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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 8 (December 1, 1928)

Bill Buddle's Free Motor Tour

Bill Buddle's Free Motor Tour

Chapter I

When Joshua Skidman poked his nose over Bill Buddle's back fence and asked Bill if he and Mrs. Buddle would care to join the Skidmans in a motor tour, Bill accepted the invitation on behalf of the Buddle family with the fervour of a man returning thanks after being prepresented with a cheque for ten thousand and the freedom of New Zealand.

On hearing the glad news, Mrs. Buddle nearly fainted with excitement.

“It's very good of them to ask us,” said Mrs. Buddle; “it will be a cheap holiday.”

“Cost us nothing except the board,” rejoined Bill.

“Of course,” corrected Mrs. Buddle, “we'll have to pay for half the petrol.”

“Even if we pay for all the petrol,” said Bill, “it will be well worth it.”

“The motor car had been responsible for landing respectable people in gaol.”

“The motor car had been responsible for landing respectable people in gaol.”

“Left Bill to pay the account.”

“Left Bill to pay the account.”

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“Of course,” explained Mrs Buddle, “the Skidmans won't expect us to do that.”

“No, I don't suppose they will,” said Bill, adding as an afterthought, “perhaps they won't expect us to pay for any.”

“I think we should offer to pay for half the petrol,” suggested Mrs. Buddle.

“Yes, that's only a fair thing,” said Bill. “Anyway, seeing the Skidmans have been so jolly decent in inviting us to go with them, we're not going to squabble over a gallon or two of petrol.”

Chapter II.

So the great day arrived, and Bill Buddle and his wife set off on their grand free motor tour with Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Skidman.

Seeing that the Skidman's were providing free motor transport for the tour, Bill reckoned it was only a fair thing that he should pay for the luncheons and other incidentals along the way.

In fact, when it came to the settling up for teas, dinners, suppers, lunches, launches, and entertainments, Bill Buddle displayed such a rare talent for generosity, that Mr. Joshua Skidman was content to sit at the wheel and do all the “pulling in” while Bill stood at the cash window and did all the “paying out.”

in Aid of the National Art Gallery and Museum Fund. Display by the Signals Branch of the N.Z.R. (which featured the evolution of sighalling), in the recent Transportation Pageant in Wellington.

in Aid of the National Art Gallery and Museum Fund.
Display by the Signals Branch of the N.Z.R. (which featured the evolution of sighalling), in the recent Transportation Pageant in Wellington.

At one stage of the journey, when a mishap to the car necessitated some repairs Bill offered to pay, but Mr. Skidman firmly protested.

When Mr. Skidman pulled out of the garage, however, and left Bill to pay the account, Bill was smitten with the terrible suspicion that, in spite of Mr. Skidman's protestations, his offer to pay for the repairs had been duly accepted.

Chapter III.

One night, as Bill Buddle and his wife sat by the fireside, Bill said: “I was just making up what that free motor tour with the Skidmans cost us. Apart from board and lodgings, and a few other items that we would have had to pay anyway, the tour cost us, roughly eighteen pounds ten.”

“Yes,” replied Mrs. Buddle, “and I was just looking up the railway guide the other day, and I find that if we had travelled by train it would only have cost us seven pounds five.”

Moral: Travel by rail, and put your surplus in the bank.