Marty was the proudest boy in Polktown when he was allowed for the first time to hold the steering-wheel and put his dusty shoes on the pedals. When the shiny Kremlin car swung out of the foot of Hillside Avenue into High Street and his boy friends cheered, Marty’s freckled face glowed a brick-red and his eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Hi tunket!” he breathed. “I didn’t know there was such fun. I’m a-goin’ to save my money, Janice, till I can buy one o’ these cars. I will so!”
Marty had his wish about meeting Walky Dexter and old Josephus on the road on this very trip. They met the village expressman and his ancient steed in front of the Town Hall at the head of High Street, where the highway was split by the Town Hall lot into two country roads.
The sunlight was shining full upon all the polished brass trimmings of the car and on the windshield. Marty considered it his glad duty to keep everything about Janice’s car highly polished. This startling, sparkling, whizzing thing coming up out of the shaded main avenue of the village, struck Walky’s old horse almost blind.
Josephus literally staggered back. And having begun to back, continued to do so, despite Walky’s frantic commands, until the rear wheels of the wagon brought up solidly against the granite curb and iron fence which fenced in the Town Hall lawn.
“Jefers pelters!” cried Walky, as Marty brought the chugging car to a stop at Janice’s reiterated order. “I told ye how ’twould be! I told ye jest how ’twould be! Lucky I ain’t got no heart complaint—nor Josephus neither. The looks o’ that thar thing cornin’ up the hill made me think o’ a chariot of flame comin’ ter take us all ter glory. That’s right!”
“I guess there’s no damage done, is there, Walky?” asked Janice, laughing.
“Can’t tell—dunno, yit. Ain’t seen my lawyer,” said the expressman, with a grin. “As for Josephus——”
Josephus, when the car stopped, seemed to fall asleep, and his head was already nodding. Slily, Marty reached out and touched the button of the automobile horn. Its raucous voice startled the somnolent Josephus like a spur.
“Whoa! whoa!” yelled Walky.