Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-24

he cried the next instant springing TO his fee
and dropping his meerschaum into his pocket
"ths is great honor"
"You mean great surprise" corrected Jane
Wainwright demurely as she offered him hei
hand. I've come on business, Frank. have
a tremendous favor to ask Of you. ] want yor
to take me long ride in your automobile"
In my automobilel" cried NIcGrath, and laugh
cd $50 you've come round to my opinion, young
motor.hater"
"No, dislike them as much ever theoret-
ically, but under the circumstances l don't see
what else is TO be done"
And the circumstances arc"
II am booked for lecture at Raleigh to-
night-ah, | you prick up your cars. Yes,
Ethel Craig lives there and I'm to stay with
her. But there has been wreck on the rail
road and no trains can get through to Raleigh
this afternoon"
81 wish you'd give up this ecturing fad, Janet.
You know none of the family approves said
McGrath seriously
Janet frowned and tapped her foot impatient
ly
"a prophet is never honored in his own couu.
try, nor greatness in its own family" she SAID
coldy. "Wi you take me? 1t is sixty miles
to Raleigh. ! was to have dined with Ethel
but must be at the hall by 9 o'clock"
McGTath opened a drawer Of his desk and
took out road map.
ITS sixty miles, you say?' he asked, tracing
red line with his thumb nail, "lt may be
that by railway but it's good seventy or seventy
five by road"
"oh, dear, does that mean that 1 can't get
there in time?"
''No. indeed" cried McGrath enthusiastically.
at means that we've got time to burn. Why,
with the Trojan could get you to New York
in time"
"HoY NIGEL Then perhaps we can reach Ethel's
in time for dinner Do you suppose she'll mind
taking you in, too?" asked Janet teasingly. She
well knew how the land lay between her cousin
and pretty Ethel Craig. McCirath consulted his
watch and memorandum pad.
Il have an engagement at noon. Can you have
an early luncheon before start"
"Of course I'll go home and get it now,
and pack my grip"
Have you got any appropriate duds for au
tomobing?" asked her cousin, who sus-
picious of feminine furbelows.
I've got a small hat and big veil, if that
is what you mean"
"All right. And Ill fetch an extra pair of
goggles and linen duster for you. Mind you
ready by one-thirty, sharp. Hold on-yes
consulting the road map again, ''one-thirty will
do. That will get us to Amsterdam in time for
a cup of tea He studied the map for a mo-
ment There are two roads to Raleigh, both
marked good The north road will be the most |
convenient for us, starting from your house"
Are You sure you have other plans for
the evening"" she asked politely.
"None at all. In fact / was-I was thinking
of running up to Raleigh myself to-day. Mind
you're ready at one-thirty"
'Ready and waiting. You were going to Ra-
leigh to hear my lecture, l suppose?' laughed
Janet, with which parting shaft she left him.
Promptly at half-past one the tchuff tchuff of |
McCirath's motor heard in the street
where Janet Wainwright lived. 1t was a hand
some machine, brave in coat of dark-blue paint
with polished brass trimmings Janet was waiting
on the front porch with her grip in one hand
and a heavy golf cape over her arm, McGrath
handed her out long, mans linen duster.
'The goggles are in the pocket" he said; you'll
need them in the open country when we get
going fast"
Janet buttoned herself into the dust coat, and
taking out the goggles, put them
Since | am to be made so ugly" she laughed
surveying the loose ulster; Il may as well have
the costume complete"
McCirath slowed the extra wrap and grin in
the tonneau mounted to the front seat beside
his cousin, and putting in the clutch, turned the
huge car skllfully in the narrow street. They
skirted the buster district of the town but
it took sufficient dexterity to guide the fast.
moving automobile among the needless procession
of cabs, drays and delivery wagons driven bv
irresponsible boys Janet studied his maneuvers
with the keen interest that novelty always in
spred in her
commented "How do you make it go faster and
slower"
AIcGrath explained the working of the ma
chine; the steering wheel, the throttle, the gear
clutch.
That" he finished pointing to round pr9-
tuberance in the dashboard, "s the plug IF I
you take that out it stops the engine"
1T doesn't sound very complicated. | believe {
I could run it myself" commented Janet
"of course, you could. I'll give you try t
when we get out into the country How do YOU
like the motion? Isn't it jolly?"
eyes, it is really quite nice-if no accident |
happens If / am to believe the funny papers, t
YOU will be down underneath the thing on your l
back in the middle of the road presently"
well, you are not to believe them. 7 was {
never under the thing in my life. An illustrator I
who knew nothing about autos drew a picture Of
a man on his back under motor with only his s
legs showing. 1t took with the public, and so q
he and his imitators have been drawing that |
sort Of thing ever since Now, il we should break t
down, all / have to do is TO go to the front /
of the machine, lift the hood off, and have !
the whole insides under my eye" '
That certainly sounds simpler than the car c
toon theory 1t strikes me that the humorists /
have maligned automobiles. Oh, look!" she added S
quickly, there has been wedding at that house
See the quantities Of spilled rice !
They sped past a house in row of fashionable q
residences which had AN awning stretched from Y
door TO curb over a stair carpet of festive red a
upon which rice grains lay in scattered profusion
Janet looked at the house in the true feminine /
spirit OF interest in such events, concern they /
friends or strangers
"You might take that as a lucky omen," she
teased her cousin
What do you mean?' he asked, Intentionally a
dense. '