Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 130, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1910 — Under Difficulties [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Under Difficulties

Haskins never did care for Selmore anyway. At first he had disliked the fellow mildly on general principles, but later he hated Selmore cordially, for a specific reason. Alice Clark was the reason. When Selmore first saw Alice Clark and fell a victim, Alice was in Haskin’s car. Though he did not realize it, Haskins had grown to consider her as belonging to his car quite as much as he did himself. He had glowed with a little proprietary pride when he detected the gleam of interest and admiration in Selmore's eyes, but he was not prepared for what followed. Selmore had stopped by the car and after being Introduced, had cheerfully asked for a lift to his destination and got it, occupying the entire time of transit in conversing with Alice quite as though Haskins were a hired chauffeur. A week later, when Haskins called on Alice and found Selmore there, he learned through the conversation that Selmore had accidentally met her in a candy shop and had promptly asked to call,. And he kept on calling.

Haskins tried to convince himself that had it been any one else on earth than Selmore he should not havte cared. It was simply, he told himself, because he disliked Selmore so. Alice certainly had a right to have as many callers as she chose, inasmuch as she was not engaged to himself. It was the first time the idea of being engaged to Alice had presented itself to him, and he thought about it a great deal after thal, mainly because Selmore persisted in interfering so with his established routine. 1 He was especially upset one evening when, having made an engagement over the telephone to take Alice automobiling, he called only to find that Selmore had Just arrived. Out of politeness he asked Selmore to come along and to his rage Selmore brazenly accepted. Haskins had quite counted on that ride as a pleasant one, for it was a springlike evening. There was to have been a spin over the boulevards, supper at some quiet place and then home in the moonlight —and who could tell what might happen? Now, here was Selmore, fastened on him for the whole evening. He tried to. make himself believe that Alice had looked a trifle disappointed when Selmore acceped, yet be bitterly felt it could not be so, for Selmore was looking especially handsome in his new spring suit. The rlge progressed in an electric silence on Haskins’ part and with fluent conversation on Selmore’s. They had the spin and the supper, which •was as ashes In Haskins' mouth. Then thgr started home. On a downtown street corner the machine wheezed and help him lack it off the ear tracks.

Then he, investigated irritably, for accidents were alien to his car. As he delved amid the machinery Selmore sat aloft amiably talking to Alice. When at last Haskins bad to crawl under the machine and lie flat on his hack while he pounded the mechanism he knew how anarchists feel. “Here, Haskins,” Selmore called down finally, "can’t you fix it? I should think you’d know your own car better.” “It’s getting terribly late,” said Alice. As Haskins plodded away to a telephone he seethed with hatred of Selmore. After wrestling with the phone and finding he could get no help Haskins phoned his home garage and then went back to the two in the car. "They’re are sending a tow after tfle,” he said. “You two can just catch the last suburban train If you hurry. It will relieve my mind if you’ll take it, so that I’ll know Miss Clark will get safely home.” “Splendid idea!” agreed Selmore, and leaped out. He reached up a helping hand to the girl In the back seat.

Maybe she had had too much of Selmore, maybe she felt sorry for Haskins; maybeAt any rate she never moved. She regarded Selmore coolly. “I am not going to desert the car and let Mr. Haskins wait here all alone till goodness knows w-hen!” she said distinctly. “You hurry along and catch the train, Mr. Selmore! I shall

wait and be towed in with Mr. Haskins” So Selmore had to go. As Haskins watched him vanish around the corner he was conscious that a great joy percolated throughout his system. He climbed ou£ of the driver’s seat and in beside Alice. “Thank the fates!” he breathed. “Now maybe while we’re waiting I can have a chance to say a few things to you that I’ve been wanting to say!” Chicago News.

“THANK THE FATES.”