New-York tribune., 1907-06-02
CHAPTER XIII.
The Glorification of Monica


our enemies. Even CarmOna' S lace frightened +;
a flicker OF hope lit Lady Vale Avons gray
eyes and the Duchess deliberately courtcd
with a smile.
who has been surprised by the home coming
Of loved ones; yet there was a new wistiul-
ness in her ewes, despite the JOY She showed
oh how glorious that you have come to
the rescue!" she cried, all dlmpleS and roses
Still, she looked from me to Pillar, and from
Pillar 10 me- as If she lOnged TO ask one or the
Cchcr some question which 1t was impossible
to speak; and | said to myself that II would
90 hard with me if | did not find out before
was many hours older what that question was
Any port IS welcome in a storm or among
fellow motorists if YOU are helpless by the
roadside with several ladies when night IS
coming on; and Carmona's first words showed
that he had no scruple IL making use OF US
But with the trials he had gone through, and
his natural preference for the help of any other
car rather than the hated Gloria, he was III
black mood He wished TO be civil, lest we
should be goaded into leaving HIM III the lurch;
vet it was plainly such an effort that | could
have laughed aloud. Pillar would have been
able to quote paragraph and page Of her Dream
Book.
The worst damage to the car was broken
spring though something seemed TO have gone
wrong also with the ignition III that disastrous
bump They had been where we found them
for a couple Of hours, Carmona admitted, with
out cncountering any vehicle or animal to give
them a tow The first hope had been to stagger
on TO Manzanares which originally they had
meant TO pass, with Il broken spring; but the
bee in the motors bonnet could not be made
TO buzz, and in despair Carmona had been
about TO send his chauffeur on foot, in search
OF some conveyance for the ladies and their
luggage. More hours must have passed, at
best before the could have returned to
the rescue, and already everybody was hungry.
The ladies of the Dukes party had TO be
transferred 10 the Gloria; and Dick with airs
of ownership, urged vague and vouble reasons
why | should be their companion in the ton
ueau We were the masters OF the situation;
and Carmona'S S face, as he was Obliged TO take
his seat beside the chauffeur who must steer
the car in tow, repaid me for grleVous wrongs.
Pillar not to be outdol.c in ingenuity by
Dick. did for me what could not do for myself,
in cOntriving that should sit next to Monica.
Though | could say nothing for her ears winch
other ears might not hear, 1t was a Joy to feel
her slight shoulder nesting warm against my
arm TO know that she could not be snatched
from me by her mother OF Carmona; but that
as 1t was now, SO 1t must be for many moments
perhaps an hour, To come. There was also
satisfaction TO be got from the fact that my
enemy, humping on behind III his own dlsa bled
car-propelled by our generosity and power
was glarlng with malice, envy, and all un-
chaTltableness at my back. NV one regret in
tncse moments, which should have been per-
lecl was that my prophetic soul hadn't caused
me 70 write long letter TO Monica which |
might nave been able TO slip into her hand under
cover Of rugs and darkness.
ropes had TO light the lamps before we saw
more OF Manzanares than an Elusive church
splre which kept appearing and disaDDearing
hke wlil-o -the-wisp. But the petrol held
out, and the Gloria's breathing was regular,
despite the weight she had to tow over ruts
and across cutters. Once, however. Ropes
looked back at me with an expressive move