Westbrook High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Westbrook, ME)

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22 ' THE AUTO WAR Daniel Daring was. as one of his frank neighbors described him, The queerest gol dern critter living. I.eft when a boy to face the world alone, by his shrewdness and business ability he had bettered his fortunes until he was now the owner of a large ranch and great tracts of forest land in Oregon. His outstanding characteristic was his old- fashioned aversion to the modern electrical and automatic devices. Because large, time- saving machines were necessary on the ranch, he bought them without a murmur. And he suffered in silence the Victrola which his wife had persuaded him to buy, but when it came to telephones and automobiles, he put his foot down. No! I will not be bothered by an in- fernal telephonef' he said, and as for auto- mobiles, well, hosses carried my father and grandfather before me, and they'll carry me or I'll walk! But, Dad, argued his daughter Marjorie, who had just returned from an Eastern col- lege, you're dreadfully behind the times, You really ought to have an automobile. You do so much business in Northford, and that's twenty miles from here. Horses are sc slow and poky. Well, let me have one. she con- tinued, as her father shook his head, just a little one for my own use. I learned how to run one at school. But Daring refused, and for the time Mar- jorie was forced to give it up. She had in- herited his stubborn disposition, and her de- sire for a car was increased a hundred-fold by his opposition. During the next few weeks, the Auto NVar, as Marjorie called it, was waged every time she and her father were together-in the morn- ing and in the evening, at meals and while they were galloping over the countryside on their horses, for, despite their love for arguing and debating, they were great comrades, and spent much time together. Mrs. Daring, a merry, vigorous woman, good-naturedly sided with her daughter on the auto question, and together they pleaded, ar- The Blue and White gued and scolded, all to no avail-Mr. Daring was adamant. Finally, in despair, Marjorie took matters into her own hands. Calling her mother into her room one day, she laid before her a plan which she had thought of. Her mother agreed, and Marjorie wrote a letter, which she at once mailed. Then followed several weeks of impatient waiting. At last a return letter came which sent Marjorie with a whoop to find her mother. Then, donning her riding clothes, she set out at once for Northford with john, one of her father's men. It was late in the day when they returned, Marjorie proudly driving a shining black road- ster, and john following with the two horses. far behind. Mrs. Daring rushed out, and together they admired and exclaimed over the little car. Mr. Daring, fortunately, was away, but, as Mar- jorie expressed it, wait till he gets home! lVhen he did arrive, he stopped short anfl gazed in amazement. An automobile before his house! An automobile! He knew at once that it was no chance visitor. He strode into the house and confronted his smiling daugh- ter, his face dark with anger. Marjorie, he said, sternly, I did not think you would deliberately disobey me. Now, you hold your horses, Dan Daring. intervened his wife, if that child wants an automobile, she shall have it, and there's no logical reason why she can't. Even if you do intend to have ideas as old as Napoleon, the rest of your family don't. I told Marjorie she'd never get a car if she waited for your consent. Mr. Daring looked at them helplessly, his anger fading before his wife's unprecedented attack. VVell, he surrendered, if you women folks set your minds on having a thing, I guess there's nothing to do but to give it to you. But, he continued, turning to Mar- jorie, don't expect me to have anything to do with the contraption, because I won't. If you go ranting over these hills and kill your- self, don't blame me!

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Westbrook High School Efveryflziag ffm! Men ana' Bays Wear' ---- SUITS, COATS, HATS, FURNISHINGS KUPPENHEIMER CLOTHES Benoit Cfaflziag Company - lVe5fbra0r6 J. Fi. LIBBY CO. PORTLAND, MAINE Headquarters for nearly everything Especially GOOD BOOKS Porteous, Mitchell Sz Braun Co. Tortlancfs Modern Department Store Where Quality and Low Prices Make Values 522 CONGRESS STREET, PORTLAND, MAINE RINES BROTHERS COMPANY PORTLAND, MAINE A Daylight Dependable Department Store Specializing in Women's and Children's Apparel and Accessories. High Grade Linens, Dependable Silks, Yard Goods, Laces and Draperies. I Sweaters and Other Needs for Students I

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Westbrook High School And so for a time theiquestion was settled and peace reigned in the Daring household. For Marjorie, the days were full of happi- ness. She spent most of her time in her car, driving over the narrow, winding roads and thru the green, sunlit valleys. Sometimes she was accompanied by her mother, but her father, true to his word, could not be persuaded to set his foot into that car. August was ushered in by a severe drought, and anxious days followed. The grazing lands became dry and brown and the crops were withered and burned by the glaring sun. Rivers and springs were low and water for the cattle became scarce. Mr. Daring was silent an-l preoccupied, a perpetual frown between his eyes. ' One afternoon of one of the hottest days. while her mother was resting, Marjorie took out her car to go for a cooling spin. Driving nearly a mile along the Northford road, she finally turned off on a little-used wood road, leading to a favorite haunt, where a merry brooklet rippled, and the air was cool and re- freshing. Altho bordered on either side by large trees, the road was hot, suffocatingly so. The air was thick and heavy, and-did she---' was that smoke which she smelled? She sniffed the air again in quick alarm, then, speeding up, she hurried ahead until she came to a small clearing. Stopping her car, she looked around her. ln the VVest she could see the lofty, snow- capped peaks of the distant cascade mountains. But in the East a bluish haze of smoke rose into the air. Marjorie's heart leaped and then fell down, down in fright and despair. The Timber was on fire and her father was in Northford and all the ranchmen were far on the other side of the ranch, erecting fences! The Timber was a large tract of forest land belonging to her father and was his great- est pride. In her mfnd's eye Marjorie saw the giant Douglas firs, acres and acres, of them. of untold value, and recalled his plans to turn them into dollars in the spring. She knew that she must summon help quickly. 'But how? To go to Northford was out of the question, it would take far too long. The nearest tele- phone was at the Bartlett ranch across the 23 Range, a long, steep, densely wooded moun- tain. To go around the Range by the wagon road would take nearly as long as to go to Northford. She thought quickly-there was no other way, she must go over the Range Road. Leaping into her car, she turned quick- ly, and at top speed rushed back the way she had come, straight past her own home and on until she reached the base of the Range. Turn- ing her car into the Range Road, a road made years ago across the mountain before the bet- ter road had been built around the Range, she started to climb. The road, a hard climb for a person on foot, was now almost impossible for a horse and for an automobile-but Mar- jorie grimly shut her lips and looked straight ahead. Over small trees and shrubs she went. sending terror to the hearts of timid rabbits and squirrels by the crashing and snapping. Her engine began to churn and labor, and she shifted into second and then into low. It was with an exclamation of despair and fear that she saw a large tree had fallen across the road ahead of her. Climbing from the car, she tugged at it, tearing and scratching her hands, but finally succeeding in rolling it to one side. Then she went on, inch by inch, crawling up- ward like a small insect. Would the valiant little car make it? Yes, Marjorie held her breath as the last rise was made and she came upon the Hat top. There she paused, 'faint and trembling, trying to nerve herself for the rest of the journey, for the Range Road was not the worst, ahead was the Pass. Behind her Marjorie could see the smoke pouring upward, black and threatening, so she hastily started again and followed the nearly obliterated road, which grew narrower and narrower and terminated in the Pass, a narrow shelf of rock winding around a great cliff. Marjorie measured its width with her eye and decided that it would just about accommodate her car, but a few inches beyond and-Mar- jorie shuddered as she looked down thru space, far, far below. Her heart beat like a trip- hammer as she started, slowly and cautiously. The first few feet she negotiated safely and found herself half way across. But, turning the steering wheel a bit too quickly, she