Newspapers / The Chatham record. / Aug. 15, 1929, edition 1 / Page 2
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
PAGE TWO V THE GREAT V I MONSTER | ((c) by D. J. Walsh.) ANNA HALL and her daughter Vanny looked at each other, hit their lips and then smiled weakly. They had already shed tears enough to redden their eye lids. Tears, indeed, had been their first expression after reading the lawyer’s letter. But they were swift to recover. Life had trained them to do that, at least. “Well,” the mother said, as she re placed the letter in its envelope, “we know the worst, anyhow. And per haps, dear, it serves us right for ex pecting —” “But, mother,” broke in Vanny, “you know Uncle Zenas always said he’d do something for us. He promised It and one has a right to expect a promise to be kept. We weren’t count ing chickens before they were hatched or anything like that, though, of course, a little money would come in handy, especially now that you are not well. And as long as he was giv ing, it does seem to me he might have left ns something besides that old automobile of his.” She choked, •wallowed hard, and smiled again bravely. “It’s—it’s funny. What are we going to do with an automobile? We neither of us ever handled a bit of machinery larger than an egg-beat er in our lives, and I have no time for it, anyway. It takes every ounce of strength I have to keep up my office work at the mill. I suppose we might sell it,” she added, hopefully. “As if we could find a buyer in a small place like this for a SG,OOO car, . even though it was second-hand!” Mrs. Hall sighed. Well, I guess it is funny, as you say, dear, but we must .make the best of it.” all we can do,” Vannv re turngd slowly.'" **- Certainly Unde Zenas had done an unaccountable thing in leaving such a legacy to people whom the bequest of a few hundreds, even, would have greatly relieved in the way of finance. Uncle Zenas had loved a joke and had continued to perpetrate them until the moment his failing hand signed his Inst will and testament. A public institu tion got his money and his widowed niece the huge touring car which, driven by a colored chauffeur, had .been wont to take him on daily air ings. * •- •• The car arrived byway of the worst roacf in all that locality—a road which was a foot deep with mud after a heavy rain; it was coated, plastered, splashed with soil and the two women beheld it with woeful hearts. It was a monster and an impotent monster at that, for it seemed to breathe its last just as it reached the shelter of the apple tree that shaded the Hall house. The man who had brought it departed without an attempt to bring it to life. Vanjiy stood looking at it with her small, dark, sweet face puckered into an expression of suffering. She was sick at heart, but she would not let her mother know. “Poor old beast!” she said. } “It —it’s almost as big as the house,” gasped Mrs. Hall. “Where are we going to put it, Vanny? We haven’t any barn.” “I don't know,” Vanny replied. “We’ll think of that later. First of \ all I’m j.oing to use my Saturday I afternoon at home to clean it.” “You don’t know how.” “Well, I’ve seen them at the garage j doing things to cars with a sponge j and hose. I’m going to try and see I what J-nnd of a complexion the erea j ture has, anyway. Just wait till I get ? my garden suit on.” Vanny in her garden suit looked like j a nice boy o c sixteen, but she had not j a boy’s strength and vigor. By the i time she had squirted a half-ton of ! water on the car and polished it dry I she was exhausted. But the car was [ transformed. It was worn. of course, j but like a piece of battered mahogany, | it commanded respect. “It can’t live under the apple tree ! forever,” Vanny said. “I've got to find a home for it. I think I’ll go in and take a scrub myself, mother. Then if you’ll find me a good supper I'll try to look after the dear old monster further.” “Why, do you like it, Vanny?” asked Mrs. Hall with a note of surprise in her voice. Vanny laugehd. “I believe I could easily, hut .J’d have to have more than a speaking acquaintance with it. I’d—l’d have to learn to manage It, you know, mother!” “That great thing! With your slen der shoulders and small hands! Oh, Vanny, you frighten me.” “Mother, dear, I shall do nothing unwise. But women do drive big cars. Don’t you remember seeing them in the city? And—and I always did have a fondness for Una and the Lion.” She laughed tremendously and ran upstairs. When she came down ready for supper she looked fresh and cool and rested. After supper she went out and looked at the car. She stroked the glossy varnish admiringly. Sud denly she spoke to her mother, who had followed her out of the house and was watching her anxiously: “I’m going down to the garage to talk to Mr. Pike.” She was gone barely ten minutes and came hurrying back looking very much distressed. “Mr. Pike is all alone and can’t leave the place. And, anyway, moth er, he confessed he Knew nothing about thi« kind of a machine. I think he was afraid to try to handle it. So there you are! No help from that direction. But I can’t let the monster stand under the apple tree all night Those awful Kemp kids will he swarming all over it.” “Well, what are you going to do?” asked Mrs. Hall in despair. Vanny drew a deep breath. “I’m going over to Wilson's to phone to Paul Scott.” “Vanny!” “Yes, I am. I know the Scotts have hardly been aware of our existence for the last six years since that lucky venture which sent the Scott name and fame higher than a rocket. I’m not beholden to them, but, mother. Paul is home now and he does know cars of this kind. I’ve got to do some thing with this one and he’s the only person who can help me. So I’m go ing to pocket my pride and ask him. Here goes.” From this second expedition she re turned radiant. “Paul’s coming right down. He was Just as nice as he could be. He called me Vanny just as he used to.” Ten minutes later a car paused at the curb and Paul Scott, glowing and athletic, came swiftly across the grass to where Vanny waited, putting a few finishing touebea to the monster as she did so. “Why, this is some car, believe me!” the young man cried. He walked around it. Then he opened the hood and did some unintelligible but suc cessful thing with it. The monster choked, sputtered, then began to purr like a contented cat. “Step in, both of you,” Paul said, “and we’ll try its paces. Then I’ll tell you, Vanny, you must let me teach you to run it. You can keep it in our garage meanwhile. I’m home now for twe weeks and I’m sure in that time you will learn to handle the machine. As soon as you do, you and your mother will get no end of fun out of it.” Out on the smooth state road the monster behaved like a gentleman— so well that Vanny took her courage between her even white teeth, and let Paul teach her how to handle the wheels „ - It wasTthe first of many delightful lessons. By the end of the two weeks of Paul’s stay Vanny had acquired the mastery of the big car and was really enjoying herself. Besides her netwic complishment, she had gained in self reliance and color, for the fresh aii and change was just what she needed after long hours of desk work. Moreover, she and Paul had become the best of friends. lie had promised to find a buyer for the monster in the city and one day he wrote her that he was sending a man down. “Cars are cars, remember. Vanny,” he wrote. “You ought to get three thousand dollars at least for the monster.”. Three thousand dollars! Vnnnie was nearly wild with delight. Three thousand dollars! And three thousand dollars was what she got. But even with the check in her hands, her heart was heavy as she saw the old car driven away. The days seemed very empty after that. She had loved the monster more than she knew. She missed it. She missed all it had meant to her, Paul and — Then one day Paul came. “I had to come and see how you were getting along without the mon ster —and me,” he said, smiling. “You see, Vanny, I find I want you very much more in the city than 1 though! I had learned t<» do here in the conn , try. You’re the most wonderful giil I ever knew. You did more than tame ! the monster, Vanny. You made m j love vou with ail my heart and want I . j you for my wife.” 7czc:i C.V-i Service, Is Advice of Writer Children should never he made to feel that they are the center of the family universe. A few demands from parents are advisable in that they make for unselfishness and thouirht fulness in the child One may, unless one is careful, he selfish in the prac tice of unselfishness. Parents must not live just for thoii J children. It’s a calamity for the lit j tie folk to he in the limelight of even j their parents’ interest all the time. ( They must have their own chance to ! ( see the parents as important people j who are to be loved and planned tor. | quite in the same way that the par \ ents love and plan for them. It’s a poor love that cannot work two ways Parents have to make sacrifices hut children must have their chance to make theirs, too. Giving up ev erything for the children sounds well, hut gives the little people meager op nortunity to learn service.—Clara I | Judson in Child Life. I Once Pacific Continent A study of the plant life of some J of the southern Pacific islands off the coast of Peru reveals the fact that i: is unlike that of nearby South Amor iea, but bears a remarkable resern blance to that of Australia. New Zea land, the Fijii islands and other far away places in the Pacific. This is interesting in view of the theory sometimes advanced that there once was a Pacific continent, which van ished in the same way that the At lantis of Plato’s story vanished. There is no indigenous animal life There are thousands of goats, how ever, descendants of the goats of the pirates who used to make these Is landsutheir havens. There are wild j dogs and cats also in abundance, and j they originated in the same way. THE CHATHAM RECORD, PITTSBORO, N. C. JONES GRAND OPENING W. W. Jones & Sons New Department Store We Take Great Pleasure in Announcing That We Are Going to Open Our NEW STORE IN PITTSBORO Friday Morning, August 16, 9 a. m. We hope to make our new store not merely a “trading point” but a place for you to visit—where you can meet your friends and just look around to see the new things in case you do not happen to be ready to buy. We want you to make yourself thor oughly at home in our new store. This store has been stocked with new merchandise, recently purchased by our New York buyer for this certain location in our chain and we hope to make this store one of the strongest in our chain. New Fall Merchandise at Lowest Prices Ladies’ Coats Shoes Hats and Caps Neckwear Ladies’ Dresses Children’s Hats Shirts Dry Goods Millinery Children’s Coats Boys’ Clothing Notions s Hosiery Underwear Dress Pants Overalls THE NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY CAN BE SUPPLIED AT CHAIN STORE PRICES Coming into your midst, perhaps as strangers—we are not new in the retailing of mer chandise. Our experience dates back over a number of years—in serving the needs of people in other communities: We are now operating stores in Asheboro, Carthage and Siler City. We have in this store a stock of merchandise that will make your shopping tours merely a matter of selection. Our goods are all of the highest quality. They are the best values obtainable. We want you to know that we are enabled by our superior method of buying to save you money on your every purchase. Our Policies—Cash Buying, Cash Selling, Economical Operation, Small Profits, Rapid Turnover, and one Price Cash to all. A CORDIAL WELCOME AWAITS YOU You will always find a welcome at our store. Whether you come to buy or to look, we shall be always glad to see you. If you have any suggestions that will help make our store a better place to trade, we will receive them gladly. WHAT THIS STORE IS TRYING TO DO First of all, to be of service to you; to exercise our best taste and judgment in getting for you the things you need to wear and putting into practice our best business prin ciples to keep costs down. We buy the best of merchandise and you will never find us resorting to poor merchandise bought to meet a price and make a profit. We won’t treat our friends that way. W.W.Jones&Sons NEW DEPARTMENT STORE Pittsboro, N. C. W. B. Perry, Manager Johnson & Co. Bldg. Next to Post Office THURSDAY, AUGUST If, mon
Aug. 15, 1929, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75