Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-02
Synopsis Of Preceding Installments.


while touring IN Europe with her Aunt Mary.
decides to g On lii TIP .sbs
gorgeous looking man who s9
named Rattray is engaged, and the car is to
be shipped to France and they are to start on
Letter From suresnes (Continued).
You'll think I'm exaggerating, but
VOW we had not gone more tnan ten
| miles further before that chain oroke
again. This time I believe Rattray sheo
tears As for Aunt Mary. her attitude
| was that of cold, Christian resignation.
She had sacrificed herself to me. and
| would continue to do so, since such was
her Duty, with capital D; indeed she
| had expected this, and from the first she
had told me, etc, etc. At last the chain
| was forced on again and fastened with
| new bolt. We sped forward for few de-
ceitful moments, but-detail Is growing
| monotonous. After that something hap
pened to the car, on the average, every
| hour. Chains snapped or came off; If
| belts didn't break, they were too short or
| too long. Mysterious squeaks made them
selves heard; the crank head got hot
(what head wouldn'tO, and We had to
wait until 1t thought At to cool, process
which could scarcely be accelerated by
Rattrays language. He now announced
that this make of car, and my specimen
mobile world. If worse could be made
1t did not yet exist! When 1 ventured
to inquire why he had not expressed this
opinion before leaving London, he an
express opinions, but to drive such We
h1cles as he was engaged to drive. I
hoped that there must be something
wrong with the automobile which Rattray
~ diva y,v,1n AI-A De-
have 1t put right. and that even yet all
might go well. For few miles we went
with reasonable speed, and no mishaps but
half way up a long. long hill the mystic
power" vanished once more, and there
we were stranded nearly opposite a forge,
from which strolled three huge, black faced
men. adorned with plying smiles.
Hire them to push,' said despairingly
to obey. heard whirring sound and an
| automobile flew past us up the steep hill,
going about fifteen miles an hour That
| did seem the last straw; and with hatred.
malice and all uncharitableness in my
| breast. l was shaking my fist after the
| thing, when 1t stopped politely.
There were two men in, both In leather
caps and coats-I noticed that half uncon-
sciously. Now one Of them jumped out and
came walking back to US. Taking off his
cap, he asked me with his eyes and Aunt
Mary with his voice-in Englsh-if there
was anything he could do. He was very
| tleman. but he seemed successful that I
couldn't help hating him and wishing he
would go away The only thing 1 wanted
was that he and the other man and their
car should be specks in the distance when
Rattray came back with his blacksmiths
to push us up the hill; SO 1 thanked him
hurriedly, and said we didn't need help.
Perhaps I said it rather stiffiy. was so
wild to have him gone. He stood for a
minute as IL he would have liked to say
something else, but didn't know how, then
bowed. and went back to his car. In a
minute 1t was shooting up hill again, and
never was gladder at anything in my life
than when / saw 1t disappear over the top
only just in time, too, for 1t wasn't out
Of sight when our three blacksmiths had
| their shoulders to the task.
There's a good car, If you YOU like, miss"
Some pleasure In driving that
! could have boxed his ears.
Once on level ground again, the car SEEM
| ed to recover a little strength. But night
| fell when we were still long way from
| Paris, and poor oil lamps only gave
| light enough to make darkness visible, SO
that we daren't travel at high speed. There
were uncountable belt-breakings and heart
| achngs before at last, after IL at night
| we crawled through the barriers of Paris
| Armee to the Arc de Triomphe. We drove
| straight to the Elysee Palace Hotel and
| let Rattray take the brute beast to a gar
age, which wished had been a slaughter
| house.
1 couldn't sleep that night for thinking
| that I was actually in Paris, and for puz-
| cling what to do next, since it was clear
| ii would be no use going on with the car
| unless some hidden aiment could be dis
| covered and rectitied. Our plan had been
| to stop in Paris for a week and then drive
on to the beautiful chateau country of the
Loire that I've always dreamed of seeing
| Afterwards l thought we might go across
| country to the Riviera; but now, unless light
| suddenly shone out of darkness, all that
was knocked on the heed. What was my Joy,
| then, in the morning, when Rattray came
and deigned to inform me that he had found
sut the cause of the worst mischief 1.-The
connecting rod that worked the magnet had
| got out of adjustment, and SO the timing of
| the explosion was wrong" This could be
| made right, and he would to the belts
and chains. In few days we might be
ready to get away, with some hope of bet
| ter luck
| l was so pleased l gave him a louis. At
terward l wished hadn't-but that's a de-
| tail / sent you cable, just saying you'll
remember: "Elysee Palace for a week; all
| WE'LL" and Aunt Mary and l proceeded to
drown our SORROWS by draughts of undiluted
| Paris.
Crowds of Americans were at the hotel, a
good many l knew; but Aunt Mary and
Rent dark about the automobile-very diff
| ferent from that time in London, where
was always staggering around talking OF
my motor car and the trip l meant to
| take. Poor little me!
| Mrs. Tom van Wyck was there, and she
INTRODUCED me to an Englishwoman, Lady
| Briehthelmstone viscountess. or some
thing. and you pronounce her Lady Brigh-
| ton" She's ar-sighted and looks at you
| through a lorgnette, which is disconcerting.
and makes you feel as If your features
didn't match properly; but she turned out
| to be rather nice. and said she hoped we d
| see each other at Cannes, where she's go
Ing Immediately. She expects her son to
| ioin nor there He's touring now on his
motor car. and expects to meet her and
| some friends on the Riviera In about a
| fortnight. Mrs van Wyck told me he's the
Honorable John Winston, and very nice
FELLOW but l grudga him an automobile,
| which goes. , T.,
| paris: not that I was too busy-Im never
too hnsy to write to my dear old boy. But
! knew you'd expect TO hear how l enjoyed
the trip. and didn't want to tell you the
| had news till perhaps I might have good
! news n add Consequently I cabled when
| ever a writing day came round.
Well. at last, Rattray vowed the car was
IN GOOD condition and we might start. 1t
| was a whole week since I'd seen the mon
star and it looked go handsome as 1t sailed
| IN n the hotels door that my pride In It
| oa,ne hack. 1t was early IN the morning,
| 90 there weren't many people about but l
| sho,,,dn.t have had cause to be ashamed II
| thoro had been. We went on In fine style,
I'D - was delicious driving through the
| unis ON route for Orleans, by way Of Yer