives,
and astonishes Peter by eating too econ
omieally.
The three tourists reach Denver, after
passing through Buffalo, Chicago and St.
Louis. Peter and Rowena have many ttTs
on the way while Carter keeps wiring Bobby
to return to New York. The morning after
they reach Denver, Peter and Rowena dis
cover Bobby has deserted them and returned
to New York by train. They are faced with
the impossible condition of continuing their
trip without a chaperon.
Rowena suggests to Peter that they make
a "companionate' marriage They are mar
led and go to Cheyenne, where their actions,
when they ask for rooms on separate floors,
arouses the suspicious of the hotel clerk.
not without exciting the laughter of the
hotel loungers. They wire the company
they have been married.
They resume the trip the next day and
are overwhelmed by a cloudburst in an
arroyo and are thrown out of the car. A
party of tourist campers gives them dry
clothes and food Spokane is finally reached
and the hotel clerk smiles when they reg
ister They find Rackruff Motors have
arranged a public reception and dance Tor
them. They are deluged with presents.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
1t was indeed very plain what they
thought about Peter. The friendly,
admiring smiles with which they said
good-by to Rowena froze into cold
disapproval in their curt mods to
Peter. He felt quite cut UP over it
all.
"Don't you care" said Rowena.
"When they find out how things
really are, they'll be so mad at me
for footing them that they'll rebound
your way and think you're quite the
nuts"
'Wel1," said Peter, there's one
thing sure. Everything in the world
has happened to us now. From des-
ert sands to mountain mud, from
separate floors to bridal suite, we've
run the gamut of the unexpected.
Nothing will surprise me after this" "
"Me, either" agreed Rowena. Tive
used up the very last of my surprise
sensations. No matter what happens,
I'm expecting it."
But they were both wrong. In
credible as it seemed at the moment,
they were due for many more sur
prising denouements and more sem
satlonal ones. Even climatic condi-
tions conspired to add to their
discontinue.
The sky had been overcast for
hours, and a heavy downpour of rain
was followed by a steady, dlShearten-
ing drizzle that showed no signs OF
diminutlon.
They smiled at each other after a
terrible day and in friendly COM
radely quiet pulled slowly up to the
hotel.
Just ask for two singles" advised
Rowena. and if they give US ad-
joining ones we can't help it. We've
got Spokane to fall back on"
They followed the boy with their
bags into the hotel lobby. And the
first thing they saw there was little
brown Bobby Lowell sitting all
hunched up in the biggest upholstered
chair in sight.
"Bobby!' they cried. "You little
duck, you! Where did you come
from? Where are you going? What
in the world are you doing here?"
Bobby dimpled, wept and giggled,
kissing them both again and again
with complete unpartiality.
you angelsI she said. "I've been
so lonesome and I'm so glad to be
back with you again. | feel like a
poor little lonesome orphan that just
found out it is a Smith !"
where's Carter? Is it your honey
moon?"
The small brown nose uptilted it.
self to a very naughty angle.
''Never mention his name to me
again." she said thickly. Il never
want to see him again as long as
live"
Garter! You never want to see
Carter? Oh, you can't mean Carter !
protested Rowena, who simply could
not conceive of Bobby with nc
Carter at the tip of her tongue
"It's just not possible
"It is possible-it's a fact. All i:
over between US for ever and ever
That's why l came to go on the res
of the trip with you"
"But see here" said Peter sternly
"you can't just be on and off witt
us like that. You left US in a terrible
hole, running off the way you die
81 knew I had done wrong" saic
Bobby, "and so I said the best thine
to do was to come straight back a.
fast as I could. That's why I didn'
send back the money borrowed
Peter. l needed it to come back on
well, what happened?" demanded
Rowena. "How in the world did yo1
ever get off with Carter?"
"It was like this. At first he wa
simply overjoyed to have me bacl
and then in about an hour we got tt
talking about it and he got madde
and madder and said he really didn'
know whether he wanted to ruin hi
future by marrying woman whc
had no more sense than that. S.
naturally I broke the. engagement AM
gave him back his ring. I put m,
things in my bag and called up Rack