Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Thursday, August 13, 1931 McCOhiuICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, SOUTH CAROLINA 1 JTAVjrCi nuiTiDUiH i rinr.Pf. KC> 'tion of dramatic sequence, saved Rowena for the last. Rowena was THE RUMBLE Copyright 1931 by *he Author (BT ETHEL HUESTON) FIRST INSTALLMENT ’The whole trouble "ay with Peter. —Peter Blande.—He was the fly in the ointment, the blot on the es cutcheon, the carbon knock in the motor. Things lust couldn’t ;:>03- ribly have worked out :nore to Rowena’s fancy, except for the persistent presence of Peter. And there was absolutely no hope of Retting rid of him—lie was too clecply mixed up ?n overything. To tell the truth, it was Peter’s project in the first place. Rowena lierself only got into it at the/last minute in answer to an advertise ment in the morning paper. It was Peter who put the ad in. Peter was a commercial artist, one of those thrice unfortunates wtth a soul for art, a talent for paint and a need for more ready money. He spent his days paint ing trees, rocks and running brobks, dotted here and there with pretty girls, Algonquin angles and Brft&dway golfers, as a background for the Rackruff Roadster, 1931 model, comprising fully half the ^picture. It was Peter who conceived the exquisite idea of a Rackruff motor tour across country with the well- known artist, Peter Blande, at the wheel. He figured—and converted Mr. Rack, President, and Mr. Ruff, Secretary and Treasurer, to his figures—that it would be the pin nacle of publicity to conduct such a tour, with pauses at all points of prime interest for him to paint a picture of the Rackruff roadster poised on the brink of a precipice, pulling its way pluckil^ out of a volcano, skidding securely off a racing glacier, or defying "the sands of the desert. Peter .said—and Messrs. Rack ..and Ruff agreed with him—it would be good busiiiess to take a eopy-writer along in the car to feature ohe high lights of the trip and apply the proper adjectives both *o landscape and motor, in this way insuring a maximum of newspaper publicity that would establish che aew road ster once and for all in the mo tor mind of America. So Peter advertised for a copy- wrifcel*. “Wanted:” read the advertise ment in the morning papers. “ A pretty woman who can write. One who has had some experience and met with reasonable* success. Must be fr^j to leave the city. Expenses paid and moderate salary. Must be good-looking. Apply Rackruff Salesrooms today;” - Rowena Rostand was one of many women who read ohe adver tisement over her breakfast that morning. It wasn’t much of a breakfast in Rowena’s case, for she was extremely hard up. She had given up a newspaper position ill Ohio in order to be in New York. It was at eight-thirty that she saw the advertisement. By nine o’clock she was ready to set out for the Rackruff salesrooms. Survey ing herself in the mirror she was dbliged to admit, fairly that in spite of the little thinning of her face, in spite of the dark circles with which anxiety had shadowed her eyes, she was stUl. undeniably good-looking. Her black and white ensemble was freshly sponged and pressed— Rowena herself had seen to that— her ruffled white blouse was smart in spite of the worn spots here and there. Her black and white shoes were spotless, the fingers of her gloves neatly mended. The collar of her silk coat shone from count less pressings. “Pick out the best-looking on.V’ Mr Rack began when the secre tary announced the applicants were out-side. “Don’t you think,” interposed peter neatly, in his mild, ingratiat ing drawl, “that you had better look them over yourself? After all, nobody can visualize a lovely face . and figure behind the wheel of a Kackruff roadster as you can, you know.”' Mr. Rack thought that was a particularly good idea. He called in Mr. Ruff to assist, allowing Pet er also to sit by, and had the sec retary usher them in, one at a time. And he and Mr. Ruff frowned over iLjo and asked about their liter- ( ^rvefforts, and noticed their eyes -rwi ankles and complexions, jot-1 ^ down v indecipherable com- 1 .Lmta on their memorandum pads. m £e secret sme ^. so lovely that at first they would not believe she was a writer at all, and she had to show them a copy of her book and some of her sign ed stories in magazines. Rowena s hair was a curious chameleon shimmer of gold and bronze and brown. Her eyes were limpid pools of light that swam now blue, now green, and in gentle moments soft ened td hazel. “I’m Rowena Rostand,” she said, looking at them straight-for- vhirdly. “I- am twenty-five years old. I have had one book pub lished and it was so good that practically nobody rCad it. I work- d on a newspaper for three years and I’ve had eleven stories pub lished in first-class magazines. And you may not think I’m so very .oa-^ookihg, but lots of people io.” % I Rackruff Motors, Inc., in Jie per sons of Messrs. Rack and Ruff, thought so, too. Even Peter nod ded his approval. And so Rackruff Motors, Inc., bound itself by written agreement uO finance a motor tour for a party consisting solely of a beautiful young writer twenty-five years old and a commercial artist of thirty years and the opposite sex. Rowena and Peter were called in for a conference early the next morning, and’Mr. Rack, ably sec onded by Mr. Ruff, put it up to them squarely. Somebody had blundered, everybody had blunder ed, if it came to that. An insur mountable difficulty had been en countered. “There are no insurmountable difficulties,” Rowena said sweetly. The whole enterprise was dead locked, plans were checkmated, contracts were canceled. The way Mr. Rack put it, with the full ac cord of Mr. Ruff, it seemed pretty hopeless. Peter quite wilted un der the deadly finality of it all. “Unless,” he suggested tentative ly, “we advertise again and get an older author, maybe a married one —I suppose a little less good-look ing would be better under the cir- cumstances-rwould attract less at tention.” “But you signed me,” protested Rowena quickly. “If you try to put any one else in my place!•I’ll get out an injunction and tie up everything.” Rowena’s eyes at that moment were a clear, cold, business blue. Net one of them doubted for a moment that she would do just as she threatened. Mr. Rack threw out his hands despairingly. “Well, it’s eff, that’s all,” he declared. And Mr. Ruff nodded his head. Peter seemed cowed into ac quiescence. But Rowena was nev er one to be cowed intc acquies cence. She laughed brightly. “Why, my dears,” she said, “it doesn’t make the least bit of dif ference. This is a business trip. I em a professional writer. Mr. Blande is a professional artist. We ^.thrown together in a purely business capacity, and our ages and sexes have nothing whatsoever to do with it. Nobody thinks any thing of a man spending eight hours a day locked into four walls with his stenographer. Certainly an author and an artist riding the public highways in an open car are far safer.” Unfortunately for Rowena, how ever, Messrs. Rack and Ruff con tinued to object. Even Peter did They made all due allowance for Rowena’s purity of purpose and nobility of nature, but Rackruff Motors, Inc., said Mr. Rack, stood firm for the conventions. “Of course, if you feel like that,” Rowena said cheerfully, “Mr. Blande and I will be guided entire ly by your wishes. We will have to get a chaperon; that’s all.” “We wouldn’t care about paying the expenses of a third party,” said Mr. Ruff quickly.—Mr. Ruff was Treasurer of the Company. “It will not be necessary,” said Rowena. “We will take a lady with us who will be glad to nake the tour for her transportation, paying her own living expenses en route.” “Can you find such a person?” asked Mr. Rack. “Certainly,” said Rowena bright ly. “Leave everything to me.” “What are you going to do?” ask ed Peter. “The same thing you did. Adver tise! So they went down the street to the nearest Childs’ and figured out an advertisement that seemed to suit their purpose. “Wanted: Young woman to serve as companion on extensive motor tour of the United States. Transportation provided, but must pay own living expenses.” Peter wanted to put in some thing about a pleasant disposition being an asset, but Rowena said it would be useless—said all women thought they had good dispositions. “You advertised for a good-look ing author, didn’t you? And did come. Eleven o’clock—eleven thir ty. The reporters were getting restive. Mr. Rack had his watch in his hand and Mr. Ruff was talk ing business off at one side of the i’oom. A taxicab pulled up at the side entrance and a little brown mouse you see the mob that answered?— of a girl slipped out and crept We’ll have to trust her disposition timidly in through the rear door to luck. Besides, she’ll be in the and sidled up to the cashier’s cage, rumble seat—we won’t see much of She had to stand on tiptoe to be her.” , seen from within. They received a great many an- “Where will I find Miss Rost- sw.ers to the advertisement and and?” she asked and her voice was Peter went down to her snug, one- a rippling low whisper, room apartment to assist in mak- “What name, please? Are you ing the selection. This proved not from one of the papers?” asked the difficult. cashier briskly. The letter chosen was written on “No. I’m Miss Lowell—Roberta plain creamy paper of very fine Lowell. I—I am the chaperon for quality. .the motor tour,” explained the “I am twenty-three years old, a little brown mouse with a roll of college graduate, and can pay my brown eyes and a display of deep own expenses unless you plan to dimples. travel on a very deluxe scale. I “Oh, Mr. Rack,” called the cash- can start at any time and stay as long as you like. The only thing I am really interested in is to go— and go at once. I enclose refer ences.” The name was Roberta Lowell. The references were good so Rowena got the number on the telephone, with Peter standing in ter. “here’s the chaperon.” The little brown mouse looked ready to sink into the floor in shy confusion as the tide of photogra phers, reporters, automoble execu tives and salesmen—and Rowena and Peter, you may be sure—surg ed swiftly toward her. “The chaperon!” ejaculated Mr. sob of a weeping woman. They looked back over their shoulders. The little brown chaperon was slimped deep in the rumble seat, her head bowed low, small should ers rising and falling with great sobs. Peter pulled to the side of the road and stopped the car, and both he and Rowena leaned back through the window. “Why, what’s the matter, dar ling?” asked Rowena solicitously. “Don’t you feel well?” The small brown head shook vig orously from side to side. “I—I’m lonesome,” confessed a sad small voice. “C-Carter—didn’t come to see me off.” “C-Carter?” asked Rowena and Peter in chorus. “We’re engaged. I thought sure ly he would come to see me off, and he didn’t. I wish I hadn’t come. I feel very badly, go back.” never dreamed that every time I made a suggestion it would just lead to a bitter argument.” “Why, I didn’t argue with you,” protested Peter. “I’d much rather sit in the rum ble seat where I can think my thoughts in peace and not have my most innocent ideas contradicted,” continued Rowena. “Why, I wasn’t contradicting you,” protested Peter. But Rowena insisted, so Peter helped Bobby gently out of the rumble seat and was just turning* to give Rowena a hand when he saw that she was already in, sitting very erect, chin high and eyes ex tremely blue. So he got in behind the wheel and they started off again. Rowena settled back in the rum ble seat with a malicious little Maybe I’d better grin. After listening to Bobbyjs chatter about Carter for an hour. terestedly by, and talked to Rob- Hack. she whis- erta Lowell. “She has a nic^ voice pered to Peter. Miss Lowell said she could start on Monday morning, that she could get all of her traveling equipment in one suitcase and a small travel ing bag, and that she had an al lowance of twenty-five dollars a week. “Wait a minute.” Rowena put her hand over the transmitter. “She can spend twenty-five a week,” she said to Peter. “Well, that ought to be enough,” said Peter. “Except for the car, I’m hoping to get along on less.” Miss Lowell said she would meet them, bag and baggage, at the Rackruff show-room at ten o’clock Monday morning without fail, and ihe thought it was going to be great fun. • “Oh, by the way, Miss Lowell—” “Oh, please don’t call me Miss Lowell. Call me Bobby. Everybody calls me Bobby. Miss Lowell is so stiff.” v “Well, by the way, Bobby Lowell,” >went on Rowena, “you’ll have to ride in the rumble seat.” “P don’t care,” was the brave re tort, “I’ll be willing to ride a cow catcher to get out of New York and get out quick.” Now Rowena did not like artists. She said they were so abstract. Rowena herself was extremely con crete. , She felt, in her heart of. hearts, that it was a shame that such a heavenly opportunity to go places, see things, meet people— and best of all, make money do ing 4!—had to be all messed up with an artist like Peter. Even Rowena, however, could see that she couldn’t very well get rid of him— no ^ un ^ er the circumstances. If only she and the Roberta girl could go alone now—ah, there would be a travel tale worth the telling. And how they would photo graph, the two of them, in the snappy 1931 Rackruff roadster! The publicity they would get! ‘Mindful that there would be photographers to record their de parture from the Rackruff Sales rooms—the Publicity Department was taking care of all that!—Row ena took extreme pains with her appearance that Monday morning and that was an unusual thing with Rowena. When she presented herself at the Rackruff show-room at ten o’clock on Monday morning, Messrs. Rack and Ruff had good reason to congratulate themselves on their choice of author. Photog raphers and reporters were alike enchanted. A girl like that, now swinging along the Rocky Moun tains in a Rackruff roadster—ah, there was publicity made to your order. And it was all Peter’s idea, \oo. chaperon?” echoed Mr. “The Huff. She had told Rowena she was twenty-three years old, but stand ing timidly as she did at barely five feet two, with little brown curls framing her dimpled brown face, she did not at first glance bear testimony to such weight of years. Her small hands fluttered nervously with gloves and chain. Her big brown eyes gazed out, ap palled and appealing, at the crowd that surged her way. “Are—are you Roberta Lowell.” gasped Howena. “No wonder they call you Bobby,” said Peter. Rowena rallied first. “Never mind, never mind!” she announced v/ith a quick assumption of sever ity. “This is Bobby, and I’m the chaperon.” A few minutes later, the Rack ruff roadster stfept into Broadway and turned south, and the cheers of the assembled witnesses rattled the plate glass windows of the show-rooms. “You were right, Peter,” confess ed Rowena kindly, when they slow ed for the first traffic light. “We should certainly have looked her over.” They were rolling steadily along the Jersey side of the rivet when Rowena and Peter had their first argument. Rowena considered the ideal plan for them to tear along at a high rate of speed, stopping for nothing • until they reached - the Rocky Mountains. And Peter didn’t agree with her. Stricken each with sudden fear'she leaned forward, that the chaperon might fail them ! “Do you mind if I close this win- —and they no farther west than dow?” she asked sweetly. “I’m try- the Hudson River—Rowena and ing to think out the plot to a story Peter got hurriedly out and ran and I, must have perfect silence to back to her, standing on either decide whether I want to have side while Rowena tenderly wiped Bobby’s Carter com'mit the murder the tear-stained face with a wisp ; or be committed.” of handkerchief and Peter patted both small brown hands with great igor. “I wrote him a very formal note,” Bobby went on, “and said good- by, and told him he wouldn’t need to bother taking me out places any more and sending me presents and flowers, for I was going on a long motor trip with some dear friends and would be gone a long time, and From that moment the ruipble seat was Rov/ena’s own. She seemed to take a morbid pleasure in providing comfort for her privacy, and often smiled to. herself in complacent and not un- jnalicious satisfaction when she heard the steady soft roll of Bob by’s voice regaling Peter with vivid accounts about Carter and their 'ast quarrel which caused her to T—I’m lonesome,” confessed Bobby, in a sad, small voice. was starting on Monday morning apply for the trip, at ten o’clock from the Rackruff Peter was in possession of a corn- salesroom on Broadway, and of j plete biography cf Carter long be- course I thought he would be there fore they reached Buffalo, where to see me off, and he wasn’t.” i hey were to pay their first official Grief quite overcame her. and she j visit to ^the Rackruff salesrooms, v/ould have slid clear off the rum- and where he w&s to make his first ble seat into the bottom of the car picture of the roadster and Row- Peter’s idea was to drive along at j if Peter hadn’t caught her firmly < na. a fair speed. He said that if they and drawn her back, tore furiously along over roads, good and bad, through boiling heaiy ?.nd chilling rain, they would reach a point of interest, tired, cross and worn out, hence unable to turn out the high-class work that Rackruff had a right to expect of them. Rowena said that for her part For all the seclusion of the rum- Don’t you care, darling,” said ble seat, Rowena was able to break Rowena. “Men are all like that, in on Bobby’s love-affair long They aren’t worth crying about.” enough to voice her disagreement “You mustn’t feel like that,” said with Peter’s plans when she want- Peter gently. “He was probably ed to. which was pretty often. It so ashamed he couldn’t bear to went without -saying, that they did face you. That’s the way I am. j not agree about the financial man- The more ashamed I feel the more | agement cf the trip. Rackruff she always worked best under pres- —more ” Motors, Inc., had agreed to pay ad sure, that something in her res- i “The more away you stay, I sup- expenses for thp car en route, and ponded strongly to hard driving pose,” said Rowena coldly. i had allowed Peter and Rowena a and that die enjoyed working when “Exactly,” assented Peter. joint salary cf one hundred dollars • “But he knows how dangerous a week—an expense allowance, it motor trips are,”’ sobbed Bobby, was ready. “He knows I’m likely to be killed Peter’s idea cf the way to carry SECOND INSTALMENT Rackruff Motors hire Row ena to accompany Peter on a nation-wide tour in their road ster as an advertising stunt. At the last minute Little Bobby is engaged to act as chaperon. They are waiting for Bobby to show up to make the start. Peter himself showed up to good advantage. ! From ten until eleven o’clock the photographers snapped and the re porters took notes. First Rowena sat at the wheel, then Peter, then the two together, each bravely try ing to conceal the worm of fear that gnawed at the core of his be ing—fear that the chaperon had changed her mind and would not ilow and unmistakable, the gulping she was breathless, almost panting with haste. Peter, in that annoy ing gentle, almost disinterestedly lazy voice of his, said he didn’t; said he couldn’t work at all unless he had a breathful of fresh air in his lungs and quiet comfort in his Heart. “And of course.” said Rowena cuttingly, “we will do it your way. Naturally you think good pictures are the most important part of the whole business.” “Of course,” said Peter simply. Rowena was speechless with rage. She was glad she had al ways hated artists anyhow, it made hating Peter now so much more natural. He was telling himself that he was very glad Rowena was pretty. It would be pleasant painting her. He didn’t care in the least about her disposition. This was a business trip. It just goes to show the sort that Peter was that he never even suspected that Rowena was furious. A sudden gulping sob close at hand startled him from his com fortable revery. He looked sharply at Rowena, who sat rigidly erect and stony-faced beside him, blue eyes glittering ice cold. “Are—are you crying?” he asked doubtfully. “Me?—Most certainly not! I hope you don’t think for a minute you could make me cry!” ejaculat ed Rowena. Peter listened. It came again, any minute, or at least maimed for on was obviously the simplest and life.” \ most natural. He said he would “All alike,” repeated Rowena pay expenses for both of them and grimly. then divide equally with Rowena “That’s probably why he didn’t whatever was left of the hundred come,” said Peter comfortingly, dollars at the end of each week. “He realized that at thought of you 1 Rowena said it wouldn’t do. going away into such terrible dan- In the end, Peter agreed to divide ger he would lose his self-control each week’s allowance with her and break down before all those immediately upon its receipt every people. And then think how he’d Monday morning, each thereafter .Joel.” paying his own bills, bearing his Bobby thought of it. “But Car- own responsibility, and saving what ter’s not like that,” she said. “I he could from the amount, don’t believe he’d break down. He’s Even before they reached Buf- not at all the breaking-down kind falo he realized it would have been of man. He’s got red hair ” money in his pocket to have stuck “Well, he might pretend he to his original idea. Certainly it broke down,” insisted Peter. was no great drain on the expense “All pretense, every one of account buying food for Rowena. them,” declared Rowena sweeping- While motoring in the fresh air )y made both him and Bobby raven- “It’s terribly lonesome, going off ously hungry, so that they wished on such a long trip without having to eat often, fully and expensively. Carter there to be ashamed of him- it seemed to have no effect what- self and feel sorry,” said Bobby. ever upon Rowena, who ate so “I tell you what, darling,” sug- rarely and so little that Bobby gested Rowena brightly. “You accused her of trying to reduce, come arourfd here and sit with Pet- “Well,” smiled Peter good-nat- er and let him cheer you up. He’s uredly, “if you carry on like this very good company. It’s too for the next three months you will lonesome for you back there alone.” get rich off your share of the ex- “But you said I had to sit in the pense account.’ rumble seat!” “Well, I’ve changed my mind. You see, I thought then that Pet er and I would want to talk busi ness and discuss our plans, and I (Continued Next Week) X Calf liver is expensive, but beef and pork liver offer similar nutri tive values at low prices. . ■ *