Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-03-01


out which way Major Collingwood
had gone. The road had deserted
appearance - here and there carts
were drawn up beside it. | saw
white faced, trembling people into
whom the very fear of God had been
put as he leaped upon them, as it
were from the ends of the earth, and,
used as they were to motors, they
had never seen anything to go the
pace this one did. In the villages
where he had slowed down the wom-
en- told me that the lady had seemed
"afeared,' and several times had
tried to jump out, but the gentleman
had only laughed and held her fast,
and said that his wife was nervous"
All spoke of his incredible skill and
luck; he had injured no one, his car
was unhurt, and he seemed in the
best OF spirits. They must have
reached town long ago, / thought, as
at II O'Clock / came to a place where
the London road forked, and by de.
tour of about mile one could follow
a seldom used road by which one
eventually returned to the highway.
AS I passed the corner a scrap of
something white, caught on thorn
bush, arrested my attention. and.
obeying some unaccountable impulse.
l turn aside, secured the bit of cam
brio, and in the corner of it found the
initial had somehow expected.
With beating pulses I followed
what / felt sure was a signal flung
out in despair, and had not ridden
far, on an exceedingly bad road, when
| came upon motor car lying in
ruins, man pinned beneath it's
wreckage, and a little terrified figure
sitting in the hedge with hands
clasped over its eyes.
"Tarry!" l cried out, and at that
she jumped up, and, running toward
me, fell into my arms as l dismount-
ed. Frank! Frank" she moaned,
and wept as if her very heart would
break.
I kissed the grimy little face, in
which at least the blue of her eyes
was untouched, and leaving the horse
went to see if her abductor were dead
or merely insensible, and when | had
lifted the lighter wreckage from him
the lay face downward and his I'M
char ging luck had decreed that he
was pinned in such way that he had
escaped visible injury I was about
TO turn him over, when larry seized
my hand and dragged me in the op-
posite direction. For the moment I
had no impulse to go back and play
the part either of good Samaritan or
OF Nemesis. What l had to say to
him could be said later, and curiosity
gripped me.
How did it happen-the accident,
mean2" / said
Just where the roads fork we
heard fast motor coming up behind
us, and a man svoice very like yours;
am sure he thought it was you. He
lost his head and took the wrong
road, while l drew out my handker-
chief as signal, in case it was you
Tor knew you would follow us. This
road is quite unfit for motors, and.
though we were not going fast, sud-
denly tire burst, the car ran up a
bank, turned complete somersault
back into the road, hurting me into
this hedge, while he was under the
car. l think it happened ages ago.
for tainted
larry said quietly, what have
you been up to that the fellow should
dare to take the liberty of running
away with your"
You would go away, Frank, to
your dear friend Bob, and told you
Major Collingwood was worrying me,
and refused to believe that we liked
each other"
'Tarry, you're flirt." I said, with
conviction. "A decent girl shows her
love for the man she is engaged to SO
plainly that"
larry looked wisely at me-some-
how l thoughtof Elsa; in some things
women are very much alike
His new racing car only came last
night, she said, land he begged me
to have breakfast early and go out
for trial spin in it. / tried to get
out OF it, but my hostess backed him
up, so at last I gave in. But we had
barely started when he told me coolly
that, as / didn't seem to know my
own mind he had made it up for me,
and he was taking me straight to
town-he had the special marriage
license in his pocket! But he couldn't
make me, you know. And l was pray
ing that you might see us from the
gables, when we passed you in the
road, and / did everything l could to
delay him so that you might come up
with us, but it was no good. In the
villages / tried again and again to
get out, and begged the people to
help me, but he only laughed, and
said his wife was nervous! His wifei
So nobody dared to help met
"Cowardsl" I said.
Think of it, Frank, that the worst
brutality used by man to a woman
is not interfered with because she is
his wife!"
Much motoring hath made him
mad l said. Even if he. got YOU
safely to town. what could he do?
And he must have known there would
be hue and cry raised after you"
HE reckoned on the scandal-on
my not facing it, mean, said larry.
You are very proud person,
Frank supposing you had refused to
take me back"
The tears had made two clean run
nels down her cheeks. 1t was almost
impossible to recognize in her one of
the daintiest little girls that ever
lived, and, inwardly, i vowed that If
ever bought an automobile, her
looks should not be sacrificed to
either reckless conceit or the manu-
facturer's advantage.
Frank" she said, i've heard
women say it's heaven going at that
terrific speed-but it's just hell, and
the wind tears the breath out of your
throat. It's mad, it's brutal, it's