Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 272, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1917 — The Old Auto [ARTICLE]

The Old Auto

By Gilbert Webster

(Copyright, I*l7, Western Newspaper Union.) The crowning ambition of Nell Borden was to possess an automobile. He began saving money to that end, but the process was a slow one. He was a bright, rubicund young man of twen-ty-two, earned sixty dollars a month as a clerk, and was too good-natured and satisfied with life to quarrel or complain. He was free-hearted, ingenious, but simple and credulous, and as he had never done anything to set the world on fire, was set down as mediocre, and contented with being classed in that category. As said, Neil longed for an automobile, and had saved up something towards it, and then a queer freak of fate, or rather misadventure, brought the coveted object of his desire direct to his doorstep. A bird of evil omen, adventurer, swindler and soldier of fortune named Boyden, looking for a place tp light, swooped down upon Fairview to Interest those having money in a gold mine promotion. They had been bitten before, however, and Boyden met with little success. He kept his automobile in an old shed, all that was left of structural evidence on a lot where the house had burned down. He sent for a partner in crime, one Davlln, to join him and select some other territory containing gullible investors, Davlln - arrived uit—Fairview, many seas over, took it upon himself to-ap-propriate. the auto out for a spin, and about midnight, at his hotel, Boyden was called out of bed to the telephone. “It’s me,” was announced in maudlin tones. “Who is me?” demanded Boyden. “Joe Davlln, of course. Say, Boyden, Tm all In, and Tve run the machine into a telegraph pole and pretty nigh smashed it to flinders. You’ll have to get some garage machine to haul us into town.” Boyden’s keen eyes sparkled. He was never at a loss to turn an Incident to bls own advantage.

“You get right to the hotel here,” he ordered his befuddled friend mandatorily. “Leave the machine where it is. Don’t say a word to anybody about the accident. Do just as I say, or Uli throw you over for good.” In the course of an hour Davlln arrived at the hotel. Boyden got him to bed. Then he used the phone liberally. He sent word to the office of the city company insuring his automobile against theft, that it had been stolen. Placidly chuckling, he went to bed himself, feeling that he had done a good hour’s work. Next day the Insurance adjuster arrived. The local watchman had found the wrecked machine, minus its tires, which someone had stolen. There could be no doubt that It had been stolen and wrecked. Boyden received three times what he would have taken for the machine and left for new fields of adventure and speculation. " It happened that Neil cajne upon the adjuster, anxious to settle the affair and get' back to the city. The wreck was offered to the local garage for $100." V “I wouldn’t give $50,” remarked the garage man contemptuously. “Take it for $50,” pressed the insurance adjuster eagerly. “Don’t want it at any price.” “Forty?” “No.” “I’ll give forty,” spoke up Nell, and the bargain was clinched on the spot. Ned had a friend who operated a small machine shop, and to his place he had the wrecked auto taken. The latter was friendly and clever. He patched up the disjointed machine, hnppeflxj to have a set of solid rubber tires that bad been once used on a truck, and, clumsy, grinding, missing fire regularly, but going just the same, the machine tore proudly about the village. Nell was too pleased to hear the jeers of those who criticized the old rattletrap. He was proud as Lucifer when, coming down a steep hill, lie was arrested for speeding. “That wasn’t power,” enlightened a friend. “It was momentum.” “What does it matter, so she goes !” chirped Nell. Now, destiny was preparing a hew surprise for Nell, which linked in with the incident of the wreck. One day a handsome young man and n lovely girl of seventeen, Gabrielle North, left the train a.t Fairview with some trepidation. They hastened to reach the outskirts of the town. On a bench outside of the shed where Nell kept his beloved automobile and was tinkering over It inside at that moment, they sat down to rest. “The telegram from our mutual friend which we received here, says that your uncle has wired to have us stopped when we reach Rosebury, spoke-.the young man In an anxious and serious tone. “Then It seems,” murmured the young lady sorrowfully, “that we can t go to Rosebury.” ' “No, not by train, and as soon as your uncle finds we have left the train he will have his hireling spies after us all along the route** - < , “Qh, Walter! what are we ever go-

Ing to do?” wailed the girl at the point of tears. / ' . ' “Reach Rosebury some other way than by rail," was the prompt response. “You see, watchful as your uncle is, he don’t know that we are headed for my friend, the Rev. Jarvis Bothwell at Rosebury, who win marry us at once. Then we can defy the malignant old guardian, who Is bound you shall wed another man of his selection.” “Walter," sobbed Gabrielle pathetically, “I am yours till death!” All this and much more Nell overheard, hammer suspended, his good, sympathetic heart stirred to his depths. At the end of ten minutes he understood the situation complete. Here were two gentle souls pursued by an ogre In the shape of a meretricious relative and guardian, who sought to rend them rudely apart and crush their mutual love under his feet. It should not be! Neil startled the cooing, calculating pair by abruptly confronting them. “Friends,” he announced clearly. “I’ve been eavesdropping. I overheard all you said, and I’m going to help you.” Gabrielle clung closer to her brave lover. Walter scanned hopefully the open, honest face of the Intruder. - “How can you help us?” he questioned dubiously. “By taking you to Rosebury In my automobile.” “But the roads may be watched.” “I won’t take the roads,” explained Neil, “that Is, the traversed roads. Here’s the proposition; If you think that striking Rosebury after dark by an untraveled route you can manage to reach this minister friend without being discovered, I’ll get you there.” “You will!” “I’ll make It the best day’s work you ever did,” pledged Walter Young. “See here, friend, Tm not marrying this jewel of an angel for money. I’ve got more of It than she has. It’s a case of genuine, disinterested love and a cruel, scheming guardian.” “I guessed that,” nodded Neil In a chipper way. “Now let me explain to you. There’s a half road west; no one ever uses It now. It runs by the old glass factory that burned down. It’s made up of refuse and cinders that would ruin ordinary tires In ten minutes. I’ve got solid ones. Folks have jeered at my old machine, but all the same It can make that trip, and they couldn’t even begin It.” “Oh, Walter, this is dreadful!” palpitated Gabrielle, as, an hour later, In the dark the old auto bumped and skidded and thundered along over the glass works road. “Not when It throws you into my arms!” cried Walter jubilantly. “Think of our good fortune In running across this genuinely fine young fellow, with a heart big as the moon!” With a whiz the automobile finally rolled out Into a smooth country lane. “You’ve arrived,” announced Nell. “■What*! the program? This is the edge of Rosebury.” “I think,” spoke Walter, after brief thought, “that I’ll take no risks. I’ll leave you two here, go for Mr. Bothwell and we’ll get married before we venture into town.” He was gene an hour. He returned with his friend. There, In the automobile, the solemn words were pronounced that made the runaways man and wife. “For you,” spoke Walter Young, taking Neil aside and pressing a folded slip of paper into the hand of their gallant chauffeur. “It’s a check, and good, and none too big for a man who has helped me with the best little girl In the world!” When Neil Borden opened the check, back at Fairview, four hours later, he found it to be for one thousand dollars. The adventure It commemorated had awakened latent romance in his heart. He could afford to think of a life companion now, and did. His choice fortunately fell upon a sweet souled creature who did not disdain riding in the* old automobile, and Neil made that the test of her worthiness.