The Fifth Wheel | Page 7

I'll waft you to it."
"Oh, I wouldn't think of it!" she said. He opened the door to the car and
sprang out beside her.
"Come, get in," he urged. "I'll take you anywhere you're going. I'd be
delighted."
"Why," she exclaimed, "we haven't been introduced. How do I know
who you are?" She was a well brought-up young person, you see.
"I'll tell you who I am fast enough. Glad to. Get in, and we will run up
to the Club and get introduced, if that's what you want."
"Oh, it isn't!" she assured him. "I just prefer to walk--that's all. Thank
you very much."
"Well, walk then. But you don't give me the slip this time, young lady.
Savvy that? Walk, and I'll come along behind on low speed."
She contemplated the situation for a moment, looking away across
fields and green pastures. Then she glanced down at Dandy. Her name
in full appeared staring at her from the nickel plate of the dog's collar.
She smiled.
"I'll tell you what you can do," she said brightly. "I'd be so grateful! My
little dog has had an accident, you see, and if you would be so kind--I
hate to ask so much of a stranger--it seems a great deal--but if you

would leave him at the veterinary's, Dr. Jenkins, just behind the Court
House! He's so heavy! I'd be awfully grateful."
"No, you don't," replied Mr. Sewall. "No more of those scarf games on
me! Sorry. But I'm not so easy as all that!"
The girl shifted her dog to her other arm.
"He weighs fifteen pounds," she remarked. And then abruptly for no
apparent reason Mr. Sewall inquired:
"Is it yours? Your own? The dog, I mean?"
"My own?" she repeated. "Why do you ask?" Innocence was stamped
upon her. For nothing in the world would she have glanced down upon
the collar.
"Oh, nothing--nice little rat, that's all. And I'm game. Stuff him in, if
you want. I'll deliver him to your vet."
"You will? Really? Why, how kind you are! I do appreciate it. You
mean it?"
"Of course I do. Stuff him in. Delighted to be of any little service.
Come on, Towzer. Make it clear to your little pet, pray, before starting
that I'm no abductor. Good-by--and say," he added, as the car began to
purr, "Say, please remember you aren't the only clever little guy in the
world, Miss Who-ever-you-are!"
"Why, what do you mean?" She looked abused.
"That's all right. Good-by." And off he sped down the road.
Miss "Who-ever-you-are" walked the three miles home slowly, smiling
almost all the way. When she arrived, there was a huge box of flowers
waiting on the hall-table directed to:
"Miss Ruth Chenery Vars The Homestead, Hilton, Mass. License No.
668."

Inside were two dozen American Beauty roses. Tied to the stem of one
was an envelope, and inside the envelope was a card which bore the
name of Breckenridge Sewall.
* * * * *
"So that's who he is!" Miss Vars said out loud.
I saw a great deal of the young millionaire during the remainder of the
summer. Hardly a day passed but that I heard the approaching purr of
his car. And never a week but that flowers and candy, and more flowers
and candy, filled the rejoicing Homestead.
I was a canny young person. I allowed Mr. Sewall very little of my
time in private. I refused to go off alone with him anywhere, and the
result was that he was forced to attend teas and social functions if he
wanted to indulge in his latest fancy. The affair, carried on as it was
before the eyes of the whole community, soon became the main topic
of conversation. I felt myself being pointed out everywhere I went as
the girl distinguished by the young millionaire, Breckenridge Sewall.
My friends regarded me with wonder.
Before a month had passed a paragraph appeared in a certain periodical
in regard to the exciting affair. I burst into flattering notoriety. What
had before been slow and difficult sailing for Edith and me now
became as swift and easy as if we had added an auxiliary engine to our
little boat. We found ourselves receiving invitations from hostesses
who before had been impregnable. Extended hands greeted
us--kindness, cordiality.
Finally the proud day arrived when I was invited to Grassmere as a
guest. One afternoon Breck came rushing in upon me and eagerly
explained that his mother sent her apologies, and would I be good
enough to fill in a vacancy at a week-end house-party. Of course I
would! Proudly I rode away beside Breck in his automobile, out of the
gates of the Homestead along the state road a mile or two, and swiftly
swerved inside