Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-13
NUMBER %.

"And the girl herself-did she seem
|frightenedY'
Scared most to death. ! guess. Her
eyes seemed to be hangin' out, and
maybe she was prayiD'. She was hold
In the maclfine in the middle Of the
road, however. II 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
the bridge II was an act Of Provi-
dcncc. From the moment the auto got
lis 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
Jvcrllaulcd others. but she was scarce
J., conscious uf It. As she approached
the bridge the strain was too much.
nd her fingers unclutched from the
wheel. and thp auto dashed its way
through the roadside fence and came
to a 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 yonr tricks with
me. You are Just playing possum be-
cause | have caught you. It's case
for Squire Johnson. and shouldn't
wonder II you got jail for It."
"What-what are you going to dol"
asked the girl as she staggered to her
feet
"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
II. Wonder It didn't blow up and
send you sky high. Were you eloping
or something Of that kind"
IL was just taking 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 tc>get hold Of a
speeder and give him a good dose Of
county Jail How dare you take the
chances-how dare your
Would you take a dare from two
girls?" asked the prisoner as she re-
leased her arm and faced him.
"No-o-o, | guess not
"Well, wouldn't, and SO there! II
they want to send me to jail let 'em
do itw
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. BE saw that
she had 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 II the auto hadn't
struck stone In the road 1t would
not have struck the fence.
Then he turned and winked at the
wondering, shivering girl to put heart
In her.
1t may have been one Of his honor's
soft days He delivered lecture on
the rise and fall Of the Roman empire
or some other equally interesting sub
ject and concluded by suspending SEN
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.
troduced himself as the owner Of the
smashed auto he asked grlmly:
And who is to pay the $500 dam
ages? And who is to pay for my trou-
BILE? Why. II the justice had known
all the circumstances he'd have sent
you to Jail for n Year,
"But the other girls dared me to do
It." protested the culprit with trem-
bling lip
SAY. young man." said the constG.
BILE as he drew Gordon aside. 'you just
get even by daring the gal to marry
you. She amt the kind that takes
dare. See? You can drive her back In
the buggy. and you just keep daring
her all the way. Lord. but wish !
was in your shoes"
II was fine moonlight ride. 1t was
not too fast. The situation was little
strained at first, but after awhile the
farmers heard laughter as the buggy
passed.
Perhaps there was one dare, perhaps
n dozen. The society paper which an
nounced the engagement few months
later didn't specify Society papers
don't always 60 into minute particu'