Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1938-12-01
CHAPERONINC
AN ELOPEMENT
g
BY EVE JENNINGS
CD. j. Walsh
By EVE JENl
CD. J. Walsh
r HEIR elopement had been so
much easier than they had
expected. Peggy had accom-

much easier than they had
expected. Peggy had accom-
plished the time-honored
trick of secreting a suitcase at the
rear of the lilac hedge. Then shortly
after lunch she had walked calmly
out of the house with a casual,
"Good-by, Mumsie," to her mother.
Half an hour later she and Mac
Bristol had driven up the alleyway
to the Farnsworth home, retrieved
the suitcases and were off to the adj
joining state of Iowa 125 miles
away.
The high-powered roadster shot
through. the suburban district OF
Cornell and took the Muskegon
highway east with the speed and
surety of huge gull.
you're not nervous, are you,
honey?" Mac asked the pretty little
brunette at his side, meanwhile TAX
ing his extensively gloved hand
from the wheel to give hers a
Measuring pat. "Turn back, baby"
he continued, land wave farewell to
that old hick town. You've seen
the last of Cornell"
Somehow that last remark didn't
seem to set well, and the little hand
under the expensive pigskin glove
was jerked petulantly away.
"I'm not running away from Cor
nell" came the very definite an
swer. ut suits me. I'm running
away from that ridiculous law that
won't let girl marry until she's
81. Besides, if we had waited may
be we could have won father over"
This wasn't a very suspicious
start for an elopement.
Mac Bristol, holder of several rec
ords for heartbreaking, sensed a
drop in the temperature and was
quick to inject warmth into a ro-
nance now nearing fruition.
The carefully gloved right hand,
with the strong masculine arm at
tached to it, neglected completely
its duty at the wheel as the arm
tenderly encircled the irate but
charming maiden at Macs side.
"Why, listen, sweetheart" said
the soothing voice that had almost
a professional righteousness. Il
didn't mean to say anything deroga-
tory about your little town. Wen
come back some day and I'll buy
Cornell for you if you want it. Buy
you several Cornells."
Which playful bit of love-making
somehow failed of effect.
The fact is that Peggy, so ad-
jured, had taken one last lingering
look back at her beloved native
town. AS she looked she had
thought she had detected sturdy
little flivver pacing the big blue
roadster about a quarter of mile
to the rear.
It might have been only an op-
teal illusion, but it had most dis
quieting effect on one member OF
the clipping party.
81 wish l had gone to the store
to say good-by to dad. It was a
shabby way to treat him."
And that was the only verbal re-
Spouse that Mac received to his
amatory approaches.
"Surely we're not going to quar-
rel on our honeymoon, are we,
darling?"
Still the soothing voice made over
lures of peace. Still those overtures
were rejected.
"We're not on our honeymoon yet.
We're not even married"
Those words somehow had an
ominous sound. Even as they were
being uttered the roadster began
pulling to the side of the road. Once
or twice Mac righted the machine.
! Again the wheel pulled under his
hand. He knew what that meant
a fiat.
''This is a heck of note. We've
got a fat" said Mac in tones that
were neither dulcet nor unctuous.
During this outburst he had drawn
up to the side Of the road, and both
he and Peggy alighted from the car.
Mac thrust his hands into the
pockets Of his modish topcoat and
stood looking ruefully at his car.
'Well, you might as well gel
busy" said Peggy in thoroughly
businesslike manner. you'll never
put on a spare by standing there
staring at it."
"I've never changed tire in my
life and, what's more, don't intend
to. Don't know how If l wanted to. -
AS he spoke Mac stared disconso-
lately up and down the roadway.
No one was in sight and the near
est service station was two miles
back. eep f..f.-. Y
Macs speech grew constantly
more irascible.
BY this time Peggy had found
her voice and she fairly shot out
her scornful challenge:
"You don't mean to tell me you
can't change a tire. Why, l can
do that myself. We're not going to
sit here all night. Get out the
jack"
This Mac sullenly did after Peggy
had identified the article. Each
painful step in the process of getting
n