Show f Te ADVENTURERS ADVENTURERS' CLUB 3 t HEADLINES FROM THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF Hitch Hiker H i leer in B. B V V. D DV Ds s By FLOYD GIBBONS Famous Headline Hunter ELLO EVERYBODY H HELLO Heres Here's one for the book boys and girls It comes to us over the signature of Albert Cote New York city One Saturday morning in August 1933 Al was driving along a highway in t the e Catskill mountains without a care in the world He was on his way from Albany to join his father in a summer cottage the family family family fam fam- ily have in the mountains The car was running well and Al was looking forward to a pleasant week weekend In the distance at an intersection where he had to turn Al AI saw a aman aman man in white standing in the road He didn't pay much attention to theman theman the theman man however until he slowed down to make the turn and then he ne couldn't help laughing Garbed in Underwear and Derby Hat The man was in his underwear He had on a black derby hat and black shoes with black garters showing on his bare legs but instead of a asuit asuit asuit suit of clothes wore only B. B V. V Ds D.'s Als Al's curiosity was aroused and when the strange figure signaled him to stop Al tried to hide his smile and drew alongside of him A of the stranger Al AI says was a riot He ITe was a dignified dignified dig dig- looking gentleman of about sixty years of age His ITis hair was gray he wore a pair of expensive looking nose glasses with a ablack ablack ablack black ribbon draped over one ear and Al AI noticed that the underwear was of silk and spotless The man seemed so serious and dignified despite his strange attire that Al AI first thought he had a lunatic to deal with But when he began to talk Al AI says he realized the person was a man of importance Als Al's Al a strange hitch-hiker hitch came to the point at once and his story was as strange as his attire You see before you he said in dignified tones the unfortunate victim of highwaymen Holdup men stopped me and after stripping me melIe melie H l e I 1 lie Was Vas Dignified Despite His lIis Strange Attire of my clothes containing a few hundred dollars and my watch they stole my car and left me stranded as you see Didn't Want Vant to Tell the Police Al was immediately sympathetic and suggested driving at once to the police station But that's just exactly what I dont don't want the stranger protested My 1 wife is very ill and if I complain to the police I am certain to have some undesired publicity which will frighten her unnecessarily The amount stolen after all is unimportant and I would prefer to say nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing about it Besides he added fortunately I have my checkbook with me Im I'm rather old-fashioned old and I carry it here And with that the old gentleman removed his patent leather shoe and produced a checkbook which he had saved from the robbery Impressed by his passengers passenger's apparent honesty and responsibility Al AI suggested that they drive to his summer home and meet Als Al's father The old gentleman politely accepted and they went At the house AIs AI's father was equally sympathetic and it was suggested suggested suggested sug sug- that the first thing to do was to find some clothes for their guest Al AI was just about his size and despite the well-bred well protests of the theold theold theold old gentleman he was soon dressed in Als Al's new suit Then somebody remembered that it was Saturday and the banks were closed What would the old gentleman do for money while he telegraphed friends in New York Al got around that all right He lie suggested that the robbery victim accept 25 from him and then put up at the hotel in town until his money arrived He Gave Them a Fine Dinn Dinner r. r The dignified stranger was profuse in his gratitude Al and his father took him into town and introduced him to the hotel manager The stranger then not to be outdone in hospitality invited them to a little dinner party in celebration of their kindness Father and son were wined and dined in a manner that showed the stranger as a person of quality The best the hotel afforded was none too good for him and his guests He ordered with great care and had soon apparently forgotten his unfortunate experience of a few hours before The loss of his car and his money seemed to rest lightly on his gray head The one thing that worried him however was that his ailing wife might hear of his misadventure The happy dinner party like all good things finally came cameto cameto cameto to an end Their genial host after inviting Al AI and his father to return the next nest day and enjoy enjo his hospitality again shook them firmly by the hand And as as Al said good goud night he lie says he noticed a tear glistening in the old gentleman's eyes lie He waved a farewell to them from the hotel steps And that's the last I ever saw of the old gentleman Al AI writes When I came back the next day he was g gone ne But he left left left-I I found out outa a few days later later later-a a souvenir for me The souvenir was his hotel bill including in including including in- in our dinner bill and a bad bad- check he had cashed on the hotel before leaving for parts unknown And Al adds sadly I UI wouldn't stop my car now for a whole nudist colony Copyright Service |