Show I 1 THE RUT D By Dy VICTOR REDCLIFFE lOIS 1918 1 br bl 1 water N N. N w p pp p r Union Colon Professor re to- retired tired from Crom the rostrum in the little tittle village hall ball of ot Holmwood with n a smirk I and a n bow how and hurried his hla steps stepA once behind the scenes 8 to n a table where Ms ills lis wife was counting over r the meager receipts of ot the evening Well have hl to cut out these theA way way- back towns towns field too narrow for tor our abilities muttered the professor Attentive audience though thou How JIow you did pour it into them quoting the classics I 1 That was the stunt of ot the Impressive looking basso basso voiced pr pro pro- fessor tie ilIe had n a worn tattered ice lec le lecture ture which proved pro that every town lown he be went to ti had mIssed a marvellous commercial com coin inertial mercial future through striking a n rut and sticking slicking In It It Oct out of the rut I was was' his loud braying braving appeal to towns and individuals The discourse W was I dreary end and vapid but Its one essential point took root with at least two of the audience Muriel Baird eighteen an orphan a n I drudge in the home borne of a n distant relative relative rela rein tive Uve seriously drank In the glowing pictures delineated by the rostrum fiend as to the wonderful pro prospects open in fn the great thriving city for Cor the young and ambitious and ond Muriel 1 longell longed long long- ed ell for tor expansion and independence Across the tho aisle alste from tram her Arnold Wade Valle was likewise fertile ground forthe for forthe the seed sown Bown by the lecturer He lIe had worked at wages never Increased Inthe in inthe the next town had bad saved some money even enough to enable him to buy an automobile and in a modest way en ep enjoyed joyed life but be he too left the liall l all resolving resolving re re- re solving to g get t out of the rut t This estimable young man the next day made mad all his arrangements forgiving for forgivIng forgiving giving up his position lIe He experienced a rare sense of freedom as he be started away la In his auto bound for the city fifty miles distant At the same hour carrying a neat looking hooking suitcase Muriel Baird took the old turnpike road rand leading lending to to- the nearest railroad town She was secretly secretly sec sec sec- glad as an automobile slowed up and its owner sang Mang out courteously Can I give you a lift young YOWl lady Muriel turned to view her questioner discerned that he was a young man blushed divinely and murmured t Iwas I Iwas Iwas was going to Ledbury Right on my way Why he added added add add- ed ed I aee see you at the lecture lecture- last t evening To which Muriel assented and this naturally lly led up to the discovery that they were two souls soul of a single thought thought getting getting out ut of ot the rut rut r Well VeIl well commented the free tree and andopen andopen andopen open Arnold this is quite tal tat Here lIere we are starting out with the world all alt before us Suppose you OU save e time-and time railroad fare by staying staring right in the machine till we reach rEnch the city I tell you I consider having your pleasant pleasant pleas pleas- ant company all the way seems like a harbinger of good fortune It would be pleasant to keep kelP track of one an nn- other Wont Won't you write me me to me-to to the general general gen gen- eral delivery when you OU get settled And Ill I'll do the same to you And And then they parted with a good honest hanest hearty handshake and neither was likely to forget the other for a along along along long time to come Arnold sold his automobile for tar a fair sum and spent a week looking for an Investment for bl his little capi capi- tal One day he received a n brief note from Muriel l telling that tha she had found work at a n delicatessen store Arnold started to locate the place that evening Inquiry led to It being pointed out to him across a street he be bad been traversing A swift automobile automobile automobile automo automo- bile turned the cor corner er lIe He met a Ii crushing contact and ad knew no more It was not a long tong story be he heard beard when after a week of unconsciousness fever and delirium Arnold was made to comprehend that he had bad been tenderly tenderly ten ten- derly deny eared cared for by Muriel and her employer employer em em- a Mrs who lived behind the little delicatessen shop It was directly In front front-df It that Arnold had been fleen run down It was Muriel who witnessed the mishap and a Ii recognition of ot his bis friendly face had bad led 11 to her br caring for tor him as If It he be were an own brother Arnold mended slowly One day dur from an adjoining room he heard hisk his k hostess say sar Ive Iye got some BOme rather bad ball news for you Muriel dear I have word from my ray Invalid husband in California and he lie wants me to sell out and come to him I am alii offered foar foer thousand live five hundred dollars for tor the five stores tores You have made thU one with your j pleasant 1 manner and neat nat way way- of keeping It and I am going to ask the tho purchaser to retain you In la charge At that Arnold Joined the thai I ladles Going to sell the store I l he exclaim exclaim- ed Id Ill like a Ii chance at lit this one ont Mrs lat I have over overtone one thousand thousand thou thou- sand two hundred dollars in the bank Certainly you rou can hub have Jb the first chance the chance the price rice Is lf nine pine hundred dolI dol dol- I lars hats rs Ill take tah It If It hiss she Muriel Muriel he bo bohall shall hall decide Mrs I knows I love lore you ou Muriel and maybe maybo you have suspected it Call Cut It partners for tor life Ure become my Ply wife wire and how hap happy lap py Vl we will be b fo flo out nut of ot the rut they Joined bu t tInes Ine Ineis Ines issues ih Uell In u n small way WilY It grew to la sn gr uter thins 1 us IIi tilde went on The I tl tight held ht of ot love and contentment never lIever dimmed for ter those two rodent ardent nt young I II s. s I |