The Washington herald., 1909-05-16
By HENRY LIcHFIELp WEST.

Yes" says the Lady with the Dark
Brown Hair. as she sits gazing into the
FIRE with her face buried In her hands,
1t was a great experience, but
There is a world Of meaning in the lit
tie word with which she abruptly ends
the unfinished sentence The sparkle IS
now OF the champagne The sense OF
exhilaratiOn has departed. We are no
longer flying along the road through the
darkness OF the night. but are snugly at
home. where there Is none TO molest us
or make Us afraid. And. yet, even though
she shakes her head dubiously. It is by
no means certain that the charm OF mo-
toring by night has altogether released
her from its alluring grasp.
Travelling In an automobile over
country road during the day Is not with
out its keen enjoyment The glistening
pike, sometimes rocky but more frequent
" covered with a layer OF dust or mud.
stretches out into the distance and offers
continual surprises al each turn. while
the picturesque scenery is unrolIed like a
beautiful panorama The horizon may
broad fields. while the roadside flowers
wave and nod in friendly greeting as the
motor car hurTies along. The farmer in
the field. ploughing or harvesting. waves
his dust-cOvered hat and the women in
the farmhouses bestow the blessing OF
q smile upon the travellers in the flying
car.
All this cones 10 the man and the
woman who journey under the light Of
the sun II IS commonplace and pro-
safe, however. when compared with an
automobile trip az night The wide out
look Of the daytime is hidden BY night
by black and forbidding curtain. II
you are sentimental and romantic you
can take your midnight ride when the
full orb Of the moon bathes the land
scape in a soft and silver radiance. but.
after all. the keenest excitement
and Jest are 70 be experienced
when the heavens are overhung with
clouds. Then nothing Is visible save the
little stretch % road, not more than
hundred feet. which les directly under
the glow OF the headlights. Even the
fence which incloses the road. distant
not more than the toss Of a penny. can
not be seen The houses by the roadside
are lost in the gloom or are determinate
only BY the fact that they are blacker
than the night itself Sometimes the
glimmer Of a lamp betrays q family
burning the midnight oil and in your
feminine heart there is thrOb Of SYM
pathy for the mother who may be hush
ing 10 sleep the wailing child AS a gen
eral thing. however. all is dark in the
country long before the hour when the
graveyards yawn- The earth is envel-
oped in a deathly stiffness which Is al
most overwhelming There is absolutely
not sound 70 be heard except the throb-
bing Of the engine Of the car. Out Of
the darkness behind into the darkness
ahead the machine rolls steadily. There
is no way 10 measure the distance ex-
cept as the Odometer clicks of the miles
or as cluster OF houses marks the 10
cation OF a village or a crossroads ham
let. All sense Of location disappears. !
There is not d landmark TO cheer the eye
and, so far as you are concerned, the
whole universe is centered in the little
patch Of brilliant white light in front Of
the lenses OF the acetylene lamps
Around the open fireplace Of a club
house near Harper's Ferry, W. Va. clus-
tered congenial party There was a
man or two. Of course. but who would
remember them when there is the mem
OTy Of the Girl in White and the Lady
with the Dark Brown Hair? The only
man IN the party worth mentioning is
the Real Chauffeur. II Il had not been
for him there would have been no auto
mobile nor a midnight ride. If the story
is 10 have q hero he shall be IT, spelled
with capital letters.
The party had run seventy-five miles
out from Washington for a brief holiday
and had speeded an additional fifty miles |
to dine In a palatlal country home. Now. /
after the evening meal. the women were (
chatting quietly and the men were watch /
ing the smoke curl upward from fra !
grant cigars. The Man from Baltimore {
offered mild suggestion There was in I
his town, he remarked. a most excellent 1
golf course A chase after the little 4
white ball over the links might not, he /
ventured To predict, be the least enjoy I
able thing in the world.
When shah We piay2" asked the Real
Chauffeur.
Tomorrow" said the Man from Balti-
more.
The Girl IN White and the Lady with 7.
the Dark Brown Hair each gave a gasp. +
They looked az each other while the Real 4
Chauffeur glanced at his watch. I'VE I
start ii fifteen minutes" he said, with /
laconic authority. The Girl and the 4
Lady halted between disobedience and I
acqUiescenee. They hesitatsd and were 4
lost II was only g matter Of seventy
miles after al, and what are seventy /
miles by night Il the gasolene tank is 1
fun and the enthusiasm of middle age
does not fear the discomfort of changing 4
fiattened tire2
With the forward thrust of the throttle /
the Obedient car begins its journey. The I
gurgling murrnur Of the rapids IN the 4