Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-10-27


business. Agatha First. on the plea Of
sickness, excuses herself from a motor
rip planned by the Vincents.
CHAPTER V.-continued.
Why, that's too bad" said my
wife sincerely, though somewhat sur
Drisedly, I'm awfully sorry, dear
child, and we shall miss you, of
course But you mustn't think OF
going If your head aches. Go up
stairs and lie down a while, why
don't you, and II have some tea
sent up to you It's awfully good
FOR headache" And she spoke TO
he footman who waited at the door
Of the automobile.
Z viii, thanks Sorry to miss the
"trip, replied the girl You're an
angel, Agathal" And with another
farewell word or two we left her and
had started on our way to Northbury
And now comes the very strangest
part Of this rather strange or at least
unusual attempt to make match and
win a fortune for a friend at one and
the same time on the part of Dearest
and myself. BY Joye, it certainly
did give me a start when l discovered
but this was the way 1t happened
not to get ahead of my story.
We had made a pretty quick run
10 Northbury and had been
spectators at an exhibition of some
rather fast cricket which / had been
pretty keen about. The two teams
had played even until the second half,
when Corcoran who was guarding the
wicket for the Lowshires-butI don't
suppose the details of the game are
Of very general interest, after all.
Odd thing, but I've never been able
to make Dearest understand it at
ALL gave up trying years ago. It's
the only thing in the world we aren't
equally enthusiastic about. She won't
admit it, but sometimes I'm afraid it's
because she prefers the American
game of baseball! Fancy! But of
course if she does it's all the fault
of that American stepfather of hers
for bringing her up in the States. But
then, naturally. he couldn't help
being an American try to remem-
Der that
As I was saying, however. we had
seen the match played to the end in
spite of the languid interest dis
played by the feminine members of
our party, and had lunched at the
Northbury inn, jolly little den of
a place, and at about half after two
were speeding towards home again.
The roads were fairly decent,
though there had been a good deal
of rain lately, and the machine had
been running along so smoothly that
Il did my heart good to see her. We
had left the main road when We had
passed Wye village for one that led
more directly to the castle, and had
slowed down as the road turned out
70 be rougher than / thought-when
the worst happened / was driving
myself, and in steering to clear a
jutting tree | ran the big car straight
into the dickens of a rut and our hind
wheel went in to stay. l killed the
engine at once and jumped out to
ssse what was to be done, disguised
enough. l can tell you, though of
course | couldn't possibly have known
the thing was so deep. for it was half
fllled with water. This short cut IS
favorite one Of mine, though my
chauffeurs have often warned me
against taking q big car through the
woods that cover Wyckoff rise at this
point The trees are so thick and
the road so narrow
The worst of the business now. as
| soon found out, was that there was
no jack to be found in the cars kit
of tools with which to raise her, and
I remembered with chagrin that /
had taken it out myself in hunting
Tor something else and had left it in
the garage Even the satisfaction of
blaming some one else was denied me
and looked at Peterson, the chauf-
feur, in dismay.
What's to be done" I asked. but
received no help from that quarter,
only dismal shake of the head
Nevertheless assistance l did re-
eeiye, though rather unexpectedly.
The accident had occurred. as l have
said. In the middle of the woods just
where two roads crossed. and stand
ing at the entrance to one of these
roads | now observed a small boy, a
little freckle-faced village lad. who
stared at us as il he'd never seen an
automobile before, and they're surely
common enough!
But it appeared that he had, for
when Freer remarked uselessly and
obviously for the third time, What
beastly luck to have forgotten the
jack Now if only it had happened
out on the main road instead of in
this shortcut, We would have stood
a chance of borrowing one from an
other carl" the little chap who was
standing by, came forward and in
formed us in q shrill childish pipe
that if it was another machine we
wanted he'd seen big Teller" come
through that same wood not a 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 our left