The Coolidge examiner., 1933-01-27
Ticket to Sparta
By EMILY V. SPEARS
g by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

w found her shamelessly crying
over a bunch of dead violets, she
decided something must be done.
But" protested Peggy, when her
mother had explained her plan, Il
don't want to go to see Aunt Helen.
| want to stay right here in Long
hope, where Dick is.''
In the end Mrs. Burleson won her
point. And two weeks later Peggy
was comfortably established in her
aunt's luxurious New York apart
ment, leading gay life.
And of course Peggy had a good
time.
Then suddenly, early In the after
noon of her birthday, a week after
her visit began, Peggy suddenly de-
cided she couldn't spend another
hour in New York. She must get
home. The memory of a shiny
white box, layers of cleaning, trans
parent green paper that she had
pulled aside year ago to disclose
bunch of violets from Dick, came
to her so vividly, so poignantly, that
she felt almost faint from their
nearness.
She was going home. She couldn't
go back even for an explanation to
her aunt's apartment. Her aunt
wouldn't understand.
She hailed taxi and hurried to
the station. 1t wasn't until she
opened her purse to pay the taxi
man that she saw she had only two
or three dollars. She paid him.
Then she stopped to consider what
to do next. She'd telephone her aunt
leave word with a maid that
she'd gone home for the night. She
couldn't make explanations. 1t was
too inconsiderate of her to do it, of
course.
She'd buy q ticket that would
take her as far as possible on her
way. Then, If the conductor re-
membered-he might forget and LET
her ride a few stations extra, per-
haps the whole way-she'd get off
the train, wherever he put her off
and perhaps she could walk the rest
of the way.
A crazy plan, of course, but to
Peggy at the moment it seemed
beautiful.
Fortunately a maids voice an
swered her telephone call. There
was little surprise in the we'll
trained, "Yes, Miss" but that was
all. Peggy had banked on that.
Aunt Helen had high-class servants
that never ,batted an eyelid, no mat
ter what happened.
Peggy's eyes blurred as she worked
her way to the head of the line for
her ticket. She pushed two dollars
and a quarter through the grating.
"How far will that go toward Long
hOpe?" she asked the ticket sales
man. "To Sparta" he answered
"All right, ticket please" said
Peggy. And he gave it to her. with
fourteen cents change.
She had to wait half an hour for
her train. But that was all right.
The maid had told her that her
aunt was away at card party and
wouldn't be home till five-thirty.
Snow was falling as the train
emerged from the tunnel just be-
yond the station. Small, business
like flakes. But what was snow to
Peggy? She saw violets floating
through the air. Sparta was a long
way from LOnghope. But II she
couldn't walk the distance in the
faky snow-oh, well. something
would happen.
The warmth and regular motion
of the train lulled Peggy to sleep.
A firm but gentle tap on the
shoulder awakened her an hour or
so later. She looked up to find the
conductor leaning over her.
Excuse me. Miss" he said.
where was your ticket to-"
Silently Peggy produced it.
"We've passed Sparta. Miss. Tom
kins is the next stop"
"Oh, yes" said Peggy. glad that
she had been asleep when the sta
ton was called, I'm sorry. I'll just
get off at the next station"
Twenty y-one CENTS" said the con.
ductor.
But" demanded Peggy.
Cant help 1t. called the sta
ton. You'll have to pay"
Pardon me-" said voice behind
her. to the conductor. The young
lady wants to go to Longhope. We
are together. have her fare from
Sparta the rest of the way"
The conductor grnnted dissatis-
fled sound as he accepted a ticket
from Dick. and looked at him a bit
askance as he slid into the seat be
side Peggy.
But that didn't matter to Peggy
and Dick.
"You see," he explained as mis-
hand sought and clasped hers, 'it's
your birthday. | remembered And
| wanted to be with yOu-l wanted
TO tell you. to ask yon TO marry
me. ! got to your aunt's apart.