Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-16


and the certainty follow one another IN
such quick succession that everything
is over inside a half minute, leaving
the victim i'm a dazed condition as 10
the exact details. The empty barrel
wagon--by no means empty ltselI-
seemed to have risen out Of the ground
when Page came upon it, and with lts
enormous overhang was taking up not
only the middle but both sides OF the
highway.
The driver. doubtless hardly expect
ing to meet any vehicle in that unire-
ouented part of the country, was asleep
ir his snug little alcove among the bar
rels, nor did Pages most imperlous
horn-blasts avail to rouse him. An at"
tempt to stop on the down-grade Ill
time to avoid a collision could not nave
succeeded. but there was strip OF
grass al the side OF the road, and by
running along the edge of this Page
hoped to squeeze past the ungainly op-
struction.
Alas for this hope, however! Not TO
bring in the time-worn classical anu
sion that seems best to fit the situation,
suffice it to say that in trying to save
his paint from being scraped by the
barrels on his left, he paid TOO
little heed to the dangers on his right
and before he fully realized it had run
over the grass grown margin of deep
and exceedingly muddy ditch.
His predicament was most untor-
tunate. He stopped his machine as
soon as possible. but not soon enough
to prevent the right-hand fore wheel
from burying itself to the hub in the
black ooze of which the bottom Of the
gully was composed. AS a matter or
course the rear wheel was not far be-
hind its companion in misfortune. The
sudden canting of the carriage, to-
gether with the equally sudden abate-
ment of it's speed, came so near to
pitching him headfrst into a moist,
unpleasant bed that he could not have
told afterward how he managed to
stave off that crownng catastrophe.
When, with some difficulty, he clam
bered out on the dry and uppermost
side he realized forcibly that If Miss
Jeanne Bradford was to get over to
the West Flamboro' links that morning
the trip would not be made under his
escort.
The direct cause of his failure to keep
his engagement with the young lady
was the disorganized state of the town
roads. So bad was this-temporary, it
is true, yet none the less annoying for
that-it had moved the humorist of the
Flamboro' Automobile club to suggest
that a "Highway Probability" bulletin
be posted daily in the clubhouse. AS
a model covering the conditions of the
current date he wrote the following:
"Cautionary signals continue for
Washington street, where the gas COM
pany is laying a main; also for Grove
street, in which abutters are entering
sewers. Trolley track-laying activities
have developed in Madison street, be-
ing now central near City square, and
moving toward Jefferson street There
are rumors of a state road to begin
near the city limits, crossing Maple
street, and a water main is probab BILE in
Broadway. Excavations in that neigh
borhood are to be looked for soon, with
rising followed by falling banks of
earth and piles of paving stone. The
general condition of the roads during
the next six months is likely to be such
as to discourage all attempts to exceed
the speed limit, unless in the extreme
outskirts of the town"
1t was Pages effort to get around
these numerous distractions by making
a wide detour that had brought him
to his present pass. If his bitterest
enemy-if his principal rival in the af-
fections of Jeanne Bradford-had Sc
lected the spot for his accident he
could not have hit on one that would
have made it more disastrous. or have
been less favorable to getting assist
ance. That part of the road where the
luckless motorman found himself lay
in a lonely hollow. On one side no
house whatever was visible, while on
the other only a solitary roof could
be seen, and that at least half a mile
distant beyond the summit of a steep
hill
The longer he viewed the situation
the more discouraging it looked. SO
far as utilizing its own power went the
automobile was helpless and might
stay where it was till it rotted and
rusted to pieces. Outside aid of some
sort would be positively necessary.
Page turned his gaze toward the barrel
wagon numbering slowly away, and was
considering the desirability OF running
after it that he might demand help
from the driver, when he heard a noise
of wheels in the opposite direction.
A team" was coming down the hill.
AS it drew nearer he saw that it's driy-
er was a mild-appearing, middle-aged-
to-elderly person, seated in what far
mers call a lumber-wagon, that was
being drawn at a brisk gait by spirit
ed young colt. The latter contem-
plated the forlorn automobile with
marked disfavor pricking up his ears
and shying Wild-eyed sharply to one