The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7876, 19 July 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

A MOTOR ELOPEMENT. (Continued.) "ll'm : yc-cs she seems to be going a bit now," was his slow ami grudging assent, as the air throbbed and resounded with the machinery's clatter, "hut the thing is how long is it going to last ? That's what I want to know. Site's been running in I fits ami starts like that allhhe altteruoon, but just wail till she comes to a hill, ami that'll pull her up again." "Perhaps you'd better let mc take a lit the spin in her, to sec that she goes all right. May 1?'" "Do, by all means, if you can pcr-\ suade her to keep going." "Would you prelcr to remain in the car or get down, miss ?" politely iniroired the stranger oi Jessie. "Oh, I guess 111 May rigbi here," was that young lady's reply. She seemed to be enjoying tlie situation. So the good Samaritan climbed into the driver's seat, and Henry P. Batten settled himscll comfortably by the roadside to watch the trial. Then the clutch was thrown in and the ear glided along the road towards the fivc-niilc-ofi city. On and on it went, with ever-in-creasing speed and none of the jibbiiiß predicted by its owner, faster ami (aster, till to Mr Batten who sat still watehjng.it on the long straight, road, H diminished into a mere speck In the distance, and finally disappeared altogether over the brow oi a bill.

"Waal, if that ain't strange ! exclaimed Mr Batten, taking Ihe cigar from his mouth to give vent to his surprise and at the good behaviour ot }he car in the stranger's hands and to expectorate at the same time. "But that fellow's gone a main long way, and if Jess wasn't with him I should begin lo think it was his intention to scoot altogether with Ihe tiring. But Jess is a smart girl and she'll sec the matter through all right, I know," and having thus assured himself of the safety ot his property, he composed himself to finish his cigar in peace.

Minote succeeded minute and quart-er-hour quarter-hour, but still there was no sign of tlie return of the car. Mr Batten at last began to grow really anxious, ami strained his eyes in vain towards the hill o*er which the car had disappeared, to catch the first possible glimpse of it on its return.

Now an hour had elapsed sintc its departure ; (lien two, awl Mr Batten grew thoroughly alarmed. "I suspect the tarnation thing has broke down again,'* he told irjuiself. Then a more horrible though suggested itself to him. and sent a thrill of terror to his heart, for in his way lie dearly loved his daughter. Perhaps evil had befallen her; roHbery, or even murder. The bare thought of it drove him almost frantic and he blamed his foljv in thus letting a stranger go off with iris A girl and the car. ■ "Ob, if I could only ride this ■ bike and go in search of them !" be ■ cried, picking up the bicycle which m the stranger bad left on the' roadonly to put it down again Im■pediately with a boyish whoop of for there in the distance he caught sight of the truant car, swimming swiftly down the road towards mm. Nearer and nearer it came, until the features of the occupants could thp discerned, and then Batten's Wow darkened and an angry look covered his face, for there, sitting beside Iris daughter in toe car, was her forbidden lover, Charles Sampson. "What's the meaning of litis ? What right have you in my car ?" was lhc angry query, "What right? Why, the right which your own permission—your requestto me here gives." "You villian ! ! gave vou no permission. Where's the dark fellow ■?. that went off with the car •>"

ough, poppa," returned Jessie, tov- ." ing shyly yet proudly with a plain \ t ROW hoop that encircled the third ■i finger of her left hand ; and to suh- / atantiate ber statement Charlie drew 'from his pocket a wig composed of t dark hair, together with a pair of Kiwi ingles, which when donned, transformed him again into the ■tranger who had so kindly offered tri help with the disabled car. "Well, I " began Batten, when Ing sight of the wedding ring i daughter's finger, he pointed and shrieked : at's the meaning of that, you minx ?" illy. Mr Batten, f must ask o use rather more respectful jt* in addressing my wife, even is your daughter," interposed p. •r what ? Your wife ? Do you to say that you two " t off and got married ? Yes, to a T. Thai's exactly what »* done. Sharp work, wasn't inks to the highly accummodaturiage laws of this state. But J#ok wild./rteter. Forgive us *avc done wrong, but Jessie love each other, and I could lure the thought of your takr oB to Kurope to find some tess, useless man with a title rry her. Won't you give us Messing and Id us all live hanogether ! I'll try to make you a and worthy son, pater," said B. tenderly. Henry P. Batten did uot reThe shine had teen taken out t, to use Ms own expression WMn« very pale as he sat by the roadside, holding his Ktwcrn his hands. >pa, dear poppa, forgive us I be so happy together. I 1..<0 e so much, so very much, and love him too -.vtn-ii ;o.i kiin-v ropcrly. Heskh-s." Ihtc s |,,. red in his ear, "onfy just now iid yau would make him vour r if he were able to "ot ' tie ' you, you know." fatten appeared to have made mind suddenly, f or i, t . alv>l , Ily and said to Chaclie :- eckon you made t!:c ear i 0 Now slick your bike m n.c d make her go :jck tj town Man slip's ever travelled beo that we can be in time to I anyone talking about this and make arrangements for nave a proper wedding in it church as soon as possible

I'm not going lo have people laughing at me over this business-they wailil call me an old iool ' if they knew of it. Duck up, for I've got irbat trip to Europe to cancel as Well !"

"Yes," said Mr Batten, musingly, one evening, shortly after the grami "Society" wedding of his daughter to Charlie .Sampson, "I've often wondered what made the motor-car jib thai day. She always went well he lore and she's gone perfectly ever since. I hale to have anything 'get over me,' and I'd willingjv give a thousand dollars to know "the cause of that curious breakdown that aiI tcrnoon."

Charlie lazily extended his hand. "What's that for ?" inquired his father-in-law in surprisr. "That thousand dollars. I can tell you the cause of the breakdown , - ■

least Jess will, and as we arc one | I'll take tlie money while site tells-: | the story—that's a fair division oi Ilabour, isn't it, Jess .'"

"Well poppa," Jessie explained, "when Charlie heard you were going to ship mc off to England to find a husband he decided—l mean, we decided—to fix up our marriage somehow, in spite of you. For all your stricti.'.v, over the letters we managed to write to each other, ami I told Charlie how we were going to Aunt Kliza's to say good-hve that afternoon in the car. Then" Charlie \ asked me to be in the car-house at eleven, o'clock the night before, as lie had something important to tell me. So I slipped out of the house uuknoni: to anyone, and when I got thvre 1 found Charlie Wailing, he having cliinftil over tlie wall. !Wv went into the car-house, and Charlie did .something to some wire in tincar—l don't pjiite understand what '• he did—" "Put in a switch lo short-circuit I the electric current," said Charlie. "Wdl. he put the little switch thing hidden away near my scat so that it would not show, and told ore tlrat it woukl stop the car If I pressed against it in any way, but that you wouldn't be able to find out why it stopped, because I should only touch it sometimes. When 1 left it alone, the motor went all right. Then be arranged that when We got to that place where we 'broke down' 1 was* to press ibis funny little thing, which I did, and so the car stopped, as you remember, and Wlrile you Were trying to, find out what was the matter I bobed my sunshade up and down as a signal for Charlie to come up ami 'help' you. as We had arranged. "Of course he came disguised so that you would not know him, ami when lie tried to make tlie engine go you may be sure I did not press that switch thing, ami so the car went again all light. So we rode off and (rot married, for Charlie had made all arrangements with a clergyman friend of his to fix us tight and safe. Coming back to you We took of! the little snitch, and that is why the car has gone so well since 'You know all the rest, only yon don't know how it grieved me to have to deceive you. But we had to do it because we loved each other ■so dearly, and you were so determined that we shouldn't have each other. Tlien we should have been miserable all our lives, and happiness i« the most important thing in life after all, isn't it? 'Twasall your own fault, vjou sec, though' ywiTe the best and -dearest poppa in the whole w.dc world," and tears glistened in ber eyes as she threw her arms round bis neck and kissed him. Mr Batten extended his, right hand to his son-in-law and said .- "Charlie, 1 always hoped to get a smart man as Jessie's husband but sire s go; a sight smarter one than of 0 ™ fowA - Vm P"wd of you, although you trumped my cards so cruelly. Shake i" And he shook.