Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-26

DAISY WAS KNOCKED TO A DISTANCE OF
e FEET.
past his place to the city, but they are
not good enough, certainly not fast
enough, for him. He has his own au-
tomobile, capable of making q mile a
minute, and it has often taken him
from HIS house to his Office in halt an
hour.
The Arlington turnpike furnished a
direct line between MI. Portley's house
and his Office, and on that pike is a
straight piece Of road over which he
gave his chauffeur orders to malp fifty
miles an hour. At a quarter past 10
every week day morning and q quar-
ter past 4 in the evening, the hours Of
Mr.. Portley's passage, the farmers liv-
ing on this stretch of road were ohlig-
ed to stop work to see that there were
no children or stock tn the way. Amos
Green lost a horse and Joseph Briggs a
COW. In both these cases Mr.. Portley
sat in hts car, was handed q check
book by hts secretary, filed out checks
for double the amount claimed by the
owners Of the stock, tossed them at the
farmers, and as the papers luttered to
the ground to be picked up by the pay
ees the payer dashed away.
The next thing to fall under Mr.
Portley's juggernaut was something
that could not be paid for in money.
Daisy Burton, fourteen years old, was
crossing the road when she heard the
squawk of q horn and saw Mr. Port
ley's automobile coming. She turned
back, but seeing the automobile turn
ing in the same direction, started again
to cross. The automobile changed Its
course at the same time. 1t had slow.
ed down, but could not be stopped In
time to prevent a collision. Daisy was
knocked to a distance of twenty feet.
where she lay in a heap. Mr.. Portley
took in the situation and ordered his
chauffeur to drive on. A cloud Of dust
marked his going, and q crowd Of in
dignant countrymen, among whom
stood the father Of the child, shaking
his fist ut the %retreating automobilist.
marked the Of the accident.
Hiram Perkins, a middle aged,
| weather beaten farmer, whose skin
hung loose in grooves on his face and
neck, lived on the next farm to the
Burtons. The only thing in the world
he loved was Daisy. From the time
she could toddle across the fields be-
tween his and her fathers house he
had made a pet of her. While her ia
Their was shaking his fist at Portley
Perkins picked up the girl, covered
with dust and blood, and carried her
into her home. There he bent over her
eyes and looked at him with a faint
attempt at a smile he dashed out Of
the house, mounted a horse and gal
Hoped away for a doctor.
The only inconvenience 1t occasioneh
Mr.. Portley was having to take the
train every morning to the city instead
of his automobile. He dared not so
over the Arlington pike till the dam
age had been paid, and there was no
other direct road to town. Farmer
Burton did not come at once to a frame
of mind to accept money for the injury
to his child, and It was some time be-
fore the matter was settled.
Meanwhile the farmers living ON the
pike discussed the situation. Daisy
would be crippled for life. Must they
continue to risk the same misfortune
or worse for their children? There
was a stnts law regulating the speed
Of automobiles, but there was ne one
whose duty 1t was to entosce Il, no