Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-05-30

INK IL 20 lNt iiHnl ana lett as the
mower acoltcrs the sheaves in the
wheat fields. Some were crushed be-
meath lis wheels Bob BROMLEY heard
not their screams heard not the
curses OF those who escaped. He was
on his feet. his body crouched low
over the steering wheel. which he 4
grasped in his Wce.lile hands. His
hatIess head was thrust far out al i
though It stroye to get to Beulah
Sands ahead Of his body. His teeth
were set, and as had jumped into
the machine I had noted that his eyes
were those Of maniac, who saw
sanity just ahead if he could but get
to 1t in time. His ears were deaf not
only to the howl of the terrified throng
and the curses of the teamsters who
frantically pulled their horses to the
curb, but to my warnings as well. He
swung the machine around the corner
at New street and into Wall as though
it had been the broadcast boulevard in
the park. He took Wall street at a
bound / was sure would land us
through the fence into Trinity's
churchyard. But no. Again he turned
the corner, throwing the Juggernaut Z
on it's outside wheels from Wall street
into Broadway as the crowds on the
sidewalk held their breath in horror.
l. too, was on my feet, but crOuching
as / hung to the Sides Thank God,
that usually crowded thoroughfare was
free from vehicles as far up as l could
see. on beyond the Astor house. What
could it mean? Was that divinity
which tbs said protects the drunkard
and the idiot about to aid the mad
rush of this love-frenzied creature to
his long-lost but newly returned dear
one? / heard the frantic clang OF
gongs, and as we shot by the World
building, saw ahead of us two plung- A.,
ing automobiles filled with men. Twas
from them the gong clamor sounded.
AS we drew nearer l saw that these
were the cars of the fire chiefs answer
ing a call l thanked God again and
again as l yelled into Bob's ear, For
Beulah's sake, Bob, don't pass; il you
do we'll run into a blockade If we
keep in the rear they'll clear our way,
and we may get to her alive" l do
not know whether he heard, but he
held the machine in the rear of the
other cars and did not try to pass.
Away we went on our mad rush
through crowded Broadway. At Union
Square we lost our way-clearers. Asrs
our automobile jumped across Four
teenth street into Fourth avenue, Bob
must have opened her up to the LAST
notch, for she seemed to leap throF
the air We sent two wagons craSIA,
ing across the sidewalks into the build
ings. Cries of rage arose above the
din of the machine, and seemed to fol
low in our wake. Bob was dead to all
we passed. His entire being seemed
set on what was ahead. l knew he
was an expert in the handling of the
automobile, for since his misfortune,
automobiling with Beulah Sands had
been his favorite pastime, but who
could expect to carry that plunging,
swaying car to Fortysecond street!
Bob seemed to be performing the won
drous task We shot from curb to
curb and around and in front of vehi-
cles and foot passengers as though
the drivers eyes and hands were in
spired.
Across the square at last and on up
Fourth avenue to Twenty-sixth street.
Then a dizzying whirl into Madison.
Was he going to keep to it until he got
to Forty second street and try to make
Fifth avenue along that congested
block with its crush of Grand Central
passengers and lines upon lines of
hacks and teams? No. His head must
be clear. Again he threw the great
machine around the corner and into
Fortieth street. For a part of the
block our wheels rode the sidewalk
and awaited the crash. 1t did not
come. Surely the new world Bob was
speeding to must be a kind one, else
why should Hag Fate, who had been
at the steering wheel of his llfe-car
during the last five years, carry him
safely through what looked a dozen
sure deaths? Without Stacking speed
jot we swung around the corner of
Fortieth into Fifth avenue. The road
was clear to Forty-second; there a
dense jam of cars, teams and carriages
blocked the crossing. Bob must have
seen the solid wall for / heard his
lew muttered curse. Nothing else to
Indicate that we were blocked with his
goal in sight. He never touched the
speed controller, but took the two
blocks as though shot from a catapult.
The two? No, one, and three-quarters
of the next, for when within a score of
yards of the black wall he jammed
down the brakes, and the iron mass
ground and shook as though it would
rend itself to atoms, but it stopped
with its dasher and front wheels
wedged in between a car and dray.
II had not stopped when Bob was off
and up the avenue like a hound on the
end-in-sight trail l was after him
vvhfla fhe astOnishad bVstandQrg stared