Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1914 — IMPERIOUS MISS COLBY [ARTICLE]

IMPERIOUS MISS COLBY

By JUNE GAHAN.

. Miss Saxon Coiby was twenty years » ©ld. Sbe was imperious and self-willed end obstinate. k Her father hadn’t very much money, -> end she wasn’t very good looking, but the attitude of the girl was that of one born to a throne and expecting every minuter to receive a check of is several billion dollars from Mr. Rocke- ' feller. Miss Saxon had had plenty of admirers, but had become interested in none. About the time she ought to have been interested in a young man ...she would give him the cold snub and he would vanish and another take his 7"7 _ There were people who called the girl a flirt and a but she wasn’t that. It was that she had not yet met the right young man. No one had ever clashed with her; no one, not even her father, had dared to say to her: “Who are you to think yourself the salt of the earth? You have a passable figure; you are as good looking as most of the girls in the depart--7 ment stores. You have only a fair education. Why do you swagger? Why do you snub? What right have you to say that one shall do this and do that?” Three different people appeared at Willow Springs by the same train. There was her ladyship, Miss Saxon Colby. There was Professor Peters, proses- ; aor of mathematics at a certain college. He was fifty-five years old, and was taking a vacation for the first time in fifteen years. There was Gilbert Needham, a successful author, who was just then very much before the public. The professor and Mr. Needham put ‘up at a hotel, while Lady Saxon Colby stopped with friends at a private house. The professor put in much of bis time wandering over the roads and fields. Mr. Needham sat on the veranda and smoked and took a walk now and then. Miss Saxon drove out In a pony cart or an auto, and frequented the hotel more or less. At Tin early date she and the young man were introduced. After they had sized each other up he said to himself: ‘ Rather nice looking, but she’s snobbish and imperious.” “He’s a very clever author, but in private life he may have a lot of traits to be criticized,” Miss Saxon said of him. It has happened thousands of times, and it will happen thousands more, that a man and a woman who are antagonistic at a first meeting, and rather wish to avoid each other, will be thrown together in spite of themselves. One day young Needham was almost knocked off his feet by an invitation from Lady Saxon to take her for a walk to pick daisies. In his mind he complimented her on dropping her usual attitude, and thereupon he made himself as agreeable as possible. It was not long, however before he came to suspect that she bad a plan. They had gathered a great bunch of daisies and were sitting with their backs to a thicket, when she remarked: ' “I suppose you have received lots of flattery over your so-called literary achievements?” "Certain people spoken kindly of my efforts,” was the reply. ! "There are always toadies. As a literary effort I must say that I regard your books as dreary failures.” "They may be from your standpoint." “Whmh.T am sure, is the correct one. Mst anyone can hit the taste of the rabble.” "I beg pardon. Miss Colby, but some of the highest and most competent critics have spoken well of my work.” “But my criticisms will stand, sir, and they are most unfavorable. As an author you are a failure!” “Thanks!” After trfat there was n6thing to do but walk back to the hotel, and they hadn’t progressed ten rods when Professor Peters emerged from the thicket with a grin on his face. He had heard every word. Of course, the author’s feelings were hurt, but he realized that malice was the incentive, and he tried to be cheerful over it It was only three days later when he was asked if he could drive an auto. Upon his replying in the affirmative. Lady Saxon said: “I wish to go over to Hill City on an errand, but the chauffeur ie ill. You will drive me over.” It was a direct command, and for a moment the young man was inclined to refuse. Then he thought of the rudeness, and relented. It was a rough road across the hills, and the auto was started at about ten miles an hour. It should not have been even that much. They were about to cross a stone bridge on which sat a man with hie head down when her ladyship called out: “Why this dallying?” “It Isn’t safe to go faster.” “Are you also a failure as a chauffeur?" . . . L. "I think lam a good judge of a bad road.” rX *Tf you’do not at once increase the speed I shall get out and walk!” The speed was doubled, and as the machine bounded away, threatening a disaster every minute, t hernia noh the bridge looked after ft and grinned. It was the professor. Her ladyship and servant reached ; r HUI City without a tragedy.- On the |

return the pace would have been the same, but she commanded: "Four miles an hour will be fast enough. I wish to view the scenery.” “But there will be a friend at the hotel waiting for me,” he protested. “He or she can wait!” - “But I must —” “If you attempt to drive faster than that I shall get out and walk!” The gait was made at four miles, and not another word was spoken between them. —“I’ll snub the life out of him!” said the girl to herself. “I’ll hate her as long as I live!” said the young man to himself. Mr. Needham and Professor Peters were just bowing acquaintances. Their ways seemed to lie far apart, and therefore the author was more than astonished after dinner that evening when the professor asked him if he did not wish to take a walk. When they were alone the man of mathematics said: “Miss Colby might be changed Into a very lovable girl.” “You have noticed Her, then?” “Slightly. If she was made over she would make a nice wife for some young man.” “I wouldn’t marry her if she was the last woman on earth,” exclaimed Mr. Needham. “Tut, tut, young man! You have a mission here.” ' “ They talked for an hour.- Here was a dry-as-dust old mathematician who had never married, never had a romance and didn’t expect to have, advising a young man what to do to get his case in the hands of Cupid. Two days later. Mr. Needham happened to mention in the hearing of Lady Saxon that there was a fine motorboat down at the river, and she at once commanded him to. escort her down to see it. Thk professor had said he would. “I want you to take me out in the boat,” commanded the girl after she had surveyed it. The professor had said she would. “I cannot run that kind of a boat,” replied Needham. “But I can and will. Come along.” “You must excuse me. There is danger.” “Then you are a,coward!” The professor said she would say that. 7 Lady Saxon stepped into the craft, and after a little fumbling around found the switch anjj started it. The boat shot away. There .being nobody at the helm it ran where it pleased. When it hit the other bank with its nose and bounded half-way back its occupant screamed for help. ’ ; 7 The professor said she would, and no attention must be paid to her. When the boat scraped over a sunk;, en log and shipped a barrel of water the “crew” uttered five shrieks in succession and held out her” hands. The professor said there, would be at least five screams. The boat ran upstream and downstream, and from bank to bank, and fibally over the sunken log and turned bottom-side up. . - The professor said it would come to that. Now was the young man’s chance. He plunged in for the body and swam ashore with it and bossed the job of first aid and so on, and sent it flowers every day until it sent for him. Several months later, when professor saw a certain announcement in a society paper he grinned and whispered:' “Didn’t I tell him so!” (Copyright, 1914, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)