Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-06


Mis-, Molly Randolph. daughter Of a rich American,
while touring in Europe with her Aunt Mary.
decides to go on an automobiing trip through asa
southern France. In letter TO her father she
tells how she purchased a motor car from u
gorge'us-iooking man. who represented II :" D.
named Rattray Is engaged and the car Is
shipped To France and they start on an ex,
tended trip. The motor car behaves badly ana
breaks down near Paris. Rattray Is sent 10
Paris for a crank. but deserts the purity.
An Englishman Mr.. John WINSTON who I.pre
renders assistance. and as James Brown Is
engaged to take Rsttray's place His own
follow the same route. In letter to Lord
Lane he relates his experiences. At Chamhcrti
ear. Joins the party and Brown becomes
jealous Of his attentions to Miss Randolph.
Jack Winston's Letter to Monte (Con-
tinued).
This country of the Loire is exquisite; 1t
has both grandeur and simple beauty. and
the road winding above the river is practi-
cally level and In splendid condition; ideal
for motors and hay motors The dis
lance between the good town of Blois and
Amboise is less than twenty miles. Any
decent minded motor whould whistle along
from the great gray Chateau to the brilliant
cream white under the hour, but that
isn't the way of our Demon.
Miss Randolph once said that owning a
motor car was like having a half-tamed
dragon in the family. She is quite right
about her motor car. poor child The
Demon had been behaving somewhat less
fiendishly of late. and l had hopes of "a
successful run to Amboise, which particu-
larry desired. Eyelashes was to accom-
pauy us with his Pleper- But this good
conduct had been no more than trick.
The luggage loaded up: Talleyrand
irtty hi off al
the ladies'. who were in the court yard
ready to mount when the motor took 1t
into its vile head not to start-a little at
tack of faintneSs. owing to the petrol being
cold perhaps. OF course. there was the
usual crowd of hotel servants and loafers
to see US on and beyond. standing as in
terested spectators on the steps, who but
JabeZ Barrow and his handsome daughter.
I tell you the perspiration decorated my
forehead in beads when I'd made a dozen
frutless efforts to start that family dragon,
Eyefashes rladdening me the while with
series of idiotic suggestions. Even Miss
Randolph began to get little nervous. and
called out to me: What can be the matter.
Brown? | thought you were such a strong
man. too. Do let Monsieur Talleyrand try,
he's an expert.
| could see E,yclaShes didn't like that sug-
gestion a little bit. consequently l well
coined it, It's very well to dance about
and give advice, quite another thing to do
the work yourself; but | gleefully stood
aSlue willie lie STdSpeu the starting HdHUle
1t takes both strength and knack to start
that ear. and he had neither. At first he
couldn't set the handle round against the
compression; then. exerting himself further,
there came a terrific back-f ire-the handle
flew round. knocked him off his feet and
sent him staggering. very pale into the
arms of white-a proned waiter. ! couldn't
help grinnng, and 1 fancy Miss Randolph
hid a smile behind her handkerchief
Eyeldshes was furious. 1T is horror.
nachiDp''' o cried ''SlIch a
thing has no right to exist Look at minei"
He darted to his Pieper. gave one twist of
the handle and the motor instantly leaped
into life. Every one murmured approval at
this demonstration of the superiority of
France or. rather. Belgium. to Germany;
but next moment l had got our motor to
start. The ladies obviously took their
places. and under the critical dark eyes of
Miss Barrow l steered out into the streets
OF Blois.
l will spare you the detailed horrors of
the next few hours. 1t seemed to me that
to keep that going one must have the
agility of monkey the strength of a San
dow and the resourcefulness of a Sherlock
Holmes. Almost everything went wrong
that could go wrong. Both chains snapped
that WIS tritiing except for the waste of
time but finally the exhaust-valve spring
broke 1t getting dusk by this time,
and to replace that spring was one of the
grsltst Of my automobile experiences. To
get at II | had to lift off all the upper body
IF the and take out both the inlet and
the exhaust valves. AS darkness came on
Miss Randolph (who took it all splenddly
aud laughed at our misfortunes) held a
lamp while | wreStlcd with the spring and
valves. The Frenchman. who had kept close
To us on his irritaungly perfect little Pieper,
l simply used a laborer. ordering him
about as | pleased-my one satisfaction.
After an hours work (much of the time on
my back under the car, with green oil
dripping into my hatro got the new spring
on. and we could start again. Then-hor-
ror on horrors head-we had not gone
two miles before l heard a strange clack,
clack, and. looking behind. saw that one
of the back tires was loose. hanging to the
wheel in a kind of festoon. like IL fat worm
1t o'clock: We had lunched at /:
short OF Amboise. If the tire came
right on 1t would be awkward to run
on the rim. | explained this. sug-
costing that we should leave the car
for night at a farmhouse which pre-
sumably existed behind high. glimmering
white wall near which we happened to halt
Fnd try TO get conveyance OF some sort to
thrive on to Amboise
But | had calculated without Eyelashes
Instantly he saw his chance and seized it.
Figuratively he laid his Pieper at the la
dies feet To be sure 1t was built for only
two but the seat was very wide; there
was plenty OF room: ne would be only too
glad to whirl them off to the most comfort
able hotel at Amboise. which could be
reached IN no time. AS Tor the chauffeur,
he could be left 10 look after the car
The chauffeur. however, did not see this
in the same light. Not that he minded the
slight hardship, II any. but to see his liege
lady whisked OFF from under his eyes by
the villain Of the piece too much.
Think how you would have felt in my
place. But the hideous part was that. like
"A in IA Vanity Fair Hard Case, l could
do nothing. The proposal was vexatiously
sensible and had to stand swallowing my
objections while Miss Randolph and her
aunt decided.
| saw her move step or two toward the
lfeper silently. rather gloomily. but Aunt
Mary was grimly alert. Eyelashes had l
had learned through snatches of conversa-
ton on board the car. been tactful enough
to present Aunt Mary with a little brooch
and couple of hat pins of the charming
faience made by famous man In Blois.
Intrinscally Of no great value. they re-
Joiced in ermiue and porcupine crests
with eXquiSitely colored backgrounds
and the gui!e!ess ladys heart had
been completely won She en-
phaticafly voted for the Frenchman and
lis car But | have already noted little
popularity of Miss Randolphs. which l
have also observed in other delightful girls.
though none delightful as she. IL she Is
undecided about a thing. and somebody
else takes II for granted she is going to do
II. she is Immediately certain that she
never contemplated anything of the kind.
al