Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-03
From Jack Winston to Lord Lane.
ORLEANS, November 20.

offers to take Rattray's place.
From Jack Winston to Lord Lane.
ORLEANS, November 20.
My dear Monte:
have so many things to tell you scarce
ly know where to begin. First let me an
nounce that l am In for an adventures
real flesh and blood adventure into which
plump without premeditation, but an adj
venture of so delightful a kind that hope
it may continue for many day. l know
you'll say at once, That means Woman;
and you're right. But 1 won't go to the
heart of the story at once; I'll begin at the
beginning. First, though, word as to
yourself. 1 miss you enormously. 1t Is a
cruel stroke of fate that you should have
been ordered to Davos after you had made
all your plans to go with me on my new
car to the Riviera. 1 still think that a
trip on which you would have been in the
open air all day was just as likely to check
iEcipient chest trouble as the cold dryness
of Davos; but no doubt you were right to
do as the doctors told you. 1 shall look
eagerly for letters from you with bulletins
of your progress. AS 1 can't have you with
me, the next best thing will be to write
to you often: besides, you said that you
would like to have frequent reports of my
doinss In France. with plenty of detail'
We'll, the new car is sumner. l haven {
so far a fault to find with her She takes
most hills on the third which Is very good
for though we are only two up-Almond
and IL have luggage In the tonneau al
most equal to the weight Of another pas
senger. Between Dieppe and Paris she
licked up the kilometers as a running flame
ticks up dry wood. She runs sweetly and
with hardly any noise. The ignition seems
to work perfectly; she carries water and
petrol enough for $50 miles. I think at
last in the Napier 1 have found the ideal
car. and you know 1 have searched long
enough. Almond timed her on the level bit
at Acheres, and 1t was at the rate of over
forty-five miles an hour-not bad for
touring car
1t was between Dieppe and Paris (some
where between Gisors and Meru) that the
adventure began. l was flying up slope OF
perhaps one in fifteen, when / became
aware of Beauty in Distress An antedilu
Wan car, which was recognizable by its
rearward protuberance as something arch
aio, was stationary on the hill; two ladies
sat on an extraordinarily high seat behind
like a throne, and a mechanic was SLOUGH
ing toward a smiths forge by the roadside.
One motorist, of course, must always offer
help to another-to pass a stranded car
would be like ignoring signals of distress
at sea; besides, one of the ladies looked
young and seemed to have a charming fig
ure. So. having passed them, pulled up
and went back.
The ladies said America" to me as plain
ly as If they had spoken. They were most
got up, the elder SO befurred
and goggled that l could see only the tip
of her nose; the younger with wonder
fully fetching gray fur coat, thing that
l believe women call "toque,' and a dou-
BILE veil, which allowed only tantalizing
hint of piquant profile and a pair of be-
wildering gray eyes. They-or rather the
younger one-met my proffered help with
rather curt refusal but the voice that ut
tered 1t was musical to a point rare among
the American women of the eastern states,
and these were New York or nowhere
There was nothing for me to do except re-
tire; but Almond looking back as we sped
away, said, why, sir, blowed II they
haven't got those three smiths pushing
them up the hill!' From which I argued
that Beauty was very Jealous for the repu-
tation of her car. This Is the END or chap-
ter /.
Chapter II opens at suresnes. some days
later. l was starting for Cannes. and mad
just crossed the bridge when. In the yard
of garage on the left-hand side at the
foot of the hill. l detected again Beauty IN
Distress-the same Beauty but dlnerent
Distress There was the high and portly
car, with Beauty perched up in 1t alone
Beauty in the attitude appropriate to Pa
tience smiling at Grief. Almost before
knew what did, turned my car into the
yard and pulled up near her, making All
excuse of asking for stelline though. as a
matter of fact, Almond had filled up the
tank only half an hour before at the Auto
mobile Club. The manager OF the
garage told me that Beauty's car
was stranded with broken crank.
mecanicien the previous time we met.
and knew him for wrong un In London:
therefore when l heard he had gone OH
to Paris with five hundred francs TO puy
ha serious.
So, despite the former snub, L again oHereo
my services.
She had her veil up. and. by Jove! she
was good to look upon! The eyes were
deep and candid: the curve of the red lips
"a little subdued now suggested delight
full sense of humor; her brown hair rippieo
over the ears and escaped In curly tendrns
on her white neck The girl was delcateiy
balanced, finely wrought, tempered IKE d
sword blade. Something in my inner work.
ings seemed to cry out with pleasure at
her projections; very unusual nervousness
got hold of me when ! spoke to her
1t ended In my flying of to the Avenue de
la Grande Armee to search for the missing
man and another crank You remember my
earliest automobile experiences were WIN
a Benz. as so many peoples have been ana
heard of the man; / bribed fellow to take
a crank out of another car, and on the
way back wild idea occurred to me.
was obliged to sketch 1t to the astonlsheo
"A
then offered my own services to the beau
tiful American girl In place of her former
chauffeur absconded. The whole thing
came into my mind in flash as was spin
ming through the Bots, and hadn't time to
think of the difficulties in which 1 might
get landed. / only felt that this was the
prettiest girl I had ever seen. and deter
mined at any price to see a good deal more
of her. Only one way of doing that oc-
Cured to me. I couldn't say to her, Il am
Mr. John Winston. perfectly respectable
person. ! have been seized with a strong
and sudden admiration for your beauty.
VIII you let me go with you on your trip
through France?" Even an American girl
would have been staggered at that. The
situation called for an immediate decision
either / was to lose the girl, or resort to a
trick. You quite see now IL was, ooh
you?
In the first instant there came a complica-
ton / had stopped my car minute In
the Bots to scribble character for my
new self-James Brown. from my old self
John Winston: but as soon as l presented
this piece of writing to back up my appli-
cation for the place, Miss Molly Randolph
q may as we'll give you her name) exclaim-
ed that she knew my mother. Such Is life!
1t seems they met in Paris. But the die
was cast and she engaged me. l trusted
the Napier TO Almond. giving him general
instructions to keep near to us as he
could. without letting himself be seen and
for the last two days l have been chauffeur.
mecanicien. call II what you will. to the
most charming girl in this exceedingly sat
isfactory world.
Pv this time I know that your ewes are