Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-10

house ane the night winston goes to Amboi.e
foot and secures his own car nu,wit the
Frenchman. who has invited the iadies 10 I LII
tinue the journey in his antom1ne tells Of the
burning mn of her automobile by the Frenchman,
and engages Browns car, thinking IL 10 LID
masters.
Molly Randolph to Her Father.
TOURS, December 3.
Three days since 1 wrote, blessed Ola
thing. but it seems three times three, ior
all the hours have been as cramfull as yoo
used to fill my stocking at Christmas
We couldn't get away from AMBROSE as
we expected, because the tires didn't arrive
till late in the evening. l knew 1t must oe
a long. tedious business fixing them on, SO
l never dreamed of starting next morning.
but when morning came. and with II the
chambermaid and my bath, there was
note from Brown, written in hand lot
nicer than my poor fist" announcing that
the car was ready, and If I would like
surprise might he Respectfully Suggest
that l should come downstairs as soon as
possible You can imagine that 1 didn't
stand on the order of my going My halr
crinkled with surprise at being done SO
quickly. and I was in such hurry that
nearly-but not quite-slid down the balus-
tiers.
Brown was at the front door. with the
car all politely polished and seeming 10
stand upon tiptoe on it's big new tires. But
smart as the car was 1t was nothing 10
the chauffeur. He looked like sort OF
male Cinderella just after the fairy goo
mother had waved her wand, only instead
of a ball dress she had given him, In place
of his black leather a suit OF gray clothes'
one Of those high, turnover collars love
on a good-looking man. dark necktie and
what we call derby" hat and the Engilsn
call a bowler" He was nice! l don't
know If I'm a Judge of a mans clothes,
but to me they seemed as good form as any
tailor in the world could cut. Perhaps the
Hon. John gave them to him. Poor dear!
He's far too fine a fellow, really, to nave
but l suppose Providence must know best,
and, anyhow. I'm sure the H. J. never LOOK
ed half as nice in the things.
Brown had on also mysterious air,
which seemed to go with the clothes ana
he asked if I'd mind taking short run with
him. without knowing beforehand where l
was going. said that, on the contrary, 1
should like it. That seemed to please MN.
He helped me in mot that needeo lt)' tne
car started with a touch and we began 10
thread the streets of the town behind the
chateau / wondering what was gong 10
happen. When l had been In TINS car pc
fore it was to travel "on the rims, you
know Now. on our four-plump new Mich
Gins from Paris it was like being In
balloon, SO easy was the motion even over
the badly paved streets.
We wound round under the high wall
of the chateau and came In rev minutes
to a huge gateway. AS we slowed down
this gateway opened mysteriouSly from
within to show dim corkscreW OF ROAD
winding upward. l opened my mouth 10
ask an astonished question; then thought
better of it and kept still, though l know
my eyes must have been swapping when
Brown actually drove the car in. The
gateway Changed behind us. as II by en-
chantment, shutting us into twilight re-
gion and behold, we were mounting the
incline of the great tower, up which, per
haps nobody had ever driven since the
days of Mary Stuart.
Wasn't it kind of Brown to remember
nv wish (Which even l had forgot anD to
drive up the tower? l could hardly thank
him enough for such a new and thrilling
sensation as it was, twisting up and up,
seeming to float in the vast hollow CT the
passage the exquisite carved and vaulted
roof giving back a rhythmical reverbera-
ton of the throbbing of our motor.
l couldn't even say thank yeu,' though,
except in my thoughts. till we got to the
top (Which we did much too soon), for
somehow it would have broken the charm
to speak But l think Brown understood
that appreciated it all, and what he had
done.
At the top a big doorway stood open, and
by it one of the delightful, grizzled, digni-
fed old dears who must have been made
guardians of the chateau because they mt
so well into the picture. thought, though,
that this one looked different from before,
for some reason quite 1urried and almost
scared. l suppose 1t must have been the
car and the unusualness that upset him;
but Brown drove out splendldly, stopping
in the terrace garden.
AT that door, said the charming cid
fellow Francis the First of France re-
ceived Henry the Eighth of England, who,
with a train of hundred knights, rode up
no Slopipp In the tower. TODAY is the
first time that automobile has ever been
inside the doors; therefore, mademoiselle,
you have just been making history" And
he bowed so decously that l could have
cried. because l hadn't my purse with me
to give him "guerdon;' that would have
been the only word, If l had had 1t. For
tunately Brown had. Something yellow
glittered as it passed from hand to hand,
and the old Frenchman $50 dramatic, Ike
most of his countrymen) bowed again and
took off his hat with flourish. If the
something hadn't been yellow, but only
white l wonder II he would have let US
make that splendid, sweeping circle round
the gardens before we plunged back into
the cool gloom of the tower?
Oh. that descent l feel breathless. Just
Of breathlessness, like you feel when you
go tobogganing-on more SO. Brown took
1t at tremendous speed. but l wasn't bit
afraid for l trust him utterly driver.
II he said he could take me safely over
Niagara Falls, and looked straight at me
in a way he has when he said it, be-
lieve I'd countless, of course, you OBJ
tected!
found myself thinking of Poe's descent
of the maelstrom, and when l said 50 to
Brown afterward, 1t turned out that he'd
read 1t. He had the car perfectly in hand,
and steered 1t to hairs breadth. We
were down In a moment-or it seemed so;
and coming out into the bright little
streets was like waking up after a
strange dream. In three minutes
more we were at the door of our hotel. and
l really was asking myself II had dreamed
It.
Brown said I, II told you once before
that you were a leather angel. Now l be-
lieve you are a gray tweed genie. This has
been the incest morning of my life. But
YOU really must tell me how much you paid
that custodian and let me give you back
the money at once"
He interrupted himself in the midst
of a beaming smile to wrinkle his eye
brows together IT'S been a nice morn
ing for me- too, miss" said he quite hum
bly,; but 1t will half spoil 1t IL yeu won't
let II stand as 1t is 1t was only a few
francs, and as you pay me a good screw
/ can well afford it. You're always SO good
that know you'd be sorry to hurt my
feelings"
WInii ~ ~ouraa I would "a <>,,,,a,,. -.