The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-14

time the motor sputtered spasm od- ically. He reached to the choke
 button, pumped it until the engine started to pick up evenly,
 Then he meshed the gears and let the clutch out. As the car em- erged from the little garage, the l gale caught it and hissed through the gaping holes in the torn side curtains. Driving snow whipped | against the windshield. Tom switch cd on the wiper, then headed down | the winding hill toward town.
 "I Hope She Doesn't
 Freeze Up On Me"
 "I hope she doesn't freeze up on me-" he murmured, remembering that there was but little alcohol in | the radiator.
 He had an eight-mile drive be- fore him. The road was covered with ice and snow, making driving difficult. Tom had no chains on the car; he had to take 1t easy. As he tried to penetrate the curtain of snow before him, he told him. self again and again that he was a fool to do this.
 An eightmile drive through 6 blizzard to drop a Valentine in a girls mailbox so she would get it in the morning! But then, it was for Elsie, he reflected. He was passing through the town now, and as he passed Sam Gar dener's drug store he remembered. bitterly, how often he and Elsie had stopped in there after a show. But that had been when she was his girl.
 | Elsie and Tom had gone together for a couple of years until Toms brother, Harry, finished college and came back home. It had not taken long for Harry to notice how pretty Elsie was; and Elsie's young head had been turned by his col- legiate dress, his cool sophistica- tion that was more assumed than natural.
 In a month or 50, she had seen less and less of Tom, who was working hard at Thompson's gar- age in town and more of his brother. Tom, in spite of his 23 years, was deeply in love with Elsie and tried to make her sec that Harry was just kidding her along. as he put it.
 q guess I know my own mind." Elsie had told him in return. 1T don't need any of your advice!"
 And that quarrel had ended things between them.
 If Tom had felt that Harry could make her happy he would not have minded so much; but he knew his brother too well. Harry was hardly the type to stick to one girl for long. Too many times Tom had heard him remark:
 No dame is ever going to tie me down. There's a lot to this old world and I'm going to see 1t all!"
 It was easily seen that, although Harry was two years older than Tom, the younger brother was the more settled. Tom, himself, did not realize the depth of his love for Elsie. He only knew that above anything else, he wanted to see her happy. Nothing else counted.
 Right now he was worried. That evening Harry has asked him to do him favor.
 "Elsie's been pestering me about a Valentine" he grinned. 50 picked one up. She'll be all broken up if it doesn't get there by morn- ing. I've got to beat it up to the city tonight. Will you run over and drop it at her house? know it'il never get there if I mail it this late."
 After hesitating, Tom nodded. "okay, I'll take it,' he replied.
 And now, as he drove through the storm with the crisp envelope in his pocket, he thought of the call he had overheard Harry mak- ing while the family was at sup per. He had heard Harry making an appointment for that night with some girl.
 Tom Was Miserable
 As We'll As Chilled
 Tom was utterly miserable as well as chilled to the bone almost. He knew Elsie's stubborness too vel Ito think that she would listen to him if he tried to tell her that Harry was making a fool of her. It made him feel worse to know there was nothing he could do about 1t. Elsie would have to find out for herself.
 Tom had told himself that he was making the trip with the val entfne because he felt sorry for her, didn't want her to suspect Harry was neglecting her; but the real reason was that he could not bear to think of her being hurt ever so slightly. And he knew she would be if Harry sent no valen- tine.
 A huge truck loomed out of the storm, and snapped Toms thoughts back to his driving. He wrenched the wheel to the right sharply; the truck rambled past safely. The storm had increased. Tom's headlights seemed to glare back at him from the wall of falling snow. He was more than halfway to Haven Junction, where Elsie lived with an old aunt, named Tessie.
 Suddenly the motor developed a knock. Toms trained ears detected it instantly.
 "Frozen!" he muttered angrily. 'I might've known"
 He slowed up a bit to rest the 1aboring motor. But it was in vain. A minute later there was q muffle explosion as the radiator cap blew off. and showered the windshield with boiling water and steam.
 Tom swore in disgust, pulled over to the side of the road and switched the engine off. With the steam popping out. it was useless to keep on. He could see nothing ahead.
 A moment before the car came to Q full stop, Tom saw the deep, snow-fllled ditch and tried to avoid 1t. He had seen 1t too late. The front wheels slid over the edge; deep into the snow they sank.
 Clambering out, Tom glanced at the car. He knew there was no chance of getting 1t out by him. self, and there was nightly little chance of help out here, between the two towns.
 He damned his hat on tighter. stamped hts feet in tho deepening snow to help the circulation. Tho wind was bitter cold. He could not stand there and freeze. H0 was Q good deal nearer 10 HavAn Juno-