The Democratic advocate., 1909-06-25

might also nave returned. his nope
was vain. The horse Was leg weary.
and the rider entered the house and
called mp farmer on the middle road
four miles away.
"a gal and an autor' repeated the
man at the other end Of the line. "You
bet your boots I'VE seen 'em! Went by
here three hours ago like whirlwind
Struck one of my hogs lyin' In the
road and knocked him a hundred feet.
Whew. but that old machine was glid.
in someT
"And the girl herself--did she seem
frightened?"
Scared most to death. guess. Her
eyes seemed to be hangin' out. and
maybe she was prayin' She was hold
In the machine In the middle Of the
road, however. If she lives to get to
the Red bridge she'll be stopped there
by the constable He's stationed there
to look for speeders"
The girl who dared" lived TO reach
lhG OtA0kE. ~ was 0u uCb vi ELUfl-
dence. From the moment the auto got
its speed. which was thirty miles an
hour. she was dumb, frozen and help
less to do anything but hold the wheel
She saw nothing but the white road
ahead Of her. She passed vehicles and
overhauled others. but she was scarce
ly conscious Of it. AS she approached
the bridge the strain was too much
and her fingers unclutched from the
wheel. and the auto dashed its way
through the roadside fence and came
to q standstill In a 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 will
me. You are Just playing possum be
cause have caught you. It's a case
for Squire johnson, and / shouldn'i
wonder IL you got jail for It."
"Whet-what are you going to dor
asked the girl as she staggered to hei
/ feet.
Put you in the village lookup anC
notify the squire, OF course. Take my
arm and come along. The machine q
pretty well busted, and we can't use
It, Wonder 1t didn't blow up and
send you sky high We're you elopinl
! or something OF that kindT
'T.-I was just taking a ride" wal
the humble answer.
"Just making the dirt hy thirty fee
high and soaring folks and horses hall
to death. Wen, the squire viii b.
ticlsled to see you. He's been aching
for the last week to get hold OF Z
speeder and give him n good dose oi
county Jail How dare you take tn,
chnnces-how dare your
Would you take n dare from two
girls?" asked the prise, er as she re
leased her arm and faced him.
''No-o-o. ! guess not"
well. wouldn't. and so thercl II
they want 10 send inc to fail let ZEN
do it,
She was taken TO the Office Of tn,
village Justice OF the peace and ar
raigncd. On the way there the con
stables heart melted He saw thai
she had had bad scare. and he like
her defiant spirit Therefore, while b,
had to make complaint against her
he did not put the speed at thirty
miles an hour. TO this he added tht
statement that II the auto hndn'
struck stone IN the road II woult
not have struck the fence.
Then be turned and winked at IN,
wondering. shiverlng girl TO put hear
in her
1t may have been one Of his honor'i
soft days He delivered n lecture OF
the rise and fall OF the Roman emplr,
or some other equally interesting sub
ject and concluded by suspendlng sen
tence. Then the constable invited th,
ex-prisoncr home with him 10 dinnel
and set about arranging to send be-
back to her friends.
Evening had come. and sho wa
about ready 20 start when Cordo,
came galioplng up When he had In
troduced himself as the owner OF th,
smashed auto he asked grimiy:
And who is 10 pay the $500 dam
ages? And who is TO pay for my trou
ble7 Why. II the justice had known
all the circumstances he'd have sen
you TO jail for Year,
But the other girls dared mo TO d.
itr' protested the cuiprit, with trem
bling lip.
Say, young man" said the constA.
bic as he drew Gordon aside. you Jus
get even by daring the gal TO mnrr.
you. She amt the kind that takes
dare. Seer You can drive her back Il
the buggy. and you just keep darinl
her all the way. Lord. but I wish
was In your shoesF'
1t was fine moonlight ride. 1t wa
not too fast The situation was a iIttl
strained at first. but after awhile tn
farmers heard laughter rs the bugg.
passed.
Perhaps there was one dare. perhap
dozen. The society paper which an
nounced the engagement few month
later didn't specify. Society paper
don't always go into minute particu
Love