The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-14
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BY GEORGE HIBBARD
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ful-and considerate of her-and not dare to have any ideas of your own. You arc only too lucky to have her care about you at any price"
 "she does care?" he asked as if delfb- erately desrous of information. About the-the prisoner at the bar?'
 "shes been crying out her eyes, she's so miserable
 "Im glad, he said amiably.
 You heartless brute' I calculated. Il "Why--" he exclaimed again, gazing at me in consternation. "Oh, yes, I see, of course. 1 am extremely sorry, but as d sign that she does care it is to be welcomed
 'She has only seen De Po1isson and she is only going to accept him out of pique--o
 Miss osborne-Sally is thinking of marrying that little beast De Poisson"
 .sShe will if she isn't stopped
 "Then she must be stopped" he replied quickly.
 That's the reason I'm in a hurry" l exclaimed. Hes coming to see her this afternoon. I want to get you there before he comes. If she only knew that this was all mistake and that the man she loves Is as heartbroken as she is. as l believe Is the case-'
 ..As l am able, as it happens, to assure you is the case,' he answered. lowing slowly.
 shell be only too glad to make up again, and will throw De Poisson over without a thought"
 "Then for Miss Osborne s-Sallys inter est-the best thing we can do Is to see her as soon possible
 'If you can assure her that there has been a mistake and can comfort her. T can he said with conviction.
 Then we must beat De Poisson," I cried and not give him a chance" A level stretch of road lay before us and put on sped.
 Sally" explained "should never have given a thought to De Polison. or you, or Tom. Dick or Harry. She should have fallen in love with your friend, MT. Gill bert Ramsey, about whom she has been telling me-"
 The automobile bounded oyer a slight inequality in the road. To be sure my companions appearance of disconcertion might have been caused by the way in which he had been catapulted into the air There was. however. an expression for which no cavorting of the car could fully account.
 That's the man for me-" I said boldly.
 l did not understand it. could not help it. l longed to say sharp and disa- greeable things to him and yet l liked him. 1 had to steel myself against the liking. Did he not belong to Sally? Was l not taking him to her at that moment for the express purpose of reeonciling them? l had to remind myself that l | was not on in this scene. There's a man" I announced. "who would be worthy of any girl. When he hasn't been climbing the highest noun tain he could find unclimbed he has been polling down in the slums to improve the lives of the people. When he hasn't been riding steeplechases he's been running for office'
 'You approve of him."
 "He gives girl chance to think in- teresting things about him. l believe that i I'm half in love with him myself Could you be wholly?" "If he's as nice as I think he is.' ! Well, you see he is rather a friend of mine and I may be prejudiced." The speaker paused for a moment 'tI think l have heard him speak of you Miss Osborne--Sally, you see has talked great deal about you" | I could see that we had come more than half way. The village lay before us. be- yond which was the Osborne country place. I could spy the houses through the l trees, and reaching crossroad l turned | abruptly off. At the speed we were going l could not tear through the main streets I without an accident and I should gain | time by going round My companion | looked at me, discovering that I was not taking the most direct route. | well get there quicker this way l said, concluding that the most dignihed course was for me to appear perfectly h. different no matter what he might say. And De Polisson comes at a quarter after five
 Thirty minutes" he commented after again examining his watch. There the automobile gave out had heard for the last two or three miles that it was not running true.
 "Oh, dear!" I said as perforce l brought up. T could cry"
 Never give up the ship he cried.
 But an automobile is different" I re- piled. "Theres no honor in going down or breaking down with that"
 ''Well have to do what we can
 "If I had not left Duval at home,' l mourned.
 'Tm something of chauffeur myself-'
 "Oh!' I cried, can you make it right
 .'I can have q try
 He tore open the tool box. He appeared as interested now in getting as I was. In moment he was poking and puttering among the screws and pipes.
 I had got out also and watched him working underneath the machine.
 ''There," he said rising hot, grimy and triumphant. "The carbureter was out of order The needle valve needed adjusting and the gasoline was not feeding proper ly."
 We've lost fifteen minutes" I cried as we tumbled back into our seats.
 No running on schedule now he said. "We've got to make mp for lost time. How many more mlles?"
 Seven or eight l said.
 We've got to do them in ten minutes, he replied, If we bust a tire"
 The racing spirit had got into me. There was no visible adversary whom l was trying to beat. The race was only against time l thought. thought of Sally l thought of De Poisson arriving-of his proposing, as knew that he was going to do that afternoon. l had to beat him out and to beat him out l must almost make a record run. How we tore along! The speed was so great that we did not feel tho jounces so much, seeming to sail over them. We rocked, thopg'h from side to side in d distracting fashion. With my eyes fixed on the road before me, l kept my hand firmly on the wheel. With it all--the excitement-- the rushing sense of speed-the wind whstling past my ears and sending my hair streaming behind me, l was perfectly conscious of the eyes resting on me was aware of the ad- mira tioii in them and the knowledge that had never looked better in my life caus- ed me to feel glad with gladness that made me look better still. My cheeks glowed with deeper color than even the motion gave them. My eyes sparklcd with brighter light than the excitement imparted to them.
 "I m going to win" I cried. "So am l." he answered in low tone. We swung out of the road into the smooth drive of the Osborne place. We |