Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-03


thoughtfuily at Graham, who. perched
on the rail of the boathouse, was alb
sently pulling at the fingers of the
gauntlets in his hands.
The young man stiffened, and slow
smile, in which there was hint of
grimness. curved the corners of his
mouth.
Il rather think / understand" he
said quietly. You are disappointed in
me. Isn't that it?"
She was silent for moment.
Eyes, that is it, she said at length
| and at something in her voice his face
hardened.
"Then you wanted me to enrer that
| road race Thursday" he asked.
"Yes," she said simply.
"And because l WON'T
She turned to him quickly.
1T isn't that I'm tremendously in
| terested in that race" she interrupted
him, NOR that care snap whether
or not you win it, The point is-the
point is
| She paused: her brows drew together
| in a little frown; her fingers toyed
nervously with a bit of wisteria she.
had broken from the vine that COW
cred the porch.
81 wanted you to be in ito go over
the course. That would be sufficient"
she finished.
II see," he said. "You wanted me to
disprove these stories that are going
the rounds about my lack of nerve. Is
that IT."
Yes" she said again.
He drew himself up. His shoulders
were squared. His attitude was that
Of a man sutnmoning to his aid all his
moral courage.
1.-THE stories they have told you are
quite correct" he said. somewhat
huskily.
oh she said, and in her voice
there was something of pain and some
| thing too, of WEAKNESS, as if she had
been expecting this very thing and
yet was unwilling, even in her pre-
parednesS. TO hear it.
"They are perfectly right in what
they say of me-" he went on calmly.
81 have lost my nerve. There's moth
ing would tempt me to take up road
racing again"
Nothing" size questioned.
Nothing" he repeated inexorably.
81 am not in the habit of offering an
explanation nor any excuses for my
position in the matter. Eut | would
like you to know the circumstances
Would You care to listen to them?"
"If you choose to tell me-" she said
duly.
you remember that race three years
ago over the Meadow island course?'
said he. "Well. it was then it hap
pened. Stanley was with me. He and
1 had a good lead. We We're tearing
past the curve at the old church, let.
ting out the car for all there was in
her. AS we swung that turn 1 saw q
child just in front of us not twenty
feet away. it seemed.
, How she got past the ropes that
held the crowd back l can't say, but
there she was right in the course and
not a ghost of q show apparently OF
escaping us. I don't know to this day
what saved her only know there
was a great gasping sigh from Stanley
, and groan from the crowd. l tried Il
, swing out for her. but there was Sc
4 little time. Anyway. it was some sor
Of special Providence that saved her
We shot past her, so close that I shu
my eyes,
, The girl saw a nervous tremor shak,
| hn oh Il
But the child wasn't hurt, you say 2
she asked.
, Not in the least. But those few sec
onds were enough for me. I couldn'
stand them again. That is why l an
out OF the game-a gutter. if 70,
choose to put it that way"
i. The girl said nothing. She sat look
ing out at the sparkling lake with trou
bled eyes
At length Graham arose.
81 don't blame you in the least 70
thinking of me as you do" said he
i. 'nor for being disappointed. Goodby
He slid from the rail and went dow
the steps to the big road car standin,
= in the driveway. He had pulled on hi
gauntlets and was just climbing int
the car when around the corner of tn,
boathouse came a wild eyed, disbev
: eled gardener from one of the house
down the street.
q "Mr. Graham, sir" he painted, Evil
y you be gettin' the doctor, quick! Tin
Y Comley's fell from the stagin' on tn
y stables where they're paintin' an he
Y hurried bad, sir. TITS dead he'll be il
* ten minutes if the doctors not fetche,
Y before that. Hurry! For Gods sake
* hurry
Ri ''I'll have him here in five," Graham
~ called, and opened up the big car.
MI 1t sprang forward like thing aliv
~ and went tearing down the drivewa
II in great cloud OF dust
W Margaret, who had run to the edg
II Of the yeranda, saw him swing int
" the roadway beyond, and the driftin
Il dust which rose high above the poplar
n told Of the terrific pace he was setting
ISL 1t was four minutes later, after
|l nervous pacing Of the veranda. tina
" she heard the wbir Of the approachin