The Ford Crown Victoria glided down the road in quiet comfort, letting the two people inside converse in small talk. Edith Harrow and Jake Wilson were on the way back to Cambridge from an art show in Annapolis Maryland. Some of Jakes wood carvings had been featured in the show, and Edith deamed it important that he make an appearence. Jake's wood carvings had began to sell very well, and his duck decoys were bringing very good money. Now in the dusk of early evening, they were still some miles from home. They had stopped at a spot overlooking the Cheasapeake Bay to watch the sunset over the water, and had a few glasses of wine from a half bottle sitting in a cooler in the back seat. Edith and Jake had been much in each others company of late, and they had been the subject of much town gossip. Edith Harrow was one of the wealthiest women in Cambridge, and Jake was from the other side of the tracks. People had good naturedly called them 'the lady and the tramp'.
Driving along the two lane country road, Jake should have been relaxed, but he seemed tense, and kept sniffing the air inside the Ford sedan.
"Jake, what's wrong? You seem worred? asked Edith.
"Don't know, I keep thinking I smell antifreeze. The engine's running a bit warm too." he answered her. "No make that hot."
Jake had watched the engine temperature gauge creep up, and now he carefully pulled over on the side of the road. It was near dark now, and they were well off on a back road from Hills Point. Jake popped the hood latch as he got out, and he stared into the engine bay. Edith got out and stood beside him, as he dug around in his pocket, and came up with a tiny flashlight. Jake could see almost imediatly, coolent had been spurting from a spot on the lower radiator hose, but there was so much splashed about, it was impossable to tell where it was coming from. He took out a bandanna and wiped the hose off.
"Here Edi, hold the light for me on that spot."
Edith took the tiny light, and seemed surprised at the bright output from such a tiny thing.
Jake was feeling and probing, and he surprised Edith by a strange request.
"Let me have your lipstick, will ya?"
In the several months they had been together, Edith had learned that Jake was not given to usless conversation, and she handed him the tube of lipstick from her purse. With Edith holding the tiny flashlight, Jake smeared the lipstick on a section of hose, and imediatly saw a bubling of moisture. He marked the spot with the lipstick.
"Are we in trouble, Jacob?" asked Edith. 'It doesn't look that bad, that little leak."
"That's because with the engine off, the pressure is off. When we get going, the pressure makes it leak more than what you see here. "
Edith glanced down the deserted road. Night had fallen, and the dark pine woods loomed black on either side of the road. As a comfort, Jake didn't seem the least bit worried about things. In fact, he had a slight grin on his face.
"I'll just have to plug the hole so we can get home." he said.
"Plug? With what?"
But Jake was already in action. He limped over to the nearest edge of the woods, and prowled around looking at the ground. He picked up a dead pine branch, and broke off a section. Coming back to the car, he took out his Boker pocket knife that Edith had given him months before. Going to work on the dry pine, he chose a section about the size of a pencil and started to whittle it down to a long tapering point. He worked carefully, and Edith watched him make a tapering plug of dry white pine. Jake explained as he worked.
"Pine soaks up moisture more than any other wood when it's dry. Like a sponge. When I drive this into the hole, it should swell up and slow the leak down. We've lost a good amount of coolent, but evey little bit helps. There's the water in the cooler from the melted ice. That'll help too. "
Jake finally got his plug the way he wanted it, and had scraped it down to a smooth finish with the coping blade of the Boker whittler. Now he leaned into the engine compartment.
"Edi, give me your shoe." he said.
"Jacob, these shoes are not from a discount store, please be careful."
"Carefull, yes ma'am." said Jake, always the southern gentleman.
Getting the wooden plug started by hand, he took the high heeled shoe and gently tapped the wooden plug into the hole in rubber hose using the shoe as a mallet. When he was satisfied, he glanced back at Edith standing beside him, still holding the tiny flashlight on the hose.
"Okay, Edi, give me you panty hose." he asked.
Edith looked around, then at Jake.
"Jacob, I don't think this is the time for fooling around. Not in public, even if it is a very deserted road. Besides, I'm begining to think you staged this to get me out of my clothes you silver haired old pirate." replied Edith.
" I've got no objection to camping out under a nice pine tree, but I think you'll be more comfortable at home tonight." Jake told her, then added, "Trust me."
Oddly, Edith did trust Jake from the onset. Ever since he'd come to her aid with a savage fury when she was getting robbed, she'd come to see him somewhat as a guardian. With no further hesitation, Edith hiked up her dress, and worked off her panty hose. She handed them over to a grinning Jake.
"Well, you don't have to look like you're enjoying it that much, you scalywag!" she said, but with a little smile.
Jake took the panty hose and with the Boker pocket knife cut the legs off them so he had two long strips of nylon. Edith watched him in rapt fasination, not able to guess what he was up to. Shinning the tiny flashlight on the coolent hose, she watched as Jake started at one end of the bad hose and did an over lapping wrap of the rubber hose. On reaching the end, he took the remaining few inches of panty hose leg and slit it into two tails that he tied off. Then he repeated the feat with the other leg of the panty hose. No patient ever left an emergency room with a neater ace wrap than Jake had put on the bad radiator hose.
"So why are we wrapping up the hose with my underthings?" asked Edith.
"Well," replied Jake, "That rubber is pretty mushy. Means it's bad, and it could bust open before we get to town. The nylon will give it some added strength for a while, and it will hold the plug in place till it swells up real good. "
Edith listened to him, and then realized he was sort of chuckling to himself.
"Just what is so funny, I am very hesitant to ask."
"Just thinking of something my dear old departed daddy once said. He said getting a woman out of her panty hose is half the battle." Jake said, bursting out laughing.
Edith punched him lightly in the shoulder. "You pervert. If your done, then lets get out of here before you think of a reason to cut up my dress."
Jake looked over the engine carefully.
"What are you looking for now?" asked Edith.
"Ya never know what may need some patching up." he said looking at Edith's dress.
"Jake, in the car!"
"Yes ma'am, in the car." he said with a grin.
Jake got them going after pouring the melted ice water from the cooler into the radiator, and the temperature gauge stayed in the middle range, which was normal for that car. They were driving along smoothly at the speed limit, when a small car with a loud exaust came up behind them very fast, and past them at a high rate of speed while a young man leaned out the window and shouted, "Get off the road grandpa!"
"Why those young..." Edith muttered, then she shouted at Jake with a grin, "Jake, kick this pig!"
Jake saw she was serious, and tromped down hard on the gas. The transmission kicked down to passing gear, and the 351 Cleveland V8 cut loose with a throaty roar from the dual exhaust. The speedometer needle soared up past 70, then 90, then 100, and they flew past the kids with the hot rodded Japanese compact. The kids had seen them coming and tried to run them, but it was no contest for the Ford Crown Victoria with a head of steam up and a strait empty road in front of it. Edith was laughing, and Jake had an ear to ear grin on his face as he backed down once well past them. The engine temp was still in the norm.
"Well, that was very exhilarating!" said Edith, looking over at Jake. "You drive pretty good for a one legged old pirate."
"AARRR!" growled Jake.
"And I've never seen anyone get more milage out of a pocket knife like you do. And I'll never laugh at all the things in your pockets again. Like tiny little flashights."
Soon they were pulling into the driveway of the big house where Edith lived. The Harrow home was a very large two story Victorian home built in the late 1890's. Jake walked Edith to the door and they stood in the darkness, listening to the night sounds of crickets and other creatures. Suddenly Edith reached up and pulled Jake down and kissed him.
"Well, you have half the battle won, you old pirate."
Jake grinned, and they went inside. Some lights on the ground floor went on for a very brief while, then went out and a single light went on in the top floor where Edith had her bedroom.
Then that light went out as well.
Driving along the two lane country road, Jake should have been relaxed, but he seemed tense, and kept sniffing the air inside the Ford sedan.
"Jake, what's wrong? You seem worred? asked Edith.
"Don't know, I keep thinking I smell antifreeze. The engine's running a bit warm too." he answered her. "No make that hot."
Jake had watched the engine temperature gauge creep up, and now he carefully pulled over on the side of the road. It was near dark now, and they were well off on a back road from Hills Point. Jake popped the hood latch as he got out, and he stared into the engine bay. Edith got out and stood beside him, as he dug around in his pocket, and came up with a tiny flashlight. Jake could see almost imediatly, coolent had been spurting from a spot on the lower radiator hose, but there was so much splashed about, it was impossable to tell where it was coming from. He took out a bandanna and wiped the hose off.
"Here Edi, hold the light for me on that spot."
Edith took the tiny light, and seemed surprised at the bright output from such a tiny thing.
Jake was feeling and probing, and he surprised Edith by a strange request.
"Let me have your lipstick, will ya?"
In the several months they had been together, Edith had learned that Jake was not given to usless conversation, and she handed him the tube of lipstick from her purse. With Edith holding the tiny flashlight, Jake smeared the lipstick on a section of hose, and imediatly saw a bubling of moisture. He marked the spot with the lipstick.
"Are we in trouble, Jacob?" asked Edith. 'It doesn't look that bad, that little leak."
"That's because with the engine off, the pressure is off. When we get going, the pressure makes it leak more than what you see here. "
Edith glanced down the deserted road. Night had fallen, and the dark pine woods loomed black on either side of the road. As a comfort, Jake didn't seem the least bit worried about things. In fact, he had a slight grin on his face.
"I'll just have to plug the hole so we can get home." he said.
"Plug? With what?"
But Jake was already in action. He limped over to the nearest edge of the woods, and prowled around looking at the ground. He picked up a dead pine branch, and broke off a section. Coming back to the car, he took out his Boker pocket knife that Edith had given him months before. Going to work on the dry pine, he chose a section about the size of a pencil and started to whittle it down to a long tapering point. He worked carefully, and Edith watched him make a tapering plug of dry white pine. Jake explained as he worked.
"Pine soaks up moisture more than any other wood when it's dry. Like a sponge. When I drive this into the hole, it should swell up and slow the leak down. We've lost a good amount of coolent, but evey little bit helps. There's the water in the cooler from the melted ice. That'll help too. "
Jake finally got his plug the way he wanted it, and had scraped it down to a smooth finish with the coping blade of the Boker whittler. Now he leaned into the engine compartment.
"Edi, give me your shoe." he said.
"Jacob, these shoes are not from a discount store, please be careful."
"Carefull, yes ma'am." said Jake, always the southern gentleman.
Getting the wooden plug started by hand, he took the high heeled shoe and gently tapped the wooden plug into the hole in rubber hose using the shoe as a mallet. When he was satisfied, he glanced back at Edith standing beside him, still holding the tiny flashlight on the hose.
"Okay, Edi, give me you panty hose." he asked.
Edith looked around, then at Jake.
"Jacob, I don't think this is the time for fooling around. Not in public, even if it is a very deserted road. Besides, I'm begining to think you staged this to get me out of my clothes you silver haired old pirate." replied Edith.
" I've got no objection to camping out under a nice pine tree, but I think you'll be more comfortable at home tonight." Jake told her, then added, "Trust me."
Oddly, Edith did trust Jake from the onset. Ever since he'd come to her aid with a savage fury when she was getting robbed, she'd come to see him somewhat as a guardian. With no further hesitation, Edith hiked up her dress, and worked off her panty hose. She handed them over to a grinning Jake.
"Well, you don't have to look like you're enjoying it that much, you scalywag!" she said, but with a little smile.
Jake took the panty hose and with the Boker pocket knife cut the legs off them so he had two long strips of nylon. Edith watched him in rapt fasination, not able to guess what he was up to. Shinning the tiny flashlight on the coolent hose, she watched as Jake started at one end of the bad hose and did an over lapping wrap of the rubber hose. On reaching the end, he took the remaining few inches of panty hose leg and slit it into two tails that he tied off. Then he repeated the feat with the other leg of the panty hose. No patient ever left an emergency room with a neater ace wrap than Jake had put on the bad radiator hose.
"So why are we wrapping up the hose with my underthings?" asked Edith.
"Well," replied Jake, "That rubber is pretty mushy. Means it's bad, and it could bust open before we get to town. The nylon will give it some added strength for a while, and it will hold the plug in place till it swells up real good. "
Edith listened to him, and then realized he was sort of chuckling to himself.
"Just what is so funny, I am very hesitant to ask."
"Just thinking of something my dear old departed daddy once said. He said getting a woman out of her panty hose is half the battle." Jake said, bursting out laughing.
Edith punched him lightly in the shoulder. "You pervert. If your done, then lets get out of here before you think of a reason to cut up my dress."
Jake looked over the engine carefully.
"What are you looking for now?" asked Edith.
"Ya never know what may need some patching up." he said looking at Edith's dress.
"Jake, in the car!"
"Yes ma'am, in the car." he said with a grin.
Jake got them going after pouring the melted ice water from the cooler into the radiator, and the temperature gauge stayed in the middle range, which was normal for that car. They were driving along smoothly at the speed limit, when a small car with a loud exaust came up behind them very fast, and past them at a high rate of speed while a young man leaned out the window and shouted, "Get off the road grandpa!"
"Why those young..." Edith muttered, then she shouted at Jake with a grin, "Jake, kick this pig!"
Jake saw she was serious, and tromped down hard on the gas. The transmission kicked down to passing gear, and the 351 Cleveland V8 cut loose with a throaty roar from the dual exhaust. The speedometer needle soared up past 70, then 90, then 100, and they flew past the kids with the hot rodded Japanese compact. The kids had seen them coming and tried to run them, but it was no contest for the Ford Crown Victoria with a head of steam up and a strait empty road in front of it. Edith was laughing, and Jake had an ear to ear grin on his face as he backed down once well past them. The engine temp was still in the norm.
"Well, that was very exhilarating!" said Edith, looking over at Jake. "You drive pretty good for a one legged old pirate."
"AARRR!" growled Jake.
"And I've never seen anyone get more milage out of a pocket knife like you do. And I'll never laugh at all the things in your pockets again. Like tiny little flashights."
Soon they were pulling into the driveway of the big house where Edith lived. The Harrow home was a very large two story Victorian home built in the late 1890's. Jake walked Edith to the door and they stood in the darkness, listening to the night sounds of crickets and other creatures. Suddenly Edith reached up and pulled Jake down and kissed him.
"Well, you have half the battle won, you old pirate."
Jake grinned, and they went inside. Some lights on the ground floor went on for a very brief while, then went out and a single light went on in the top floor where Edith had her bedroom.
Then that light went out as well.
Last edited:
. Great work:thumbup:.
