Evening star., 1909-04-25

and / had to leave my-my husband. who
was driving, at Dairy. He was going too
fast and your people had word to say
to him. However, 1 can get on all right
now. sSThis is straight road to Dunn,
fries, is 1t not?" The road was pointed
out and instructions given to keep the
high road to Dumfries. With better
heart and more courage than heretofore
she drove out into the mist. There was
comfort for her in the glare of the pow
erful lights always thrown out in front
of her.
All went we'll now The road was dis
tinctly good and the swift smooth motion
restored her courage. When in about
half an hour she began to note the cot
tages and houses grouping in the suburbs
Of Dumfries she got elated. She was now
we'll on the way to England. She knew
from experience that the road to AMMAN,
by which they had come, was fairly level.
She did not mind the mist SO much. now
that she was accustomed to it. and she eX-
pected that g it was driving up nortfward
from the Firth she would be free from it
altogether when she should have passed
the border and was on her way south to
Carlisle.
In the meanwhile she was more anxious
than as vet. The mist seemed to have
settled down here more than in the open
country. There were lights in many
windows in the suburbs and the street
lamps were lighted. 1t is strange how
changed when one is riding or driving or
cycling in mist or fog. II one kept the
center of the road 1T would be all right.
But as one keeps of necessity to the left
the lines between the lamps which guide
the eye change with each instant The
effect is that straight lines appear to be
curved and Il the driver loses nerve and
trusts to appearances he will soon come
to grief This was joys first experience
of driving in mist. and she naturally fell
into hn confused
| the right and wrong side of the road.
| She had to fight against the habit of her
| life. which instinctively took command
when her special intention was in abey-
ance. She knew that from Dumfrfes the
| road dropped to the southeast. and as
| the curve seemed away to the left from
| her side of the road she, thinking that the
| road to the left was the direct road
| naturally inclined toward the right hand
when she came to a place where there
were roads to choose There was no one
| about from whom TO ask the way, and
| she feared to descend from the car to
| look for a sign post. The onos of choice
| was on her and she took the right hand
| thinking it was straight ahead. For some
| time now she had been going slowly, and
time and distance had both spun out tc
| inflnitude. She had lost sense of both
/ She was tired. weared to death with cha
grin and responsibility Everything
| round her was new and strange and un
| known. and so was full of terrors. She
| did not know how to choose. She feared
to ask lest the doing SO might land hel
| in new embarra ssments. She knew tha
| unless she got home in something like
| reasonable time her father would be no
| only deeply upset. but furiously angry
| and all that anger would be visited OF
| him. Oh. she must get on. 1t was toi
| frightful to contemplate what might hap
pen should she have to be out all nigh
and after having gone out with {
| man against whom her father had al
| ready a grievance, though lie owed hin
| SO much.
| The change in the road, however. CAV
her some consolation: il was straight an,
smooth, and as the wind was now NOR
in her face she felt that she was making
southwark. But her physical difficultie
were increasing. The wind was muc
stronger. and the mist came boiling "a
so fast that her goggles got blurred NOR
than ever. Everything around her wa
becoming wet
For few mies-she could only guess a
the distance-all went well. and she go
back some courage. She still went slow
lly and carefully: she did not mean I
have any mischance now if she could hel
it, 1t would not be SO very long befor
she was over the border. Then mos
likely she would be out of the mist an
she could put on more speed.
ITO be continued tomorrow