Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-09-09
Her Way of
Escape
By cLARIssA MAcKIE
Q by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
(WNU Service)

LNLEANOR BROOkE went up TO ner
II room and sat down. She had told
her family that she had broken her
engagement to Mark Allen and her
brother Roger had informed her that
it was good luck, HE is a rotter,"
muttered Roger from his book.
The others all murmured something
or other, and her mother had smiled
alphabetically. None of them had
liked Mark Allen.
That was not the reason sne had
broken her engagement. She had re-
ceived letter from a broken-hearted
girl In another city who had told her
of Marks perfdy. Eleanor thought
she was breaking her own heart when
she decided to let him go; now, to
her surprise, she did not care.
The next day she spoke to her moth
er about taking a trip West, to visit
an uncle who had a ranch.
The ranch won Eleanor's heart.
She learned to ride, and soon the
wide-open plains were her own play
ground, ~ wish, Uncle Alfred" said
Eleanor, shat you had some hopeless
bachelor cowboy who would ride
around with met is pokey riding
alone, and all Of your cowboys are
too gallant"
Uncle Alfred thought for q long
time. Then, he removed his pipe from
between his lips and smiled. II be-
lieve know just the man to go about
with you, Eleanor" he said slowly.
''Over on the next place to the south
lives a man whom have known for a
long time-his name Is Walter jamie
son-bachelor-sort of a recluse-lives
there alone with a Chinese cook and
one man of all work, reads and writes
and rides all day the year around, ex-
cepting when he is travelling. / heard
that he was disappointed In love once
upon a time. Has lots Of money. Is
perfectly bullet-proof where women
are concerned He is your future es-
cort!"
The next day when Eleanor came
downstairs with the morning In her
blue eyes, her uncle called across the
table:
BE ready at nine o'clock, Eleanor.
Walter Jameson il coming to ride
with you-going to take you to his
favOrite canyon beyond the first hill.
Don't be frivolous-Walter can't
stand much of that, you know"
Now, Alfred" protested Aunt
Laura.
But Uncle Alfred only laughed and
went out to join his men who were
starting on a long ride.
Eleanor talked to her aunt about
various matters, but they did not
speak of Walter Jameson again.
Eleanor believed that he was prob
ably some tired old bachelor and
Uncle Alfred was really making fun
Of her, but presently when she was
ready to go out she took last look
at herself in a trim khaki riding out
fit, her soft hat on her ruddy hair
framing her piquant face.
Aunt Laura sat on the veranda talk
ing to a young man in riding things
very correct as to texture and cut,
with a wide hat swinging from one
shapely brown hand. The sun shOne
on the golden tan Of his skin and pro-
nounced him handsome young man
/ perhaps thirty-three, with very nice
brown eyes and hair to match.
Eleanor, dear" said Aunt Laura,
may I present Mr.. Jameson, our very
good friend and neighbour" and then
Eleanor found herself shaking hands
with Walter Jameson. Soon the two
Of them were riding out Of the yard.
Eleanor was sure that her aunt en-
joyed the joke as much as Uncle AL
| fred had done, but she soon found
that there would be no time for retro
spection with Mr.. Jameson. He want
ed to talk and he wanted her to talk.
He could ride well and he was the
incest, friendliest sort of Q young
mani
They were very good friends before
! the ride was over. They had con-
fessed at being completely fooled by
Uncle Alfred and Eleanor blamed her.
self for forgetting 90 soon that she
would never love another man after
Mark Allen. Her good sense told her
that perhaps Mark Allen was not the
perfect man.
She and Walter Jameson agreed
that they would not permit Uncle AL
fred to believe his Jest had succeeded,
so when they came back to the ranch,
each maintained a puzzling solemnity
that quite devastated Uncle Alfred.
"Gosh, Eleanor" said her uncle
frankly, 81 Just believed that you two
would eat each other upl He's writ
ing book, yep, he sells a lot Of them,
too, so they say. But you're so young
and pretty-gee whiz-the young men
of today have no pep at ALL"
When Eleanor reached her own
room she sat down and laughed and
laughed, and then, after awhile. ten
der little smile curled her lips
As for Jameson. he smoked three
pipes one after the other that first
night, and then he locked up all the
sheets of his latest story. closed his
typewriter, and spoke to the dancing
| flame on the hearth.