The Marshall republican., 1910-12-09

out on the main road instead OF IN
this shortcut, we would have stood
a chance OF borrowing n from an
other carl" the little chap who was
standing by, came forward and In
formed us in a shrill childish pipe
that II It was another machine we
wanted he'd seer a big feller' come
through that same wood not q min
ute ago and It had stopped not far
away. And he pointed a grimy thumb
over his shoulder toward the road
that led to u left.
30, they stopped, did they7"I asked,
and thought to myself with some sat
isfaction that they were In trouble,
too. The misery that so often at
tends an automobilist is especially
fond of company.
wonder II they'd lend us a 1ack7"
1 remarked aloud. What kind Of a
machine was It., kid?"
"A w%hoppin' big Teller, red, like
your lordship's," said the boy. OF
course he knew me. even II ! dion ,
know him. He was probably the
butchers or bakers boy from Wye
on his way back from the castle.
Sounds rather promising" said
Dearest. do go and see IL they
can't help us out. l don't van
Agatha Lawrence to walk all that
way home in this mud"
VERY WELL" l said, but 1t sounds
as II they were In need of assistance
themselves! Why else should they
want to stop in the middle Of the
woods? However, I'll make the at
tempt. Freer, you stay by the Ia
dies, and I'll go and see what / can
dol" And Just stopping to give the
little boy a shilling or two for his
information, / strobe down the wood
road in the direction he had pointed
out.
hadn't gone far and was just
wondering again what in the world
would possess any one to push down
SO narrow a road in a big machine,
when the machine in question came
In sight. 1t was a big touring cor,
red like mine, to be sure, but an en-.
tirely different make. and ! stopped
and stared at 1t in al overwhelming
surprise. But not for any reason In
connection with the automobile itself.
II was the girl who was It's sole pas
senger that held my attention and
caused my surprise. Sitting in the
front seat, a light pongee coat about
her, with an air OF expectancy, as II
she awaited the coming of some one
not far off, sat Agatha First. Yes,
the very same. AS cheerful and as
much herself as II she had not plead
ed a headache as an excuse for not
automobiling with us that morning.
/ stood stock still in the road az
my unwilling eyes took In this amaZ'
ing sight, and 1t was a full minute
before my routed wits a~pprehended
the significance Of a mans checked
automobile coat that hung over the
back Of the seat beside her. Evt
IDENTIFY she was with some one, which
somehow seemed less extraordinary
at the moment than that Dhe should
be alone. Her escort though not
visible was apparently not far dis
tant, for even as l stared, Agatha
First rose in the machine displaying
a huge bunch of wild flowers in her
hands as she did SO. and hallooed to
him. Don't pick any more!" SHIT
called, II don't want any more flow
ers, I want you'll" A laugh quite near al
hand sounded Cor a response and ] hur
riedly started back down the road
I wanted awfully to see who the mai
that belonged to the checkered Goa
was, but | wanted still more to ee
cape being seen either by him or b.
z1a1.4lo o,,nak Mice EndiaOtt
The possibility that l might fall /
with the former returning from hi
little ramble, flowers in hand, almos
made me rum, and the fear that l
looking for him, the latter was a
ready on the point of discovering m
r~etreating form, caused me to site
close to the roadside and the shelte
es The trees like n thief or ire
passer. And, by Jove! didn
breathe freely till I'd sighted my ow
machine standing In thes sunlight
the crossroads. It's a nasty pos
ton for a chap to be caught
ea~vesdropping, and II they had see
me h would never have believe
I had not been spying on them.
did you get a jack?" inquire
F'reer as I came up. He could s
perfectly we'll that I was empt
handed.
mo" l said shortly, too absorb
in conjecturing the meaning of t
strange discovery ] had Just stu
bled upon u invent n excuse
the failure of my errand.
"Well Just have to walk home,
said. Peterson car wait with I
car and I'll send him help from I
castle"
And all the way home ! ponder
upon my queer adventure. WI
could Agatha First be doing In
strange automobile In the middle
the woods when she was supposed
be i'll at home, and who was the n
who was with ler. the owner OF
~. 80 L . - ~ sAv - - A. -