FALSE ALARM

Evening Post, Issue 86, 11 April 1936, Page 10

FALSE ALARM

VDrive.the car down to the station to meet your. Aunt Emma, and be very careful of it," said Mr; Eldon to his son Sydney, who had just learned to drive the car—and was very proud ef it.

. "You don't say 'Be careful of Aunt Emma,"' laughed Sydney, as he went to find his cap.

The. car, a little two-seater, was quite easy to manage, and Sydney was soon driving'it along the street towards the station. Outside the railway, was a big collection of carts and cars; Sydney manoeuvred the car skilfully between them until it came to rest by the pavement against a fire alarm. Then, having brought the car to a standstill, he left it and strolled leisure-

ly on to- the .platform to await Aunt Emma's train. '

' It was late, as usual,' and the train on the other side cariie'into the station at the stme time, so,\as.there was only a road on one side of the railway, this was very congested with waiting cars. : Sydney found Aunt Emma easily, tod collected her luggage. They pushed their way through the crowd; but, just as they were leaving the station, a large lorry pushed up against Sydney's car, and gave it such a knock that it banged into the.fire alarm at the edge of the pavement, and broke the glass! ■ . . "Oh," exclaimed Sydney, running forward to look at his car, which, however, was not much worse . for ' its knock. "You hay* broken the fire alarm and buckled my. front mudguard a bit." . "That's all right," called out the driver of the*lorry.. "I'll,make it all right with the fire people; and if you tell me where you live," he added, •'l'll come round and see1 you tonight about your damage. Must be off now; this train, has made me late." - The driver, was starting the lorry, SO Sydney had to shout, to him, "16 f>rince's: Street, the corner house, you know!" ,

The driver nodded his head to show that he had heard, and : Sydney drove Aunt Emma carefully''and leisurely home. , . '.

To their surprise as they turned into Prince's Street they saw a couple of fire engines, the escape, and a large crowd outside Sydney's house. He accelerated to see what the matter was.

"Somebody pulled that alarm," one of the fireman was saying, "and he said 16 Prince's Street—we don't turn out for nothing."

"I'm afraid you have made some mistake," Mr. Eldon said, when Sydney jumped out of the car, and said he could explain. The firemen laughed when they heard the.story, and one said he hoped they wouldn't have to pay for a false alarm." . . ."It was the lorry's .fault," Sydney fcaid-. "And the fire alarm's,-which shouldn't have been in the way,"'said his father, with a twinkle in- his eye.