Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-07-16

0uC VI IVA
road aud knOcked him hundred ieel- '
Whew. but that old machine WAS Gid I
In somer'
And the girl herSelf-did she seem
frishtenedT'
scared most TO death. ! guess. Her
eyes seemed TO Ice hangin' ont and
maybe she was prayin'. She was hold
in the machine In the middle of the
road. however. II she lives To g't To
the Red bridge she'll lie stopped there
by the constable. He's stationed there
10 look for speeders."
The girl who dared" lived 10 reach
the bridge. II was an act of Provi-
dence. From the moment the auto got
its 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
oyerhauled others. but she WIS scarce
ly conscious OF II. Az she approached
the bridge the strain was too much.
and her fingers unclutchcd from the
wheel. and the 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 your tricks with
me. You are just playing possum be-
cause | have caught you. It's a case
for Squire johnson, and ! shouldn't
wonder IL you got jail for it,"
"What-what are you going to dog
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 we'll busted. and we can't use
it. Wonder 1t didn't blow up and
send you sky high. Were you clipping
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 to 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 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! If
they want to send me to Jail let 'em
do it,
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. He 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 If the auto hadn't
struck stone In the road it 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 or
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 grimly:
! And who is to pay the $500 dam
t ages? And who is to pay for my trou
2 BILE? Why. II the justice had known
all the circumstances he'd have sent
? you to jail for yearp'
, But the other girls dared me to dc
it!' protested the culprit. with trem
| bling lip.
Say, young man." said the consta
' 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 il
l the buggy. and you just keep daring
her all the way. Lord. but wish
e was in your shoesw
d 1t was fine moonlight ride. 1t was
a not too fast. The situation was LITTLE
y strained at first, but after awhile tn,
r farmers heard laughter as the bugg,
a passed.
t Perhaps there was one dare, perhaps
e a dozen. The society paper which an
y nounced the engagement a few months
8 later didn't specify. Society paper
= don't always go into minute particu
Q lars.