Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-26

till you are safely off."-and William
disappeared.
Warburton could occasionally hear
the faint strain of music. From time
to time the carriage-caller bawled out
a number, and the carriage would roll
up under the ~porte-coehere. Warbur-
ton concluded that IL would be a good
plan to hunt up his rig. His search
did not last long. The bay and the
gray stood only a little way from the
gate. The box was vacant, and he
climbed up and gathered the reins.
He sat there for some time, longing
intensely for a cigar, a good cigar. such
as gentlemen smoked.
Seventeen" came hoarseIy along
on the wings of the night. Number
II, and lively there,"
Warburton's pulse doubled it's beat
His number.
"Skt!" the bay and the gray started
forward, took the half-circle and
stopped under the porte-cochere. War
burton recollected that a fashionable
groom never turned his head unless
spoken to; so he leveled his gaze at
his horses ears and waited.
But from the very corner of his eye
he caught a glimpse Of two women,
n of whom was enveloped in a Grim
son cloak. He thrilled with e%xultation.
What a joke it was! He felt the car
riage list as the women stepped in.
The door slammed TO and the rare
good joke was on the way.
'Off with you!" cried the pompous
footman. with an imperious wave of
the hand. Number 99i"
"Ninety-nine! Ninety-nine!" bawled
the carriage man.
Our jehu turned into the avenue,
holding a tolerable rein. He clucked
and lightly touched the horses with
the lash. This was true sport: this
was humor. genuine. initiative. UNI
forced. He could imagine the girls
and their fright when he finally slowed
down. opened the door. and kissed
them both. Wouldn't they let out a
yell. though? His plan was to drive
furiously for half a dozen blocks,
zigzag from one side of the street to
tue OtuCi, ldhlHS TIC SOi HSio Sndi ply,
and then make for Scott Circle.
Now, a lad Of six can tell the differ
ence between II and II. But this as
tonishing jehu of mine had been con-
spicuous as the worst mathematician
and the best soldier in his class at
West Point No more did he remem-
Der that he was not in the wild west.
and that here in the east there were
laws prohibiting reckless driving.
He drove decently till he struck
Dupont Circle. From here he turned
into New Hampshire, thinking it to be
Rhode Island. Mistake number two.
He had studied the city map, but he
was conscious Of not knowing 1t as well
as he should have known it. but, true
to his nature, he trusted to luck.
Aside from all this, he forgot that
. woman might appreciate this joke
only when she heard it recounted. To
ent matter. In an episode like this,
q woman's imagination. given the
darkness such as usually fills a car.
riage at night, becomes a round Of
terrors. Every moment is freighted
with death or Disagreement. Her
nerves are like the taut strings of a
harp in a wintry wind, ready to snap
at any moment; and then, hysteria.
With man the play, and only the play,
is the thing.
Snap-crack! The surprised horses,
sensitive and quick-tempered as all
highly organized beings are. nearly
leaped out of the harness. Never be-
fore had their tanks received a more
unwarranted stroke of the lash. They
reared and plunged and broke into a
mad gallop, which was exactly what
the rascal on the box desired. Anexpert
horseman, he gaugea the strength of
the animals the moment they bolted,
and he Knew that they were his. Once
the rubber-tired vehicle slid sidewise
on the wet asphalt, and ne heard a
stifled scream.
He laughed. and let forth a sounding
"whoop." which nowise allayed the
fright Of the women inside the car
riage. He wheeled into S street. scrap
ing the curb as he did so. Pedestrians
stopped and stared at him. A. police
man wave his club helplessly, ever
hopelessly. On. on: to Warburton's
mind this ride was as wild as that
which the Bishop of Vannes tool from
Relle-Isle to Paris in the useless effort
to save Fouquet from the wrath OF
Louis XIV, and to anticipate the preg-
nant discoveries of one D'Artagnan.
The screams were renewed. A hand
beat against the forward window and
a muflled but wrathful voice called
forth a command to stop. This voice
was Immediately drowned by another's
prolonged scream, Our jehu began tc
find all this very interesting, very *
| citing.
I, "Ill wager a dollar that Nan ism
doing that screaming. The Warbur-
tons never cry out when they are
frightened. Hang it!"-suddenly;