Chapter 7 - Page 2

"I was sure it was stiff. I
said it was absurdly stiff."

"Then why write it?"

"It wasn't my own composition."

"Whose then? Your aunt's?"

"Oh, no. It was a person of the name of Slattery."

"Goodness! Who is he?"

"I knew it would come out, I felt that it would.
You've heard of Slattery the author?"

"Never."

"He is wonderful at expressing himself. He wrote a
book called 'The Secret Solved; or, Letter-writing Made
Easy.' It gives you models of all sorts of letters."

Ida burst out laughing. "So you actually copied
one."

"It was to invite a young lady to a picnic, but I set
to work and soon got it changed so that it would do very
well. Slattery seems never to have asked any one to ride
a tandem. But when I had written it, it seemed so
dreadfully stiff that I had to put a little beginning and
end of my own, which seemed to brighten it up a good
deal."

"I thought there was something funny about the
beginning and end."

"Did you? Fancy your noticing the difference in
style. How quick you are! I am very slow at things like
that. I ought to have been a woodman, or game-keeper, or
something. I was made on those lines. But I have found
something now."

"What is that, then?"

"Ranching. I have a chum in Texas, and he says it is
a rare life. I am to buy a share in his business. It is
all in the open air--shooting, and riding, and sport.
Would it--would it inconvenience you much, Ida, to come
out there with me?"

Ida nearly fell off her perch in her amazement. The
only words of which she could think were "My goodness
me!" so she said them.

"If it would not upset your plans, or change your
arrangements in any way." He had slowed down and let go
of the steering handle, so that the great machine crawled
aimlessly about from one side of the road to the other.
"I know very well that I am not clever or anything of
that sort, but still I would do all I can to make you
very happy. Don't you think that in time you might come
to like me a little bit?"

Ida gave a cry of fright. "I won't like you if you
run me against a brick wall," she said, as the machine
rasped up against the curb "Do attend to the steering."

"Yes, I will. But tell me, Ida, whether you will
come with me."

"Oh, I don't know. It's too absurd! How can we talk
about such things when I cannot see you? You speak to
the nape of my neck, and then I have to twist my head
round to answer."

"I know. That was why I put 'You in front' upon my
letter. I thought that it would make it easier. But if
you would prefer it I will stop the machine, and then you
can sit round and talk