Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-08

turned away from the balcony into the long smok-
ing-room and looked round the scattered groups of
men there in search of momentary companionship 1t
was not promising prospect. fat man was sitting
smoking pipe in armchair, snorting heavily after
each respiration three rather dssipated young men,
with their heads very close together were talking IN
aaper undertones of the formation of motor COM
nanv One of them had bought secondhand car
and the others were showing him by various pencied
calculations on the margin Of an illustrated paper
that by renting small Office in the Haymarket and
calling themselves '"The Automobile Salon, Limited,
thew would each make ten thousand year and spend
a lifetime of happy week-ends driving powerful cars
WHY be a fisherman thought If you can be
motorist?-and at the same moment turned and saw
sbe,lcraft who had Just come in and ordered an alb
sinthe He sat down in armchair and stretched
out shaking hand for pile OF automoDile papers
and magazines Shellcraft then a man OF about
forty-ve worn and old-looking, with curious steel
ouiyer in his eyes and certain tremulousness about
his well-cut mouth He clean-shaved, and in
normal health would have been good-ooking man;
but there was something about his appearance now
that was the reverse of attractive. His shoulders
had curious forward stoop and his head and neck
were inclined forward his shoulders; the face was
fallen in and prematurely wrinked and the effect OF
the fine intelligent brow discounted by pathetic
weakness of the chin.
"r see they have reduced the flying kilometer by
him .sI should like to have seen that!" and some
thing like enthusiasm glttered in his pale, steely
eyes.
"Not much to see" objected, and he inyoluntarily
straghtened up in his chair Personally don't un-
derstand where the fascination of record-reducng
comes in.',
"Ah!" said Shellcraft slipping his absinthe, ''it is
the only thing about-going fast. used to like
motoring for the sake of the things on the
- IT. fcr% Tho MIA ToOr %
to and the journeys I could make; now I simply like
it for itself Speed-pace-theres nothing like it,"
A flush came into his sallow cheeks and his eyes
grew bright "And tell you solemny,'' he added in
a low voice. with a kind of dogged emotion that was
curiously impressive that this thing which you
sometimes call speed mania and which is regarded
as childish fad of the mischevous rich, is but
another embodiment of those terrible, uncompre-
hended forces that are in the world beyond the VEIL
They dwell out there in the darkness. but they send
out their antennae to here in the light know"
said Shellcraft.
There was a fragment of sugar left in the bottom
of Shellcrafts glass; little white island in little
milky acid sea. He took up the glass and watched
the tiny island crumbing and corroding away one
particle after another sinking into the liquid until
1t had all been absorbed.
"You think" he said slowly, ga motor car the most
commonplace and matter-of-fact thing that man has
ever designed; tell you that equally with the den
lists chair the operang-table the hangman's moose,
it may be the instrument and scene of prodiges be-
yond our belief It's nothing in the motor car itself;
but the forces speak of are enthroned in strange
places and distributed by strange conductors"
Anxious to bring him back to saner things asked
him what kind of he drove. Immediately change
came over his face. The enthusiasm faded from it,
and was replaced by furtive and almost cunning
expression.
sI have two or three cars" ne said; ''the I
drive most is ifty-horse of particular make
at all; it's an experimental My other two are
a Fiat and Daimler. 1 see that NARROW has been
experimenting with oxygen" he said, though he
were anxious to change the subject; and our talk
drifted on into normal channels, and continued
until at dinner-tme went our separate ways.
Our conversation in the Club smokng-room had
been on the occasion of flying visit to London; l
had been busily occupied with things far different
from motor cars and did not recognize the writing
on the large envelope that brought me Shelcrafts
letter It came to me at the breakfast-table but the
glance gave TO it showed me that it was too long
and important be read then, and presently took
1t out into the mild fragrant air Of the October
ing and began to read it walking up and down the
terrace in the autumn sunshine The letter dated
from shellcrafts place in Surrey; had not turned
the first Of it's closely written pages before
rested in my walk and stood rooted in amazement.
sT have hesitated many times whether not
should write to you" he began I have even once or
twice taken up my pen and begun letter, and have
nut it down again with sense Of the hopelessness
OF my intention Now, however, something has hap
uened that makes the help and advice of friend
necessary: and turn to you in confidence that even
IL YOU don't and cannot understand me, you will at
least believe and give me your advice. l want
to tell you that I am a maniac.-a speed maniac Do
,yo,, understand? In order that you may not think
that am talking lightly foolishly (Which you
apt to think when we simply conversing face to
face). am writing down in words something of the
exnerience that has led up to this crisis in my life,
and the strange mania that holds me helpless vic
tim.