Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08

her car to the full and sent it racing down
the incline as 1t had never raced before.
Fifteen, twenty, twenty-five miles an hOur
the speed Indicator registered, and still the
car appeared to be gaining speed. Behlnd,
as though in vain pursuit, the numbering
sound of hoofs waXed louder, and once or
twice in the interIudes of sounds mans
voice could be heard crying to the horse
and to those in the car incoherent words
IN unknown tongue.
Let her go for Gods sake, your lady
ship-let her go-he's coming up-keep to
the right--don't mind the corner-We'H do IL
yet. These and many another eXcIama-
ton fell from Bates volcanic lips as he
chung to the dicky for dear life and tried
to drive the mad horse into the hedge. by
the wild waving of q spasmodic arm. His
appeal to her to keep TO the right showed
that he at any rate, had not lost his head.
Instructive habit sent the animal flying to
the left-hand side of the road as he would
naturally be sent by any coachman. Though
the brougham lurched wildly, the terrified
horse returned to his accustomed place
again and again, taking the corners in wide
sweeps and increasing his speed with his
terror. great raw bony brute that had
been ridden to hounds the previous winter,
his gallop was that of a thoroughbred over
good grass lands. Even the ten horse
power car could not keep its lead. Evelyn
knew that he overtaking her The
shadow OF catastrophe seemed to creep
over her very shoulders. is he far OF
now?" she would ask Bates despairngly.
The answer many times repeated, began
to be monotOnous.
Keep TO the right, milady-don't mind
the corner-Tll blow the horn for you-now
you're gaining a bit-oh. that's fne-let her
go-well do it yet, milady-"
Evelyn 1t may be, realized her own peril
less than that of those in the brougham.
mans cry, whatever reading of character
might be placed upon II, seemed to her an
evidence of grave danger and piteouS fear.
But for this her own courage would have
almost delighted in the rare sensations of
speed and flight and all the doubt of the
ultimate issue. Guiding her car with d
brave hand she was conscious of rushing
wind upon her face: of hedges, fields, trees
approaching, disappearing, during that ON
nous race; of voice speaking TO her; of a
question many times repeated How Will
1t end2 VIII they be killed?' And yet the
speed of II both excited and sustained her.
She swung round the corners as an arm
upon a pivot; Rugged difficult path with
the skill of an old mecanicien. nursed her
engine perfectly, was never Hurried, never
hesitating. never fearful. That which she
dreaded was the long incline leading up to
the gates of Melbourne Hall. The mad
horse would beat the upon that, she
thought. The threa tened thunder of his
hoofs seemed so near to her now. She could
hear the mans voice plainly. and the
tongue he spoke had a more familiar SOUND.
The moment was critical enough. a
gentle hill lay before her. She knew that
a horse galloping blindly would make moth
ing OF 1t, but that the little car must be
slowed down sufficiently to render escape
out Of the question Had there been foot
path, she would have mounted 1t and dared
the consequences; but of path there was
none. A man in her place might have De-
thought him of Stacking speed gradually
and blocking the road TO the flying carriage
But Bates her chauffeur, had never been
upon horse in his life. He thought only
of himself and the car.
Il could feel his nose down my back" he
told the servants hall afterward-to which
the cook replied, ''Lor Mr.. Bates, how you
must have suffered! he ADMITTED that ne
had done so.
She turned into the field better than
Thery himself could have done" he de-
clared, speaking of the driver of the Cor
don Bennett car. Just when 1 was asking
myself who'd come in for my Sunday
clothes, round she goes like a top, and the
carriage went flying by us at jiffy.'
The kitchen listened In awe.
IT always said as she was thorough
bred" Williams, the groom, remarked; and
this opinion appeared to be general
Evelyn had saved her car Just as the ex-
cellent Bates described 1t. Losing ground
steadily upon the Hill, the end of 1t all
seemed at hand, when she espied the open
gate OF hay field upon her right hand,
and. taking her courage and the wheel in
both her hands, she just touched the car
boldly through the opening A terrible
lurch. great bump over wagon ruts. and
they were at a standstili In grass growing
to the height of their axles The boiling
horse meanwhile went by like shot from
bow straight up the hin which leads to
the hall. A turn of the road hid him from
their sight They heard loud crash, and
then all was STILL
Evelyn sat, very pale and frightened, and
trembling visibly at the thought of that
which must have happened on the hillside
above them, The engine of her car had
stopped as they ran into the field. and the
imperturbable Bates Immediately leaped
down from the dcky and made a Wild at
tempt to restart Ii.
There wasn't driver on the box, MI
lady" he said. as though Ii were the most
natural remark In the world to make.
Evelyn answered by ordering him, almost
angrily, to start the engine.