| Show I A Queer I Passenger By Dy CLARISSA MACKIE HACKIE C t by br r U M Urdu Ciure re N x r Syndic Syndicate w UNU NU ferric on lei leilI 11 l I A ANN D locked the A 1 back door of her small house home hou and anil went out lut to the Kimble down tumble down old barn which had become blomo a shelter for th the ancient automobile that she gloriously called the car car She had dusted tend and washed It t that very fery morn morn- Ing There was a minute or two of hesitation on the part of the car after Ann Alln had bad stepped on the gas mid and then an exciting thrill shuddered shuh through h the vehicle and 1 It rolled relied Importantly Importantly Im Im- through the open door and down the Incline to the grassy grass yar yard where It rattled and snorted while all nil the th hens belts railed cram their tucks curiously Now v o l I commanded Ann land Imperiously ns liS they reached the road anti soon they thy were spinning pinning madly along toward the cross road that led straight to the railroad sta sta- tion Since site she had acquired the car Ann Aun had made It her business to meet nut ery every Important train that stopped at Little Miter If the day diy was n a stormy one the ear car was buttoned up III snugly In black rubber and the passengers lISSI gems gers Ers were kept kl warm worm and dry In return for the cent Jo faro fare Hut But this mornIng mornIng mornIng morn- morn Ing was r. r cool delicious spring one The he big stage that always s met the tho trains was already there when Ann Alln reached the tile station I Dan n an Mills lulls was WAI the 1 carrier of mall mail bags to and from the trains and he grinned nt at Ann and touched his cap Clip Hows Bows she he ho wanted to know lIke a bird birdi t laughed Ann hap hap- pity IHy Humph grunted I old Benjamin Brown who had bad come to the station to meet h his hired new man mon Like a 11 crow bird crow that that old rattle roWe trap trop humps along Here the train I comes wonder wonder won won- der w what hat kind of a poor tramp they're sending tae me this time tine Anns Ann's car cor was tilled filled soon after tho the train stopped stopp d and she turned to run to the villa village 11 Hut But Benjamin Brown who had Just taken on a single passenger passenger pas pas- had cut In ahead of Anns Ann's car She waited 0 It cd until he had passed telling herself that the passenger did not look like a regular farmhand After she had left her passengers In the village the she went slowly homeward Just dust as she was turning Into her gate Dan came Jogging along his empty stage stretching behind him Walt a minute Ann ho he sang out Dan Dnn emerged from the stage tage and came over o to talk to tier her Say Ann Ann he said In a n low torte lone did you see tho the queer party that went home with lien Hen I Brown I 1 thought that he was to well dressed for a farm form hand haUl admitted Ann You act queer Dan suspicious Dan suspicious arent aren't you your OU t For an answer he lie thrust a hand Into an Inside coat coot pocket and brought out a paper paper paper-It It contained pictures and descriptions of several se wanted wonted crimInals crimInals criminals crim crim- and Issued warnings against them Why I Ann RIchland pointed toward toward to to- ward a familiar picture Benjamin Browns Brown's farmland farmhand what I 1 want to know I You Ton see the hn bank has a n registered bag comIng coming com corn ing alon along on the evening train train train-they're they're keeping the bank open after arler hours to receive It and lock It up In the vaults vaults- and Im I'm wondering about that queer character that went to lien Hen Browns Brown's Ann locked her car In the old barn born and walked v over to the house She was feeling very fery lonesome and sad rather upset upI upset up up- I set about what Dan Mills had told her for Browns Brown's land adjoined Anns Ann's on the south I She went around to the tho thoI I south porch now and started back aghast at nt the sight of the strange farm hand The same acme Ann Richland he I said ald In Ina a vibrant voice that thrilled Ann Why Wh stammered Ann I do da not remember you you you-you you have made a mistake mistake mistake mis mis- take And all the time she was wishIng wishIng wish- wish Ing lag that Dan an would come along so that she might appeal to him for help Then Thena a sudden shocked expression came to her charming face It must be Everett Lewis she said softly Of course It Is Is-I Is I know I look years older than you but there was the war and It rather battered me up since then Ive I've been hlen bark at my old Job- Job teaching school until school until I was bitten with a longing to come hack back to Little hirer and see Fee the old place Then I saw an nn advertisement of old Ben Browns Brown's place open for summer boarders board ers era so I telegraphed that I would be behne here on the two two thirty thirty train today Old Ok Ben was wag there hustled me Into his wagon and ran me out to his place First thing he said somethIng said something about my being too dressed up for a hired man man brought brought forth an explanation and he was so mad bP because he had hac probably mislaid the real farmhand a athe at atthe atthe the station that he put me ofT off his place place place-I'm Im I'm on my way to the village e hotel I 1 stopped here Ann for the sake of old times you times you know what I mean meant Ann blushed beautifully and nodded and offered to drive him to the village hotel botel In five minutes minutE's the old car had hadI I become bome a wonderful chariot charlot In which i two people rode once more through 1 I the scenes of happy youth and relived I an old love story tory Leaving Everett at atthe atthe the village hotel Ann drove happily back home again That at all happened years ago and ago and the Little liver hank hAnl has never yet been robbed while Ann has married Everett I. I Low Lewis IBI Is And they live a very fery happy almost 1 ld d. III I life lirE In inthe the old house e l touches thE vII vII- lne Inre age school and Ann still drives the theold I I old cur ur to the station every day for forI passengers j I |
