Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-13
THE GIRL WHO DARED
A Wild Ride and What Happened
to the CuIprit.
BY AMELIE pELANcEY.

BY AMELIE pELANcEY.
copyright, 1903. by Associated Literary
Press.I
For six mouths the Widow Penrose
had been planning an addition to her
country residence. but absence and a
rush Of orders had prevented her
nephew, Gordon Gordon, from running
down and taking the work In hand.
Finally he appeared In his auto.
driven by himself. and the machine
was left at the gate. 1t had rested
there less than half an hour when
along came three young ladies with
fish poles on their shoulders and one
Door little fish to show that they had
not visited the lake In vain that fore
noon.
The sight of an auto was more
familiar to them than that OF car
riage. They were residents Of the city
and friends mt home and were sum.
mering at good Aunt Mary's boarding
house. a quarter Of mile away.
IAN auto." they cried In chorus as
they came to halt
"And the owner Is In the house!"
"And we can take ride without his
knowing it,
"Yes, but none Of us can run It."
"Girls," said Miss Dorothy Flint.
with whom this story has mostly to
do. II have ridden In autos so many
times that | believe | could run one.
Yes, | know could. It's just like
steering a boat after you get started
l believe you turn the crank In front
first. That ignites the spark or some
thing. Then. after you get in. you pull
this lever back. and away she goes. !
think the auto belongs to a doctor
Doctors are always good hearted men.
and I'm sure this one won't begrudge
us little spin. Get In"
But the command was In vain. They
hadn't confidence In her experience
and skill as a chauffeur. If she could
run an auto. why not drive the ma
chine to the lake and back? She hest
tated and was jeered at. She made aS
II to turn away and was dared"
Perhaps Miss Dorothy's grandfather
was one Of those who fell at Lexington
or lay wounded Oh the field of Bunker
Hill. At any rate. the dare had
hardly been dared when she WAS al
the crank, and rs soon as the whizzing
noise came TO prove that the dead ma
chine had come to life she climbed In
and gave II start
She went off with whew and had
not covered Il hundred feet when she
wished she had not gone nj all. But II
was too late There were dozen oh.
mysw behind her, and she forgot ev-
erything but holding the wheel with n
grip Of death.
II she had ever heard that IN auto
could be stopped she forgot II now. II
was a hard. wide road. and she was
out Of sight in three minutes.
The other two girls stood there with
mouths and eyes wide open and feel
Ing helpless even to scream out when
q young man came down from the
house, raised his hat. looked around
and inquired somewhat anxiously:
Have you seen stray auto round
here"
ITS run away" answered one after
n moment.
with a g-gurl." added the other as
the tears came TO her eyes.
what. Do you mean that some girl
Is driving my auto up or down tn
highway without my permission"
"Y-yesr'
"And who Is she. may inquirer"
"A Miss Flint"
"Well. Miss Flint has nerve. Is she
used to driving autos?"
We've guess so. but she seemed
scared when she started of. Won't
you run AFTER her. sir? You see, we
dared her to-"
"And she wouldn't take n dare:
Well, there's n $4,000 auto gone to
wreck and Il girl lying somewhere bc-
side the road with n broken neck
Run after her! Why, she may be fif-
teen miles away by this time! How
could she be so foolish!'
But II she is d-dead. sir. some one
must bring home her-her mangled re.
mainsr' said one OF the girls us both
trol,., ,J,u., apA yyant
well. | believe there's saddle
horse In the stable, and I'll set out In
pursuit. Young ladies, let this be q
solemn warning to you-very solemn"
He was Il young man Of two or
three and twenty and did not look Il
bit like doctor. Besides, he was not
a stranger to the house from which he
had emerged. He tried to look very
dignified and serious as he uttered his
warning, but 1t was failure. Any
young man Of that age would have
made failure Of 1t.
Even though the girls were fearful
and anxious us they walked along
home they agreed titteringly that he
didn't look Il bit solemn.
He brought out the horse as soon as
possible and galloped away. but ut the
lake the highway forked. There were
three diverging roads. and be must
and did take his chance Of hitting the
right one. He had gallOped down the
left hand one for three miles before a
farmer replied to his hail:
NO; haven't seen no gal sco0tin'
by here iu an auto at fifty miles an
hour II had | should have flung n
rock after her. Beats all how different
the gals Of this age are from those Of
forty years ago. Why. when my wife
was a gall
But the pursuer waited to hear no
more. He returned to the lake and.
finding the right hand road a little
better than the middle one, took II
and galloped ahead. When he had gone
q distance Of two miles be drew rein
to speak to a farmers wife wedding
a flower bed in the front yard.
"a gal and an autO. eb7" she aua.
ned. mo; I don't think I've seen EN-.
Might have seen em, but II so 1t has
slipped my mind. What was the color
If the gals hair"
"But you have either seen them or
,utr' exclaimed the young man petu-
antly.
That's so-that's So Waal. guess
hey took the other road. That Is.
they did II they didn't take To the
Delds. Think it's goin' to rain this
weekY