Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-14
DAILY STORY.
"THE TERROR"
copyright. 1906, by Homer sprague.I

Colonel WhiteSide was lawyer. He
was well to do, of middle age and had
a fOndneSs for athletics. He had a rec /
ord as Il bikist, and he owned and
drove a trotting horse. When the auto .
appeared his friends knew that he /
would soon have a machine.
n perfect machine-a thing of brass :
and steel as easily controlled as a !
child's toy, an almost living, breathing !
creature, moving ut Il walk, if the di |
rector willed, or flying along the high |
way at the rate of mile minute
stood in Il garage, and the colonel in |
spected it. He had scarcely begun |
when n fear crept over him. To others !
the machine was an object of curiosi !
ty. To him there was something I'M
canny about it.
A year passed. and yet the colonel
had not joined the ranks of the auto
lists. Then men began to smile and
throw out sarcastic hints. Out of every
hundred autoists ninety eight are
afraid of their machines The other
two are reckless Of consequences. The
ninety eight know that they take their
out.
Until Colonel Whiteside realized that
he was an object of unfavOrable com
ment he needed the warning whispers.
When his nerve" was questioned he
was forced to buy. He talked. and the
salesman and the chauffeur talked.
Some one else talked also 1t was the
auto. and he alone heard its words. 1t
breathed heavily. 1t Kissed warming
ly. Its ''chug, chug, chug," had a men
ace. 1t said:
Buy me if you will, but look out.
am Il creature of strange moods. |
balk: | stampede; l go wrong as often
as l go right Buy me and possess me,
but remember that some day | will he
the death of you
The auto was purchased. and the
colonel took Instructions in its manage
ment. For fortnight he went about
with his heart in his mouth and ever
on the watch for accident. Then he
began to feel a contempt for the warn
ing, a determination to defy and drive
and take the upper hand. 1t was
child'S play. A turn of the wheel this
way-that way-mOre Specd-leSS speed
go ahead-StOp. Why. the most docile
horse he ever owned was not so servilc
and obedient. His bicycle had never
been under such command. Ten miles
an hour had satisfied him. but one day
when the warnings required to him he
became indignant and put the speed up
| TO twenty. No calamity followed. He
was as safe as he had been at half the
speed. He returned home feeling that
| he was master.
The autoist who confines his pace to
| fifteen miles an hour this week will he
making twenty next week. He must
do it. He is driven to do it. His fellow
towards will laugh and grin if he does
not do it. and he can't stand that.
| When Colonel Whiteside knew that lie
had made twenty miles an hour he
was pleased and proud. Every minute
of that hour lie had expected accident
| After that he got a chauffeur. That's
| the usual course of the ninety eight
They leave the driving TO somebody
| else and lean back and try to look
placid and nonchalant Now came
twenty-five, thirty. fortyfive miles an
| hour. The colonel Gasped and felt Il
pain i'll his heart. He did not speak to
| the chauffeur because he was afraid
his voice would betray him. He had n
| weakness of the knees. and things
| blurred to his vision. But for pride
| and fear of ridicule he would have
said that never again would he ride at
such pace. Let him show the white
feather and the man beside him would
grin in his face and then tell the news
| to n hundred others. Let It be whis-
pered that man is afraid of his auto
and he is done for. The other ninety
seven are also afraid, but they will
make common cause against the nine
ty-eighth to conceal their fear.
"This machine can make mile n
minute" said the chauffeur in the ga
rage one day as the colonel was ready
for his spin.
"YeS?" =
"And We'll let her out today"
VERY we'll"
There were a dozen men about. but
had there been only the chauffeur to
listen the colonel would not have
dared to protest He must acquiesce
or he thought timid He nodded his
head and smiled, but at that moment
the auto said:
, Yes, l will make mile minute,
but look out for me. I have given
you several warnings. bnt you have
not needed them. Today you shall
feel the sensation of flying, but will
you sleep in your bed tonight"
The start was made More ohedient
than any horse that ever wore har-
ness. the machine rolled over the as
? phalt streets, guided by the slightest
touch. There was time for the colonel
, to suggest that the pace be limited to
thirty-fve or forty miles an hour when
the long. straight stretch of country
road should be reached. but he feared
to do so. The chauffeur is the real
boss of the auto. He makes or I'm
makes the reputation of the owner for
: s.nprya"