Middletown transcript., 1910-03-05

listened q moment. Again the
cries. From somewhere on
side lane at the bottom of the
next hill shey seemed to come. At
last he had his chance. He threw
on another speed and coursed
madly down the hill until he came
within sight of q crossroad about
three-quarter way down. He
pushed frsntically at the brakes.
or no avail. They iammed. He
seized at the switch to turn of
his power, and in his mad haste
tore it form It's bearings. Clutch.
ing frantically at the steering
gear, he strained forward and
rushed downtown 10 certain
destruction. He groaned as he
thought of home and the folks
what would they say at the clubH
A multitude Of such thoughts
raced through his mind.
He came now to the crossroad,
and digging bis teeth deep into
his under lip, threw all his weight
on the wheel and swung the car
off into the lane. Round the bend
it hurtled, tore through q picket
fence, jumped q ditch, and ran
into a strange assemblage. Sur.
rounded by a huge flock Of
squswking, swapping geese, stood
q girl, her skirts pulled, way up
around her knees, vainly trying |
to rout her assailants with pink |
parasol. AS Kent's car bore down |
upon them the flock fed heller.
skelter as fast as their little legs
could carry them. The girl drop.
ped her parasOl in terror, and
for q moment stood rooted to the |
spot, still holding her skirt high
above her ankles. Then she
gasped, realizing the situa.
tion-the machine was running
away. She pointed frantically |
to the right and Kent saw that
she was indicating a huge hay.
stack. With a sob he wrenched
at the wheel and headed straight
for it. It doomed above him like
a mountains dull thud-then
blackness.
A sharp pain awoke him. He
lay quiet for a moment before he
opened his eyes and shifted maud.
IDLY. No, he could not be home
the air smelt too fresh. The at.
mosphere of his own home was
heavy with the aroma Of camphor
and tar paper at this time of the
year. Slowly he raised his eye
lids. No-emphatically he was
not home. The walls about him
were painted a depressing green.
lover the mantel, on which licked
an ancient wooden clock, hung a
red and blue galleon with yellow
sails, idly basking in the rays
of a lurid sunset that lit up the
gingerbread hills, where the hori.
zon should have been, with a
most unholy color. To his right
a hard.faced patriarch, toothlesS,
evidently, under whose chin pro-
troded whiskers Of the kind I'm.
Gle Sam is wont to be pictured
with, smiled grimly down from a
furnished, brass colored frame.
The first lord of the manor
probably, thought Kent. The
window was curtained by a
much. darned yellow cloth. Over
the door hung q muddy horseshoe
and beneath it a crocheted motto
Of the "God Bless Our Home"
variety.
i He stared about him anxiously.
Where was he and why? He
heard a heavy step on the
stair, so he closed his eyes and
simulated sleep. A ponderous
individual slumped into the room,
breathing heavily. Seeing Kent
apparently sleeping, he pulled
down the shade and muttered
aloud as he left the room.
Jest like them dude autymo.
bile fellera. Got to run into a
mans farm and scare his stock
most to death, saying, nothin'
about Dustin a few fences and
J overturnin' a haystack. Wonder
how that there boarder Of
mine is now. Pore CURL faint.
ed deadawsy! Thet burned fule
must q skeered her out Of a years
growth. By heck gifts me.
When he had gone Kent open
ed his eyes and pondered. Auto.
! mobile-haystack -girl-theu it
] came back to him and he groaned.
3 What an escape he had had /!
( Then all his chivalrous little soul
became fred by q new thought.
) The girl had saved his life. In
!: stead of his helping her, she had
, saved him. Through his mind