Christian fiction; Love stories; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Nineteen twenties -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
“But I ain’t going to tell you till I get back home again. If you had
asked me polite like a gentleman when you first took me, I might uv;
but now I shan’t tell ya a thing till I’m back home. Come on, get a
move on. I’ve gotta get back and study my spelling fer tomorrow. Can’t
you get through this road or do ya have to turn around?”
The nonchalance of her! Tyke couldn’t help but admire it while yet his
anger smouldered. It was for all the world like her cool, collected
uncle, white and calm under fire. He was amazed, but somehow, he was
conquered.
“You swear you give it to me straight ’f I take you home?”
“I don’t swear,” said Lib coolly. “It’s naughty. My mother doesn’t like
me to.”
Tyke grew black and swore under his breath.
“I ain’t takin’ no nonsense!” he lowered. “You gimme that address ur
I’ll kill ya yet, I swear I will.”
Lib was getting her second wind. She eyed him furtively. She was not
nearly so frightened now. She was trying to think what to do.
“Well, it’s up in Canada somewhere,” she said, “a name that begins with
a Q. If you’d start the car home I could mebbe think. Quebec. That’s
it. I never can remember that name. But I can’t think of the street
until we get back home. There’s a street there by the same name. You
run back and I’ll show you where to find it. It’s 737 that street. Now,
will you take me back?”
The motor began to rumble again.
“You tellin’ me straight, you little devil?”
“Sure!” said Lib, settling back and trying to still her teeth from
chattering and her weak little knees from trembling, “Let’s go fast
again like we did. I’m getting hungry, and my mother won’t like you if
you keep me away so long.”
Tyke glared at her, but he put on his goggles and started toward home.
When they reached the edge of the town Lib sat up straight and directed
his movements.
“You go up that street and down the first turn to the right,” she
said. “No, it was the next street I meant, I guess.” She studied the
street-markers thoughtfully, the while she made him go past the houses
of her most intimate friends, and enemies, casually greeting them as
she passed by in this her triumphal procession through her own domain.
And so when she had traversed them all, the streets of those she wished
to impress, she exclaimed, “Oh, yes, there ’tis! State Street. That’s
it. 737 State Street. Now, you c’n let me out here if you please. My
mother don’t like me to be out with strangers and she mightn’t be nice
to you.” And Tyke wisely let her out and went on his way wondering,
saying over to himself:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account