diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/63009-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63009-0.txt | 1671 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1671 deletions
diff --git a/old/63009-0.txt b/old/63009-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 73c2817..0000000 --- a/old/63009-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1671 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Araminta and the Automobile, by Charles -Battell Loomis, Illustrated by Otto Lang - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Araminta and the Automobile - Araminta and the Automobile--The Deception of Martha Tucker--While the Automobile Ran Down - - -Author: Charles Battell Loomis - - - -Release Date: August 22, 2020 [eBook #63009] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARAMINTA AND THE AUTOMOBILE*** - - -E-text prepared by D A Alexander, David E. Brown, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images -generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 63009-h.htm or 63009-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/63009/63009-h/63009-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/63009/63009-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/aramintaautomobi00loom - - -Transcriber’s note: - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - - - - -ARAMINTA AND THE AUTOMOBILE - - -[Illustration: Thornton, gesticulating wildly, disappeared round the -corner] - - -ARAMINTA AND THE AUTOMOBILE - -by - -CHARLES BATTELL LOOMIS - -With Illustrations by Otto Lang - - -[Illustration] - - - - - - -New York -Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. -Publishers - -Copyright, 1903, -by Henry Holt & Co. - -Copyright, 1907, -by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. - -The stories in this volume were copyrighted separately, as follows: - -“Araminta and the Automobile,” -Copyright, 1903, -by the Saturday Evening Post, Philadelphia - -“The Deception of Martha Tucker,” -Copyright, 1901, -by the Century Co. - -“While the Automobile Ran Down,” -Copyright, 1900, -by the Century Co. - -The University Press, Cambridge, U. S. A. - - - - -_Mr. Reviewer and My Dear Readers,_ - - -I have been asked to say a few words to you before you get busy with -my little book that is filled with “Cheerful Americans” going out for -automobile rides. - -A generation or two ago, there was a poor writer (I mean poor in this -world’s goods, of course) and he saw people riding about in automobiles -as if they owned them, and it made him wish he could ride about in one -as if he owned it. But he lacked the nerve, so he had to be content -with trolleys. - -After a while he made believe that he had bought an automobile, and he -rode around in it with “Araminta,” and enjoyed the motion so much that -he set others to riding in automobiles that he made himself in his -study, and he was much pleased at the way they “went.” - -After a while he made a collection of these stories and they went -some more, and now they are off for a cross country trip that will -undoubtedly result in the critics saying of the writer, “He has the pen -of a Charles Dickens;” or “he reminds one of Robert Louis Stevenson -at his best;” or “he succeeds, as no man since Sir Walter Scott has -succeeded, in writing automobile stories that cause the helpless and -fascinated reader to sit up all night regardless of anything save the -flight of the machine;” or perhaps they will say “the mantle of Bret -Harte has fallen upon him, and with the possible exception of Nathaniel -Hawthorne no one has written such tales of the clutch and brake and -sparker.” - -Readers, need I tell you who that poor writer was? The poor boy who in -1865 had never even seen an automobile stands before you, and his name -is - - CHARLES BATTELL LOOMIS. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - ARAMINTA AND THE AUTOMOBILE 9 - - THE DECEPTION OF MARTHA TUCKER 29 - - WHILE THE AUTOMOBILE RAN DOWN 59 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - - Thornton, gesticulating wildly, disappeared - around the corner _Frontispiece_ - - “Young man, experience teaches more in half - an hour than books or precepts do in a year” 14 - - She approached the horse’s head to pet him 44 - - He dropped upon his bed, feeling white about - the gills 88 - - - - - ARAMINTA - AND THE AUTOMOBILE - - - - -ARAMINTA -AND THE AUTOMOBILE - - -Some persons spend their surplus on works of art; some spend it on -Italian gardens and pergolas; there are those who sink it in golf, and -I have heard of those who expended it on charity. - -None of these forms of getting away with money appealed to Araminta -and myself. As soon as it was ascertained that the automobile was -practicable and would not cost a king’s ransom, I determined to devote -my savings to the purchase of one. - -Araminta and I live in a suburban town; she because she loves Nature, -and I because I love Araminta. We have been married for five years. - -I am a bank clerk in New York, and morning and night I go through the -monotony of railway travel, and for one who is forbidden to use his -eyes on the train and who does not play cards it _is_ monotony, for in -the morning my friends are either playing cards or else reading their -papers, and one does not like to urge the claims of conversation on -one who is deep in politics or the next play of his antagonist; so my -getting to business and coming back are in the nature of purgatory. I -therefore hailed the automobile as a Heaven-sent means of swift motion -with an agreeable companion, and with no danger of encountering either -newspapers or cards. I have seen neither reading nor card-playing -going on in any automobile. - -The community in which I live is not progressive, and when I said -that I expected to buy an automobile as soon as my ship came in I was -frowned upon by my neighbors. Several of them have horses, and all, -or nearly all, have feet. The horsemen were not more opposed to my -proposed ownership than the footmen--I should say pedestrians. They -all thought automobiles dangerous and a menace to public peace, but of -course I pooh-poohed their fears and, being a person of a good deal of -stability of purpose, I went on saving my money, and in course of time -I bought an automobile of the electric sort. - -Araminta is plucky, and I am perfectly fearless. When the automobile -was brought home and housed in the little barn that is on our property, -the man who had backed it in told me that he had orders to stay and -show me how it worked, but I laughed at him--good-naturedly yet firmly. -I said, “Young man, experience teaches more in half an hour than -books or precepts do in a year. A would-be newspaper man does not go to -a school of journalism if he is wise; he gets a position on a newspaper -and learns for himself, and through his mistakes. I know that one of -these levers is to steer by, that another lets loose the power, and -that there is a foot-brake. I also know that the machine is charged, -and I need to know no more. Good-day.” - -[Illustration: “Young man, experience teaches more in half an hour than -books or precepts do in a year”] - -Thus did I speak to the young man, and he saw that I was a person of -force and discretion, and he withdrew to the train and I never saw him -again. - -Araminta had been to Passaic shopping, but she came back while I was -out in the barn looking at my new purchase, and she joined me there. I -looked at her lovingly, and she returned the look. Our joint ambition -was realized; we were the owners of an automobile, and we were going -out that afternoon. - -Why is it that cheap barns are so flimsily built? I know that our barn -is cheap because the rent for house and barn is less than what many -a clerk, city pent, pays for a cramped flat; but again I ask, why are -they flimsily built? I have no complaint to make. If my barn had been -built of good stout oak I might to-day be in a hospital. - -It happened this way. Araminta said, “Let me get in, and we will take -just a little ride to see how it goes,” and I out of my love for her -said, “Wait just a few minutes, dearest, until I get the hang of the -thing. I want to see how much go she has and just how she works.” - -Araminta has learned to obey my slightest word, knowing that love is -at the bottom of all my commands, and she stepped to one side while I -entered the gayly painted vehicle and tried to move out of the barn. -I moved out. But I backed. Oh, blessed, cheaply built barn. My way was -not restricted to any appreciable extent. I shot gayly through the barn -into the hen yard, and the sound of the ripping clapboards frightened -the silly hens who were enjoying a dust-bath, and they fled in more -directions than there were fowls. - -I had not intended entering the hen yard, and I did not wish to stay -there, so I kept on out, the wire netting not being what an automobile -would call an obstruction. I never lose my head, and when I heard -Araminta screaming in the barn, I called out cheerily to her, “I’ll be -back in a minute, dear, but I’m coming another way.” - -And I did come another way. I came all sorts of ways. I really don’t -know what got into the machine, but she now turned to the left and -made for the road, and then she ran along on her two left wheels for -a moment, and then seemed about to turn a somersault, but changed her -mind, and, still veering to the left, kept on up the road, passing my -house at a furious speed, and making for the open country. With as much -calmness as I could summon I steered her, but I think I steered her a -little too much, for she turned toward my house. - -I reached one end of the front piazza at the same time that Araminta -reached the other end of it. I had the right of way, and she deferred -to me just in time. I removed the vestibule storm door. It was late -in March, and I did not think we should have any more use for it that -season. And we didn’t. - -I had ordered a strongly built machine, and I was now glad of it, -because a light and weak affair that was merely meant to run along on -a level and unobstructed road would not have stood the assault on my -piazza. Why, my piazza did not stand it. It caved in, and made work -for an already overworked local carpenter who was behind-hand with his -orders. After I had passed through the vestibule, I applied the brake -and it worked. The path is not a cinder one, as I think them untidy, so -I was not more than muddied. I was up in an instant, and looked at the -still enthusiastic machine with admiration. - -“Have you got the hang of it?” said Araminta. - -Now that’s one thing I like about Araminta. She does not waste words -over non-essentials. The point was not that I had damaged the piazza. I -needed a new one, anyway. The main thing was that I was trying to get -the hang of the machine, and she recognized that fact instantly. - -I told her that I thought I had, and that if I had pushed the lever in -the right way at first, I should have come out of the barn in a more -conventional way. - -She again asked me to let her ride, and as I now felt that I could -better cope with the curves of the machine I allowed her to get in. - -“Don’t lose your head,” said I. - -“I hope I sha’n’t,” said she, dryly. - -“Well, if you have occasion to leave me, drop over the back. Never jump -ahead. That is a fundamental rule in runaways of all kinds.” - -Then we started, and I ran the motor along for upward of half a mile -after I had reached the highway, which I did by a short cut through -a field at the side of our house. There is only a slight rail fence -surrounding it, and my machine made little of that. It really seemed to -delight in what some people would have called danger. - -“Araminta, are you glad that I saved up for this?” - -“I am mad with joy,” said the dear thing, her face flushed with -excitement mixed with expectancy. Nor were her expectations to be -disappointed. We still had a good deal to do before we should have -ended our first ride. - -So far I had damaged property to a certain extent, but I had no one but -myself to reckon with, and I was providing work for people. I always -have claimed that he who makes work for two men where there was only -work for one before, is a public benefactor, and that day I was the -friend of carpenters and other mechanics. - -Along the highway we flew, our hearts beating high, but never in our -mouths, and at last we saw a team approaching us. By “a team” I mean a -horse and buggy. I was raised in Connecticut, where a team is anything -you choose to call one. - -The teamster saw us. Well, perhaps I should not call him a teamster -(although he was one logically): he was our doctor, and, as I say, he -saw us. - -Now I think it would have been friendly in him, seeing that I was more -or less of a novice at the art of automobiling, to have turned to the -left when he saw that I was inadvertently turning to the left, but the -practice of forty years added to a certain native obstinacy made him -turn to the right, and he met me at the same time that I met him. - -The horse was not hurt, for which I am truly glad, and the doctor -joined us, and continued with us for a season, but his buggy was -demolished. - -Of course I am always prepared to pay for my pleasure, and though it -was not, strictly speaking, my pleasure to deprive my physician of his -turn-out, yet if he _had_ turned out it wouldn’t have happened--and, -as I say, I was prepared to get him a new vehicle. But he was very -unreasonable; so much so that, as he was crowding us--for the seat -was not built for more than two, and he is stout--I at last told him -that I intended to turn around and carry him home, as we were out for -pleasure, and he was giving us pain. - -I will confess that the events of the last few minutes had rattled -me somewhat, and I did not feel like turning just then, as the road -was narrow. I knew that the road turned of its own accord a half-mile -farther on, and so I determined to wait. - -“I want to get out,” said the doctor tartly, and just as he said so -Araminta stepped on the brake, accidentally. The doctor got out--in -front. With great presence of mind I reversed, and so we did not run -over him. But he was furious and sulphurous, and that is why I have -changed to homeopathy. He was the only allopathic doctor in Brantford. - -I suppose that if I had stopped and apologized, he would have made up -with me, and I would not have got angry with him; but I couldn’t stop. -The machine was now going as she had done when I left the barn, and we -were backing into town. - -Through it all I did not lose my coolness. I said: “Araminta, look out -behind, which is ahead for us, and if you have occasion to jump now, do -it in front, which is behind,” and Araminta understood me. - -She sat sideways, so that she could see what was going on, but that -might have been seen from any point of view, for we were the only -things going on--or backing. - -Pretty soon we passed the wreck of the buggy, and then we saw the horse -grazing on dead grass by the roadside, and at last we came on a few of -our townfolk who had seen us start, and were now come out to welcome -us home. But I did not go home just then. I should have done so if the -machine had minded me and turned in at our driveway, but it did not. - -Across the way from us there is a fine lawn leading up to a beautiful -greenhouse full of rare orchids and other plants. It is the pride of my -very good neighbor, Jacob Rawlinson. - -The machine, as if moved by _malice prepense_, turned just as we came -to the lawn, and began to back at railroad speed. - -I told Araminta that if she was tired of riding, now was the best time -to stop; that she ought not to overdo it, and that I was going to get -out myself as soon as I had seen her off. - -I saw her off. - -Then after one ineffectual jab at the brake, I left the machine -hurriedly, and as I sat down on the sposhy lawn I heard a tremendous -but not unmusical sound of falling glass.... - -I tell Araminta that it isn’t the running of an automobile that is -expensive. It is the stopping of it. - - - - - THE DECEPTION OF - MARTHA TUCKER - - AN AUTOMOBILE EXTRAVAGANZA - - - - -THE DECEPTION OF -MARTHA TUCKER - -AN AUTOMOBILE EXTRAVAGANZA - - -It was not that Martha Tucker was particularly fond of horses so -much as that she was afraid of automobiles of every sort, kind, or -description. That was why she said that she would never consent to her -husband’s purchasing a motor carriage. - -“Horses were good enough for my father, and I guess that horses will do -for me as long as I live and John is able to keep them,” said she to -various friends on numerous occasions. - -But if she was ridiculously old-fashioned in her notions, John was -not, and he cast about in his mind for some way to circumvent Martha -without her knowing it. The thing would have been easy to do if it had -not been for the fact that they were a very loving couple. John seldom -went anywhere without taking his wife along, and as his business was of -such a nature that he carried it on under his roof-tree, he was unable -to speed along in happy loneliness on a locomobile or electric motor. -Besides all this, John Tucker’s conscience was such a peculiar affair -that if he hoodwinked Martha it must be in her sight. - -The Tuckers always spent their summers at Arlinberg, the roads around -which were famous for driving; and almost their only out-door -recreation, aside from wandering afoot in the fields, was found in -riding behind any one or two of his half-dozen horses. The fact that he -was abundantly able to maintain the most expensive automobile extant -made it doubly hard for John to abstain from the use of one. - -“I gave up smoking to please Martha when we first married, but I do not -intend to give up the idea of running an automobile of my own, just -because she has the old-fogy notions of the Hiltons in her blood. Her -father never rode in a steam-car, although the road passed by his back -door, and all the Hiltons are old-fogyish--which sums up their faults.” - -John said this to an old school-mate who was spending a Sunday at his -house. - -“Wouldn’t she try one of your neighbor’s automobiles, and see how she -likes it?” - -“No, sir; her no is a no. But I mean to ride in one with her sometime, -if I have to blindfold her and tell her it’s a baby-carriage.” - -It may have been a week after this conversation that John and Martha -wandered in the woods picking wild flowers, and Mrs. Tucker was -inoculated with ivy-poisoning that settled in her eyes, so that for -several days she was confined to her room, and when she came out she -was told by her doctor to wear smoked glasses for a week or two, -her eyes still being inflamed and very painful. “Keep outdoors; go -riding as much as you can, but don’t take off the glasses until the -inflammation has entirely subsided,” said he. - -John was sincerely sorry for his wife’s misfortune, but when he heard -that she would see through a glass darkly for the matter of a week or -two, he made up his mind to act and act quickly. - -They went out for a ride that he might test her vision. The horse he -was driving was a gray, Roanoke by name. - -“My dear,” said Mr. Tucker, “don’t you think that the gait of this -black horse is very like that of Roanoke?” - -“I’m sure I can’t tell,” said Martha. “With these dismal glasses on -I’m not quite sure whether it’s a horse or a cow in the harness. I get -a hazy outline of some animal, but no color and little form. Don’t ever -touch poison-ivy if you value your sight.” - -“Well, the doctor says you’ll be all right in a week or two. By the -way, Martha, I’m going to run down to New York to-morrow on business. -I’ll be back in the evening. If your eyes were all right you might come -along, but as it is, I guess you’d better not go down.” - -“No; driving around with James will do me more good than a stuffy -train. Come home as soon as you can, dear, and--” She hesitated. “I -hate the old things, but if you are so set on trying one of those -automobiles, why don’t you do it to-morrow, when you are in New York?” - -“Why, I believe I will, my dear. I wish I could overcome your prejudice -against them.” - -“But you can’t, dear, so don’t try.” - -When Mr. Tucker reached New York, the first thing that he did was to -visit an automobile repository. - -“Would it be possible for you to let me have an automobile that could -be operated from behind, so that my wife and I could sit in front and -simply enjoy the ride?” - -“Why, certainly,” said the man. “We have every style known to the most -advanced makers.” - -“And could I have shafts attached to it, so that if it broke down I -could call in the services of some horse?” - -“But, sir, our machines never break down. That is why we are selling -one every minute in the working-day. Our agents are located in every -known city of the earth, and our factories are running day and night, -and in spite of it we are falling behind in our orders in a rapidly -increasing ratio.” - -“Is that so?” said Mr. Tucker, turning to leave the store. “Then -I’m afraid I’ll have to go elsewhere, as I wanted one shipped to me -to-morrow or next day. A birthday present for my wife, you understand.” - -“Oh, I suppose,” said the wily salesman, “that I _could_ let you in -ahead of your turn if the payment were cash.” - -“Of course the payment will be cash. That’s the only way I ever pay.” - -A half-hour from that time John Tucker was being propelled through New -York’s busy streets in a smoothly running, almost noiseless, automobile -worked from behind, and its way led down to a harness store in Chambers -Street. As yet there were no shafts, but he had provided for a pair. - -Mr. Tucker went into the harness-store. “Good-day,” said he. “I want -to buy a wooden horse like the one out in front, only covered with -horse-skin.” - -“Well, sir,” said the clerk, “we don’t manufacture them ourselves but -we can order one for you. Going into the harness business?” - -“No, but I want to try an experiment. Would it be possible for me to -have a mechanical horse built that would move its legs in a passable -imitation of trotting?” - -“Nowadays everything is possible,” said the salesman; “but it would be -very expensive.” - -“Well, I’ll tell you just what I want it for,” said Mr. Tucker, and -entered into details concerning Mrs. Tucker’s aversion to automobiles, -her ivy-poisoning, and his scheme. The clerk seemed interested. - -“If the lady’s eyes are as inflamed as all that,” said he, “she would -not notice the lack of natural motion, and it would be easy to place -a contrivance inside of the figure that would imitate the sound of -trotting, and your wife’s imagination would do the rest. But I think -that your idea of having the horse on a platform like the one out front -is not a good one. If the platform struck a rock in the road it would -knock the whole thing to smithereens. Better place smallish wheels on -the inner side of the ankles, fix the hind legs so they will be jointed -at the thighs, and then you can run up hill and down dale with no -trouble.” - -Mr. Tucker clapped his hands like a boy. “That’s fine! My wife will -get thoroughly used to an automobile without knowing she is riding -in one, and then when she recovers the use of her eyes I’ll give the -wooden horse a well-earned rest. Call up that factory on the ’phone, -and I’ll order my hobby-horse at once. You think that I can get it in a -day or two?” - -“It’s only a question of expense, sir, and you say that is nothing.” - -“Of course it’s nothing. Nothing is anything if I can take my wife out -automobiling without her knowing it.” - -Three days later Mr. Tucker said to his wife at luncheon: - -“My dear, as this is your birthday, I have given myself the pleasure of -buying you a new horse and wagon, and it will be ready for us to go out -in half an hour.” - -“Oh, you dear, thoughtful man!” said Mrs. Tucker, beaming as well as -she was able to through her smoked glasses. Then she rose and gave him -a kiss that made him feel that he was a guilty wretch to be meditating -the deception of such a lovable wife. But he had gone too far to -retrace his steps now, and he eased his feelings with the thought that -the end would justify the means. - -“You are always doing things to please me,” said she. - -“No such thing,” he replied. “You may not like this horse as well as -you like Roanoke or Charley, but it is quite a swagger turn-out, and -I’ve decided to have James go with us and sit behind on the rumble.” - -“Oh, but, my dear, we will not be driving alone if he is with us.” - -“Nonsense! We’ve been married twenty years, and anyhow James is a -graven image. He will not know we are along.” (“He will be too busy -running the thing,” added Mr. Tucker mentally.) - -A half-hour later Mr. Tucker announced to his wife that he was ready, -and she put a few finishing touches to her toilet, bathed her eyes -with witch-hazel, adjusted her smoked glasses, and went out to the -porte-cochère. - -She dimly discerned the horse, the wagon, the groom at the horse’s -head, and her husband. There was an indescribably swagger look about -the equipage, and she wished that she could take off her glasses and -gloat over her new possession, but the doctor’s orders had been -imperative. She did, however, approach the horse’s head to pet him, but -her husband said: “Don’t, dear. He may not like women. Wait until he is -used to us before you try to coddle him.” - -[Illustration: She approached the horse’s head to pet him] - -They stepped to their seats; the groom left the horse’s head and handed -the reins to Mr. Tucker, mounted the rumble, and off they started. - -“Why, it’s like sailing,” said Mrs. Tucker. - -“Pneumatic tires, my dear,” answered her husband glibly. - -“And how rhythmical the horse’s hoof-beats are!” - -“An evidence of blood, my darling. I know this horse’s pedigree: by -Carpenter out of Chestnut--” - -“Oh, don’t. I never cared for those long genealogies. Whether he has -blood or not, he is certainly the smoothest traveller I ever saw.” - -They had been skilfully guided along the winding path that led to the -highway by the chauffeur, who, although he was a James, was not the -James who generally worked in the stable, but a James hired at the -office of the company in order that he might break in the _local_ James. - -After they reached the road the way for a mile or more was clear -and straight, and they met with no teams. The horse was wonderfully -lifelike, except in his action, or rather lack of action, for his -forefeet were eternally in an attitude of rest. The hind legs rose and -fell with the inequalities of the road, and his mane and tail waved in -the breeze like the real horsehair that they were. - -“This is the poetry of motion,” said Mrs. Tucker. “I don’t believe -you’ll ever find an automobile that can run like this.” - -“I’ll admit that I wouldn’t wish one to go better. Are you all right -back there, James?” - -“All right, sir.” - -“Why, how queer James’ voice sounds! I never noticed that squeak in it -before.” - -“It’s the exhilarating effect of our fast driving. Do you think that -you could stand a faster pace?” - -“Why, if you’re not afraid of tiring the horse. He seems to be going -like the wind now.” - -“Oh, he won’t mind. Faster, James.” - -“Why do you say that to James? Did you think _he_ was driving, you -absent-minded dear, you?” - -“I did, for the moment.” - -James was _sure_ he was driving, and at this command from his employer -he put on almost the full force of the electricity. The wagon gave a -leap forward, and turning into a macadamized road at this point, they -went along at the rate of twenty miles an hour. - -Mrs. Tucker clutched her husband’s arm. “John, his speed is uncanny. We -seem to be going like an express-train!” - -“It’s the smoothness of the road and his perfect breeding, my dear. Do -you notice that this furious gait does not seem to affect his wind at -all?” - -“No, I hadn’t noticed it; but isn’t it queer how regular his hoof-beats -are? and they do not seem to quicken their rate at all.” - -John had noticed this, too, and he had regretted not having told the -manufacturer to arrange the mechanism so that the hoof-beats would -become more or less rapid according to the gait; but he answered -quickly: - -“That, my dear, is because he reaches farther and farther. You know -some breeds of horses gain speed by quickening their gait. This horse -gains it by a lengthened reach. He is a remarkable animal. Actually, my -dear, we are overtaking a locomobile.” - -“Oh, John, is he used to these horrid steam-wagons?” - -“Nothing will frighten this horse, Martha. You can rest assured of -that.” - -A minute later they passed the locomobile. If Mrs. Tucker could have -seen the codfish eyes of the occupant of the vehicle when he saw a -hobby-horse going by at the rate of twenty miles an hour, she would -have questioned his sanity. If she could have seen the scared looks -and the scared horse of the people in the approaching buggy she would -have begun to wonder what possessed her new possession. But her goggles -saved her from present worry, and the buggy was passed in a flash. - -“Oh, I do wish I could take off my glasses for a minute so that I could -enjoy this rapid motion to the full! How the trees must be spinning by!” - -“Don’t touch your glasses,” said Mr. Tucker, hurriedly. “If a speck -of dust or a pebble were to get into your eye, you might become -permanently blind. Positively, you are like a child with a new -rocking-horse. This turn-out will keep until your eyes are fully -recovered, and I hope we may enjoy many a spin in this easy carriage, -with or without this horse.” - -“Never without him, dear. After the delight of this swift motion I -never would go back to lazy Roanoke or skittish Charley. I have never -ridden in any carriage that pleased me like this one.” - -“She’s a convert already without knowing it,” said her husband to -himself, but her next remark dispelled his illusion. - -“How can any one like a noisy automobile better than this? You can’t -improve on nature. By the way, I forgot to ask you if you rode in one -the other day in New York.” - -“To be sure. I _didn’t_ tell you, did I? It was really almost as nice -as this, although the traffic impeded us some. Oh, James, look out!” - -This interruption was involuntary on the part of Mr. Tucker, and his -words were not noticed by his wife in the confusion of that which -followed. They were going down a hill at a fearful rate, when the off -foreleg of the wooden horse became a veritable off foreleg, for it hit -a log of wood that had dropped from a teamster’s cart not five minutes -before, and broke off at the knee. The jar almost threw Mrs. Tucker -out; she grasped the dashboard to save herself, and caught a momentary -glimpse of the oddly working haunches of the imitation beast. - -“Oh, John, he’s running away!” - -Now, this was not quite accurate, for he was being pushed away by a -runaway automobile. Mr. Tucker noticed the increased speed and turned -to admonish James. - -James had left. - -The departure of James was coincident with the collision, and he was at -that moment extricating himself from a sapling into which he had been -pitched. He yelled directions to Mr. Tucker which lacked carrying power. - -The vehicle had now come to a turn in the road, and not receiving any -impulse to the contrary, it made for a stone wall that lay before it. -Mr. Tucker knew nothing about the working of the machine, but with -admirable presence of mind he seized a projecting rod, and the wagon -turned to the left with prompt obedience, but so suddenly that it ran -upon two wheels and nearly upset. - -So far so good, but now what should he do? To get over to the back -seat was either to give the whole thing away, or else make Mrs. Tucker -question his courage. - -He was too obstinate to disclose his secret until he should be forced -to, so he sat still and awaited developments. Developments do not keep -you waiting long when you are in a runaway automobile, and in just one -minute by his watch, although he did not time it, the end came. - -Too late to do any good, John Tucker jumped over the back of the seat, -because he saw the wooden horse again approaching a stonewall beyond -which lay a frog pond. - -He pulled the lever as before, but he could not have pulled it hard -enough, for the next moment there was a shock, and then Mrs. Tucker -sailed like a sprite through the air and landed in the water like a -nymph, while some kindling wood in a horsehair skin was all that was -left of Mr. Tucker’s thoroughbred. - -Mr. Tucker was not hurt by the impact, for he had grasped an -overhanging bough and saved himself. He dropped to earth, vaulted a -stone wall, and rescued the fainting figure of his wife. The kindly -services of a farmer procured her the shelter of a neighboring -farm-house. - -Mr. Tucker knew from past experiences that his wife was an easy -fainter, and after assuring himself that no bones were broken he left -her for a few minutes that he might run out to seek for James, who -might be at death’s door. - -He found him gazing upon the ruins of the wooden horse. - -Upon learning that the man was uninjured he drew a bill from his pocket -and said: “My boy, here’s money for your expenses and your wages, and -if there is any go in this machine, run her to New York and tell your -people that they can have her as a gift. I am through with automobiles.” - -But a half-hour later Mrs. Tucker, fully conscious but somewhat weak, -sat up on the bed in the farmer’s best chamber and said: - -“John, I think that if it had been a horseless automobile it wouldn’t -have been so bad.” - -Whereupon John overtook James just setting out for New York, and gave -him an order for one horseless automobile. - -And now John is convinced that his wife is a thoroughbred. - - - - - WHILE THE - AUTOMOBILE RAN DOWN - - A CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA - - - - -WHILE THE -AUTOMOBILE RAN DOWN - -A CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA - - -It was a letter to encourage a hesitating lover, and certainly Orville -Thornton, author of “Thoughts for Non-Thinkers,” came under that head. -He received it on a Tuesday, and immediately made up his mind to -declare his intentions to Miss Annette Badeau that evening. - -But perhaps the contents of the letter will help the reader to a better -understanding of the case. - - DEAR ORVILLE: Miss Badeau sails unexpectedly for Paris on the - day after Christmas, her aunt Madge having cabled her to come - and visit her. Won’t you come to Christmas dinner? I’ve invited - the Joe Burtons, and of course Mr. Marten will be there, but no - others--except Miss Badeau. - - Dinner will be at sharp seven. Don’t be late, although I know you - won’t, you human time-table. - - I do hope that Annette will not fall in love in Paris. I wish that - she would marry some nice New Yorker and settle near me. - - I’ve always thought that you have neglected marriage shamefully. - - Remember to-morrow night, and Annette sails on Thursday. Wishing you - a Merry Christmas, I am, - - Your old friend, - HENRIETTA MARTEN. - -Annette Badeau had come across the line of Orville’s vision three -months before. She was Mrs. Marten’s niece, and had come from the West -to live with her aunt at just about the time that the success of -Thornton’s book made him think of marriage. - -She was pretty and bright and expansive in a Western way, and when -Thornton met her at one of the few afternoon teas that he ever attended -he fell in love with her. When he learned that she was the niece of his -lifelong friend, Mrs. Marten, he suddenly discovered various reasons -why he should call at the Marten house once or twice a week. - -But a strange habit he had of putting off delightful moments in order -to enjoy anticipation to its fullest extent had caused him to refrain -from disclosing the state of his heart to Miss Badeau, and so that -young woman, who had fallen in love with him even before she knew that -he was the gifted author of “Thoughts for Non-Thinkers,” often wished -to herself that she could in some way give him a hint of the state of -_her_ heart. - -Orville received Mrs. Marten’s letter on Christmas Eve, and its -contents made him plan a schedule for the next evening’s running. No -power on earth could keep him away from that dinner, and he immediately -sent a telegram of regret to the Bell-wether of the Wolves’ Club, -although he had been anticipating the Christmas gorge for a month. - -He also sent a messenger with a note of acceptance to Mrs. Marten.... - -Then he joined the crowd of persons who always wait until Christmas -Eve before buying the presents that stern and unpleasant duty makes it -necessary to get. - -It would impart a characteristic Christmas flavor if it were possible -to cover the ground with snow, and to make the air merry with the -sound of flashing belts of silvery sleighbells on prancing horses; -but although Christmases in stories are always snowy and frosty and -sparkling with ice-crystals, Christmases in real life are apt to be -damp and humid. Let us be thankful that this Christmas was merely such -a one as would not give a ghost of a reason for a trip to Florida. The -mercury stood at 58, and even light overcoats were not things to be put -on without thought. - -Orville knew what he wished to get and where it was sold, and so he had -an advantage over ninety-nine out of a hundred of the anxious-looking -shoppers who were scuttling from shop to shop, burdened with bundles, -and making the evening the worst in the year for tired sales-girls and --men. - -Orville’s present was not exactly Christmassy, but he hoped that Miss -Badeau would like it, and it was certainly the finest one on the velvet -tray. Orville, it will be seen, was of a sanguine disposition. - -He did not hang up his stocking; he had not done that for several -years; but he did dream that Santa Claus brought him a beautiful doll -from Paris, and just as he was saying, “There must be some mistake,” -the doll turned into Miss Badeau and said: “No, I’m for you. Merry -Christmas!” Then he woke up and thought how foolish and yet how -fascinating dreams are. - -Christmas morning was spent in polishing up an old essay on “The Value -of the Summer as an Invigorator.” It had long been a habit of his to -work over old stuff on his holidays, and if he was about to marry he -would need to sell everything he had--of a literary-marketable nature. -But this morning a vision of a lovely girl who on the morrow was going -to sail thousands of miles away came between him and the page, and at -last he tossed the manuscript into a drawer and went out for a walk. - -It was the draggiest Christmas he had ever known, and the warmest. He -dropped in at the club, but there was hardly any one there; still, he -did manage to play a few games of billiards, and at last the clock -announced that it was time to go home and dress for the Christmas -dinner. - -It was half-past live when he left the club. It was twenty minutes to -six when he slipped on a piece of orange-peel, and measured his length -on the sidewalk. He was able to rise and hobble up the steps on one -foot, but the hall-boy had to help him to the elevator and thence to -his room. He dropped upon his bed, feeling white about the gills. - -Orville was a most methodical man. He planned his doings days ahead -and seldom changed his schedule. But it seemed likely that unless he -was built of sterner stuff than most of the machines called men, he -would not run out of the round-house to-night. His fall had given his -foot a nasty wrench. - -Some engineers, to change the simile, would have argued that the engine -was off the track, and that therefore the train was not in running -condition; but Orville merely changed engines. His own steam having -been cut off, he ordered an automobile for twenty minutes to seven; and -after he had bathed and bandaged his ankle he determined, with a grit -worthy of the cause that brought it forth, to attend that dinner even -if he paid for it in the hospital, with Annette as special nurse. - -Old Mr. Nickerson, who lived across the hall, had heard of his -misfortune, and called to proffer his services. - -“Shall I help you get to bed?” said he. - -“I am not due in bed, Mr. Nickerson, for many hours; but if you will -give me a few fingers of your excellent old Scotch with the bouquet of -smoked herring, I will go on dressing for dinner.” - -“Dear boy,” said the old gentleman almost tearfully, “it is impossible -for you to venture on your foot with such a sprain. It is badly -swollen.” - -“Mr. Nickerson, my heart has received a worse wrench than my foot has, -therefore I go out to dine.” At sound of which enigmatical declaration -Mr. Nickerson hurried off for the old Scotch, and in a few minutes -Orville’s faintness had passed off, and with help from the amiable old -man he got into his evening clothes--with the exception of his left -foot, which was encased in a flowered slipper of sunset red. - -“Now, my dear Mr. Nickerson, I’m a thousand times obliged to you, -and if I can get you to help me hop downstairs I will wait for the -automobile on the front stoop.” (Orville had been born in Brooklyn, -where they still have “stoops.”) “I’m on time so far.” - -But if Orville was on time, the automobile was not, the driver not -being a methodical man; and when it did come, it was all the motor-man -could do to stop it. It seemed restive. - -“You ought to shut off on the oats,” said Orville gayly, from his seat -on the lowest step of the “stoop.” - -The picture of a gentleman in immaculate evening clothes with the -exception of a somewhat rococo carpet slipper, seemed to amuse some -street children who were passing. If they could have followed the -“auto” they would have been even more diverted, but such was not to be -their fortune. Mr. Nickerson helped his friend into the vehicle, and -the driver started at a lively rate for Fifth Avenue. - -Orville lived in Seventeenth Street, near Fifth Avenue; Mrs. Marten -lived on Fifth Avenue, near Fortieth Street. Thirty-eighth Street and -Thirty-ninth Street were reached and passed without further incident -than the fact that Orville’s ankle pained him almost beyond the -bearing-point; but, as it is not the history of a sprained ankle that -I am writing, if the vehicle had stopped at Mrs. Marten’s my pen would -not have been set to paper. - -But the motor-wagon did not even pause. It kept on as if the Harlem -River were to be its next stop. - -Orville had stated the number of his destination with distinctness, and -he now rang the annunciator and asked the driver why he did not stop. - -Calmly, in the even tones that clear-headed persons use when they wish -to inspire confidence, the chauffeur said: “Don’t be alarmed, sir, but -I can’t stop. There’s something out of kilter, and I may have to run -some time before I can get the hang of it. There’s no danger as long as -I can steer.” - -“Can’t you slacken up in front of the house, so that I can jump?” - -“With that foot, sir? Impossible, and, anyway, I can’t slacken up. -I think we’ll stop soon. I don’t know when it was charged, but a -gentleman had it before I was sent out with it. It won’t be long, I -think. I’ll run around the block, and maybe I can stop the next time.” - -Orville groaned for a twofold reason: his ankle was jumping with pain, -and he would lose the pleasure of taking Miss Badeau in to dinner, for -it was a minute past seven. - -He sat and gazed at his carpet slipper, and thought of the daintily -shod feet of the adorable Annette, as the horseless carriage wound -around the block. As they approached the house again, Orville imagined -that they were slackening up, and he opened the door to be ready. It -was now three minutes past seven, and dinner had begun beyond a doubt. -The driver saw the door swing open, and said: “Don’t jump, sir. I -can’t stop yet. I’m afraid there’s a good deal of run in the machine.” - -Orville looked up at the brownstone front of the house with an agonized -stare, as if he would pull Mrs. Marten to the window by the power of -his eyes. But Mrs. Marten was not in the habit of pressing her nose -against the pane in an anxious search for tardy guests. In fact, it may -be asserted with confidence that it is not a Fifth Avenue custom. - -At that moment the purée was being served to Mrs. Marten’s guests, -and to pretty Annette Badeau, who really looked disconsolate with the -vacant chair beside her. - -“Something has happened to Orville,” said Mrs. Marten, looking over -her shoulder toward the hall door, “for he is punctuality itself.” - -Mr. Joe Burton was a short, red-faced little man, with black -mutton-chop whiskers of the style of ’76, and a way of looking in -the most cheerful manner upon the dark side of things. “Dessay he’s -been run over,” said he choppily. “Wonder anyone escapes. Steam-, -gasoline-, electric-, horseflesh-, man-propelled juggernauts. Ought to -be prohibited.” - -Annette could not repress a shudder. Her aunt saw it and said: “Orville -will never be run over. He’s too wide-awake. But it is very singular.” - -“He may have been detained by an order for a story,” said Mr. Marten, -also with the amiable purpose of consoling Annette, for both of the -Martens knew how she felt toward Mr. Thornton. - -“Maybe he’s lying on the front sidewalk, hit by a sign or bitten by a -dog. Dogs ought not to be allowed in the city; they only add to the -dangers of metropolitan existence,” jerked out Mr. Burton, in blithe -tones, totally unaware that his remarks might worry Annette. - -“Dear me! I wish you’d send some one out to see, Aunt Henrietta.” - -“Nonsense, Annette. Mr. Burton is always an alarmist. But, Marie, you -might step to the front door and look down the avenue. Mr. Thornton is -always so punctual that it is peculiar.” - -Marie went to the front door and looked down the street just as -Thornton, gesticulating wildly, disappeared around the corner of -Fortieth Street. - -“Oh, why didn’t she come sooner!” said he aloud to himself. “At least -they would know why I’m late. And she’ll be gone before I come round -again. Was there ever such luck? Oh for a good old horse that could -stop, a dear old nag that would pause and not go round and round like -a blamed carrousel! Say, driver, isn’t there any way of stopping this -cursed thing? Can’t you run it into a fence or a house? I’ll take the -risk.” - -“But _I_ won’t, sir. These automobiles are very powerful, and one of -them turned over a news-stand not long since and upset the stove in it, -and nearly burned up the newsman. But there’s a plenty of time for it -to stop. I don’t have to hurry back.” - -“That’s lucky,” said Orville. “I thought maybe you’d have to leave me -alone with the thing. But, say, she may run all night. Here I am due -at a dinner. I’m tired of riding. This is no way to spend Christmas. -Slacken up, and I’ll jump when I get around there again.” - -“I tell you I can’t slacken up, and she’s going ten miles an hour. -You’ll break your leg if you jump, and then where’ll you be?” - -“I might be on their sidewalk, and then you could ring their bell, and -they’d take me in.” - -“And have you suing the company for damages? Oh, no, sir. I’m sorry, -but it can’t be helped. The company won’t charge you for the extra -time.” - -“No, I don’t think it will,” said Thornton savagely, the more so as his -foot gave a twinge of pain just then. - - * * * * * - -“There was no one in sight, ma’am,” said Marie, when she returned. - -“Probably he had an order for a story and got absorbed in it and forgot -us,” said Mr. Marten; but this conjecture did not seem to suit Annette, -for it did not fit what she knew of his character. - -“Possibly he was dropped in an elevator,” said Mr. Burton. “Strain on -elevators, particularly these electrical ones, is tremendous. Some -of ’em have got to drop. And a dropping elevator is no respecter of -persons. You and I may be in one when it drops. Probably he was. Sure, -I hope not, but as he is known to be the soul of punctuality, we must -put forward some accident to account for his lateness. People aren’t -always killed in elevator accidents. Are they, my dear?” - -“Mr. Burton,” said his wife, “I wish you would give your morbid -thoughts a rest. Don’t you see that Annette is sensitive?” - -“Sensitive--with some one dying every minute? It’s merely because she -happens to know Orville that his death would be unpleasant. If a man -in the Klondike were to read of it in the paper he wouldn’t remember -it five minutes. But I don’t say he was in an elevator. Maybe some one -sent him an infernal machine for a Christmas present. May have been -blown up in a manhole or jumped from his window to avoid flames. Why, -there are a million ways to account for his absence.” - -Marie had opened the parlor windows a moment before, as the house was -warm, and now there came the humming of a rapidly moving automobile. -Mingled with it they heard distinctly, although faintly, “Mr. Marten, -here I go.” - -It gave them all an uncanny feeling. The fish was left untouched, -and for a moment silence reigned. Then Mr. Marten sprang from the -table and ran to the front door. He got there just in time to see an -automobile dashing around a corner and to hear a distinctly articulated -imprecation in the well-known voice of Orville Thornton. - -In evening clothes and bare-headed, Mr. Marten ran to Fortieth Street, -and saw the vehicle approaching Sixth Avenue, its occupant still -hurling strong language upon the evening air. Mr. Marten is something -of a sprinter, although he has passed the fifty mark, and he resolved -to solve the mystery. But before he had covered a third of the block in -Fortieth Street he saw that he could not hope to overtake the runaway -automobile, so he turned and ran back to the house, rightly surmising -that the driver would circle the block. - -When he reached his own doorstep, badly winded, he saw the automobile -coming full tilt up the avenue from Thirty-ninth Street. - -The rest of the diners were on the steps. “I think he’s coming,” he -panted. “The driver must be intoxicated.” - -A moment later they were treated to the spectacle of Orville, still -hurling imprecations as he wildly gesticulated with both arms. Several -boys were trying to keep up with the vehicle, but the pace was too -swift. No policeman had yet discovered its rotary course. - -As Orville came near the Marten mansion he cried “Ah-h-h!” in the -relieved tones of one who has been falling for half an hour and at last -sees ground in sight. - -“What’s the matter?” shouted Mr. Marten wonderingly, as the carriage, -instead of stopping, sped along the roadway. - -“Sprained foot. Can’t walk. Auto out of order. Can’t stop. Good-by till -I come round again. Awful hungry. Merry Christmas!” - -“Ah ha!” said Joe Burton. “I told you that it was an accident. Sprained -his foot and lost power over vehicle. I don’t see the connection, but -let us be thankful that he isn’t under the wheels, with a broken neck, -or winding round and round the axle.” - -“But what’s to be done?” said Mrs. Marten. “He says he’s hungry.” - -“Tell you what!” said Mr. Burton, in his explosive way. “Put some food -on a plate, and when the carriage comes round again I’ll jump aboard, -and he can eat as he travels.” - -“He loves purée of celery,” said Mrs. Marten. - -“Very well. Put some in a clean lard-pail or a milk-pail. Little out -of the ordinary, but so is the accident, and he can’t help his hunger. -Hunger is no disgrace. I didn’t think he’d ever eat soup again, to tell -the truth. I was making up my mind whether a wreath or a harp would be -better.” - -“Oh, you are so morbid, Mr. Burton,” said his wife, while Mrs. Marten -told the maid to get a pail and put some purée into it. - -When Thornton came around again he met Mr. Marten near Thirty-ninth -Street. - -“Open the door, Orville, and Joe Burton will get aboard with some soup. -You must be starved.” - -“There’s nothing like exercise for getting up an appetite. I’ll be -ready for Burton,” said Orville, “Awfully sorry I can’t stop and talk; -but I’ll see you again in a minute or two.” - -He opened the door as he spoke, and then, to the great delight of -at least a score of people who had realized that the automobile was -running away, the rubicund and stout Joe Burton, a pail of purée in -one hand and some table cutlery and silverware and a napkin in the -other, made a dash at the vehicle, and with help from Orville effected -an entrance. - -[Illustration: He dropped upon his bed, feeling white about the gills] - -“Merry Christmas!” said Orville. - -“Merry Christmas! Awfully sorry, old man, but it might be worse. Better -drink it out of the pail. They gave me a knife and fork, but they -neglected to put in a spoon or a dish. I thought that you were probably -killed, but I never imagined this. Miss Badeau was terribly worked up. -I think that she had decided on white carnations. Nice girl. You could -easily jump, old man, if you hadn’t sprained your foot. Hurt much?” - -“Like the devil; but I’m glad it worried Miss Badeau. No, I don’t mean -that. But you know.” - -“Yes, I know,” said Burton, with a sociable smile. “Mrs. Marten told -me. Nice girl. Let her in next time. Unusual thing, you know. People -are very apt to jump _from_ a runaway vehicle, but it seldom takes up -passengers. Let her get in, and you can explain matters to her. You -see, she sails early in the morning, and you haven’t much time. You can -tell her what a nice fellow you are, you know, and I’m sure you’ll have -Mrs. Marten’s blessing. Here’s where I get out.” - -With an agility admirable in one of his stoutness, Mr. Burton leaped to -the street and ran up the steps to speak to Miss Badeau. Orville could -see her blush, but there was no time for her to become a passenger that -trip, and the young man once more made the circuit of the block, quite -alone, but strangely happy. He had never ridden with Annette, except -once on the elevated road, and then both Mr. and Mrs. Marten were of -the company. - -Round sped the motor, and when the Martens’ appeared in sight, Annette -was on the sidewalk with a covered dish in her hand and a look of -excited expectancy on her face that added a hundredfold to its charms. - -“Here you are--only ten cents a ride. Merry Christmas!” shouted Orville -gayly, and leaned half out of the automobile to catch her. It was -a daring, almost an impossible jump, yet Annette made it without -accident, and, flushed and excited, sat down in front of Mr. Thornton -without spilling her burden, which proved to be sweetbreads. - -“Miss Badeau--Annette, I hadn’t expected it to turn out this way, but -of course your aunt doesn’t care, or she wouldn’t have let you come. -We’re really in no danger. This driver has had more experience dodging -teams in this last hour than he’d get in an ordinary year. They tell me -you’re going to Europe early to-morrow to leave all your friends. Now, -I’ve something very important to say to you before you go. No, thanks, -I don’t want anything more. That purée was very filling. I’ve sprained -my ankle, and I need to be very quiet for a week or two, perhaps until -this machine runs down, but at the end of that time would you--” - -Orville hesitated, and Annette blushed sweetly. She set the sweetbreads -down upon the seat beside her. Orville had never looked so handsome -before to her eyes. - -He hesitated. “Go on,” said she. - -“Would you be willing to go to Paris on a bridal trip?” - -Annette’s answer was drowned in the hurrah of the driver as the -automobile, gradually slackening, came to a full stop in front of the -Martens’. - -But Orville read her lips, and as he handed his untouched sweetbreads -to Mrs. Burton, and his sweetheart to her uncle, his face wore a -seraphically happy expression; and when Mr. Marten and the driver -helped him up the steps at precisely eight o’clock, Annette’s hand -sought his, and it was a jolly party that sat down to a big though -somewhat dried-up Rhode Island turkey. - -“Marriage also is an accident,” said Mr. Burton. - - -The University Press, Cambridge, U. S. A. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - -Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - -Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - -An incorrect page reference in the List of Illustrations has been - corrected. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARAMINTA AND THE AUTOMOBILE*** - - -******* This file should be named 63009-0.txt or 63009-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/3/0/0/63009 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |