The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
! CHAPTER XIX
1.-The U1bridxe Road


At a steady gait, now and again
checked In Difference to the street
trafic. Brentwfcl's motor car rolled.
with resonant humming Of tho ngine.
down the Cromwell road. swerved into
warwick road and swung northward
through Kensington to Shepherds
Bush. Behind II Calendars car clung
as II towed by an invisible cable. new
er gaining, never losing. mutely testi-
flying to the adventurers unrelenting.
grim determination OF leaving them no
instant's freedom from surveillance. to
keep forever at their shoulders watch
ing his chance, biding his time with
sinister patience until the moment
when, wearied. their vigilance should
relax.
To some extent he reckoned without
his motor car. As long an they trav-
eled within the metropolitan limits,
constrained to observe a decorous pace
IN view OF the prejudices OF the county
council, II was q matter OF no difficulty
whatever to maintain his distance.
But once they had won through Shep-
herds Bush and. paced by huge doub-
ledeck trolley trans. were dying
through Hammersmith on the Ux-
bridge road: once they had run through
Acton. and knew beyond dispute that
now they were without the city boun-
daries then the complexion OF the
business was suddenly changed
Not too soon for honest sport; CAL
endar was to have (Xirkwood would
have said In lurid American idfom) q
run for his money. The scattered
lights OF Southall were winkfng out
behind them before Brentwick chose
to give the word to the mechanicfan.
Quietly the latter threw IN the clutch
for the third speed-and the fourth.
The car leaped forward like a startled
race horse. The motor H1ted merrily
into fits deep-throated song OF the open
road, It's contented, silken hummins
passing into a sonorous and sustained
purr.
Kirkwood and the girl were drst
together. She caught his arm to
steady herself; 1t seemed the most
natural thing imaginable that he
should take her hand and pass It be-
meath his arm. holding her so. his
fingers closed above her own. Before
they had recovered. or had time TO
catch their breath, a mile OF Middlesex
had dropped TO the rear.
Not quite so far had they distanced
Calendars trailing Nemesis OF the four
glaring eyes, the pursuerS put forth
gallant effort to hold their place. At
intervals during the first few minutes
q heavy roaring and crashing could be
heard behind them; gradually II sub
sided, dying on he~wings OF the free
rushing wind that bureted their faces
as mile after mile was reeied on and
the wide. darklIng English country
side opened out before them. sweet
and wonderful.
Once Kfrkwood looked back; IN the
wfnking OF an eye he saw four faded
disks OF light pallid with Despair, top
distant rise and glide down into the
darkness. When he turned. Dorothy
was interrogating him with eyes whose
melting. shadowed loveliness. revealed
to him IN the light Of the Ear, still
stars. seemed TO incits him to that
madness which he bade himself resist
with all his strength.
He shook his head. as II to say: They
can not catch US.
His hour was not yet: time enough
to think OF love and marriage Gas IL he
were capable OF consecutive thought
on any other subJectD-tfme enough
enough to think Of them when he had
gone back TO his place. or rather when
he should have found 10 IN the ranks
of bread winners. and so have proved
his right to mortal happiness; time
enough then to lay whatever he might
have to offer at her feet. Now he could
conceive OF no baser treachery to his
souls desire than to advantage HIM
ResoIutely he turned his face for
ward striving with all his viii and
might to forget the temptation OF her
lips. weary as they were and petulant
with waiting; and so sat rigid In h.s
time OF trial eInging with what
strength he could to the standards OF
his honor. and trying TO lose his dream
in dreaming OF the bitter struggle that
seemed likely to be his future portion.
Perhaps she guessed little the for
tunes of the battle that was being
waged within him Perhaps pot
Whatever the trend OF her thoughts.
she did not draw away from him.
Perhaps the breath OF night. fresh and
clean and fragrant with the odor OF
the fields and hedges. sweeping into
her face with veIvety caress. rendered
her drowsy. Presently the silken
lashes dropped. huttering upon her
cheeks. the tired and happy smile how
cred about her lips.