The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-14

less to do anything but hold the wheel.
She saw nothing but the white road
anead of her. She passed vehicles and
oVerhauled others, but she was scarce
y conscious of it, AS she approached
the bridge the strain was too much,
ana her fingers unclutched from the
Wheel and the auto dashed its way
through the roadside fence and came
70 standstill in field Then Miss
Flint tainted away.
When she came to her senses the
constable was sprinkling water in her
face and saying:
Come, now, none of your tricks
Win me. You are just playing pos
case for Squire johnson. and
shouldn't wonder if you got jail for
"What-what are you going to do?''
asked the girl as she staggered to her
Put you in the village lookup and
notify the squire. of course Take my
arm and come along. The machine is
pretty well busted, and we can't use
it. Wonder it didn't blow up and send
you sky high. Were you clipping or
something of that kind ?"
Il was just taking a ride" was
the humble answer.
Just making the dirt fly thirty feet
high and soaring folks and horses half
to death! Well, the squire will be
tickled to see you. He's been aching
for the last week to get hold of
speeder and give him a good dose of
county jail. How dare you take the
chances-how dare youl''
would you take a dare from two
girls?" asked the prisoner as she zee
leased his arm and faced him.
Moo. I guess not
well. wouldn't and so therei If
they want to send me to jail let 'em
do It'll"
She was taken to the office of the
village justice of the peace and ar
| raigned. On the way there the con-
| stables heart melted. He saw that
| she had bad scare, and he liked her
| defiant spirit. Therefore, while he had
| to make complaint against her, he did
| not put the speed at thirty miles an
hour. To this he added the statement
| that If the auto hadn't struck stone
in the road it would not have struck
| the fence.
| Then he turned and winked at the
wondering, shivering girl, to put heart
1 in her.
soft days. He delivered a lecture on
the rise and fall of the Roman empire,
or some other equally interesting SUBJ
ject, and concluded by suspending sem
tence. Then the constable invited the
ex-priSoner home with him to dinner
and set about arranging to send her
back to her friends.
Evening had come, and she was
about ready to start. when Gordon
came galloping up. When he had in
PRODUCED himself as the owner of the
smashed auto. he asked grimly:
And who is to pay the five hun
dred dollars damages? And who i:
to pay for my trouble? Why, if tht
justice had known all the circum-
stances he'd have sent you to Jail fol
a year!"
"But the other girls dared me tc
do it!'' protested the eulprit will
) trembling lip.
"Say, young man." said the con
stable as he drew Gordon aside, "yoJ
just get even by daring the gal tc
marry you. She amt the kind thai
takes a dare. See? You can drive hel
back in the buggy. and you just keer
daring her all the way. Lord, but
wish I was in your shoesi''
1t was a fine moonlight ride. II
was not too fast. The situation was a
little strained at first, but after q
while the farmers heard laughter as
the buggy passed.
/ Perhaps there was one dare-per-
haps a dozen. The society paper which
announced the engagement a few
! months later didn't specify. Society
| papers don't always go into minute
particulars-(Copyrig 1909, by AS
ISOLATED Literary PresE)