Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-07-16
THE GIRL Who DARED.
A Wild Ride and What Happened
to the Culprit.
BY AMELIE Delaney.

Press
For six months the Widow Penrose
had been planning an addition To her
country residence. but ahSenre aud
rush Of orders had prevented her
nephew. Gordon Gordon. from running
down and taking the work in hand.
Finally he appeared in his auto.
driven by himself. aud the machine
was left ut the gate. Ii had rested
there less than half IN hour when
along came three young ladies with
fish poles on their shoulders and one
Door little fish to show that they had
not visited the lake in vain that fore
noon.
The sight of an auto was more
familiar to them than that OF car
rage. They were residents of the city
and friends ut home and were sum-
mering at good Aunt Mary's boarding
house. a quarter of mile away.
IAN auto" they cried in chorus as
they came to halt
And the owner is in the house,!
"And we can take u ride without his
knowing it,
Eyes, but none of us can run il"
Girls" said Miss Dorothy Flint.
with whom this story has mostly to
do, 81 have ridden in autos so many
times that believe | could run one.
Yes, | know | could. It's just Ike
steering a boat after you get started.
believe you turn the crank in front
first. That ignites the spark or some
thing. Then. after you get in, you pull
this lever back. and away she goes. ]
think the auto belongs to doctor.
Doctors are always good hearted men.
and I'm sure this one won't begrudge
us little spin. Get in"
But the command was in vain. They
hadn't confidence in her experience
and skill as Il chauffeur. If she could
run an auto, why not drive the ma
chine to the lake and back? She hest
tated and was jeered Mt. She made as
If to turn away and was dared"
Perhaps Miss Dorothy's grandfather
was one of those who fell ut Lexington
or lay wounded on the field of Bunker
Hill. At any rate. the dare had
hardly been dared when she was at
the crank, and as soon as the whzzing
noise came to prove that the dead ma
chine had come to life she climbed in
and gave it start.
She went off with a whew and had
not covered a hundred feet when she
wished she had not gone at all. But it
was too late. There We're dozen ooh,
mys" behind her, and she forgot ev-
erything but holding the wheel with a
grip of death.
If she had ever heard that an auto
could be stopped she forgot it now. 1t
was hard. wide road. and she was
out Of sight in three minutes.
The other two girls stood there with
mouths and eyes wide open and feel
ing helpless even to scream out when
a young man came down from the
house, raised his hat, looked around
and inquired somewhat anXiously:
Have you seen a stray auto round
here"
ITS run away" answered one after
q moment.
with g-gurl," added the other as
the tears came to her eyes.
'What! Do you mean that some Cir
is driving my auto up or down the
highway without my permission|
e" "Y-yesp'
sand who is she, may inquirer"
"A Miss Flint"
"Well. Miss Flint has nerve Is she
used to driving autos"
We've guess so. but she seemed
scared when she started off. Wont
you. run after her, sir? You see, W.
dared her to-"
"And she wouldn't take a dare,
Well, there's $4,000 auto gone t
wreck and girl lying somewhere be
side the road with a broken neck
Run after her! Why, she may be fif
teen miles away by this time! How
could she be so foolish!'
But if she is d-dead, sir. some one
must bring home her-her mangled re
mainsp' said one Of the girls as botf
broke down and wept.
"Well. l believe there's a saddl,
horse in the stable, and I'll set out II
pursuit Young ladies, let this be {
solemn warning to you-very solemn
He was a young man of two 0
three and twenty and did not look
bit like a doctor Besides, he was no
stranger to the house from which b,
had emerged. He tried to look yer,
dignffied and serious as he uttered hi
warning, but it was failure. An,
young man of that age would hav
made failure of it.
Even though the girls were tearfu
and anxious as they walked alon
home they agreed titteringly that b
didn't look bit solemn.
He brought out the horse as soon a
possible and galloped away. but at tn
lake the highway forked. There wer
three diverging roads. and he mus
and did take his chance Of hitting tn
right one. He had galloped down tn
left hand one for three miles before
farmer replied to his hail:
NO; haven't seen no gal ScOotlI
by here in an auto at fifty miles al
hour. If l had l should have flung
rock after her Beats all how differen
the gals of this age are from those O
forty years ago. Why, when my wifi
was a gall
But the pursuer waited to hear n
mores. He returned to the lake ant
finding the right hand road a littl
better than the middle one, took
and galloped ahead. When he had gon
a distance of two miles he drew rel
to speak to a farmers wife weedin
q flower bed in the front yard
ga gal and an auto. eh?" she que
ried. mo; don't think I've seen ZEN
Might have seen EN-, but if so it ha