Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-01-18

Quietly the latter threw In the clutcu
Tor the third speed-and the fourth.
The car leaped forward like Il startled
race horse. The motor lifted merrily
Into its deep throated song Of the open
road. it's cOntented, silken humming
passing into a sonorous and sustained
pur.
Kirkwood and the girl were first
Jared violently forward. then thrown
together She caught his arm to
steady herself 1t seemed the most
natural thing imaginable that he
should take her hand and pass 1t be.
meath his arm. holding her so. his fin
gers closed above er own. Before
they had recovered or had time TO
catch their breath mile Of Middlesex
had dropped to the rear
Not quite so far had they distanced
Calendars trailing Nemesis Of the four
glaring eyes. The pursuers put forth
gallant effort to hold their place. At
Intervals during the first few minutes
n heavy roaring and crashing could be
heard behind them. Gradually it sub
sided. dying on the wings OF the free
rushing wind that buffeted their faces
as mile after mile was reeled off and
the wide, darkling English countryside
opened out before them. sweet and
wonderful
Once Kirk wood looked back. in the
- ha fnpr fDIa1
disks Of light, pallid with despair. top
distant rise and glide down into
darkness. When he turned Dorothy
was interrogating him with eyes whose
melting, shadowed loveliness, revealed
to him In the light Of the far. still
stars, seemed to incite him to that
madness which he had bade himself
resist with all his strength.
He shook his head as II to say.
''They cannot catch u.s.
His hour was not yet. Time enough
to think Of love and marriage (as II
he were capable Of consecutive thought
on any other subjecb-time enough to
think of them when he had gone back
to his place, or, rather, when he should
have found it. in the ranks Of bread
winners ard so have proved his right
to mortal happiness; time enough
then to lay whatever he might have
TO offer at her feet. Now he could
conceive Of no baser treachery to his
souls desire than to advantage himself
Of her gratitude.
Perhaps she guessed little OF the
fortunes of the battle that was being
waged within him perhaps not
Whatever the trend Of her thoughts,
she did not draw away from him.
Presently the silken lashes dropped,
futtering upon her cheeks. The tired
md happy smile lowered about her lips.
In something less than half an hour
of this wild driving Kirkwood reused
out Of his reverie sufficiently to be-
come sensible that the speed was
slackening. Incoherent snatches OF
sentences, fragments Of words and
phrases spoken by Brentwick and the
mechanician, were flung back past his
ears by the rushing wind. Shielding
his eyes, he could see dimly that the
mechanician was tinkerlng apparent
Iy) with the driving gear. Then, their
pace continuing steadily to abate, he
heard Brentwick fling at the man a
sharp toned and querulously impatient
question, "What Is the trouble" His
reply came In a single word, not dis
tinguishable.
The girl sat up, opening her eyes,
disengaging her arm.
Kirkwood bent forward and touched
Brentwick on the shoulder. The latter
turned to him. q face lined with deep
concern.
Trouble" he announced supertlu-
ously. ~ fear we have blundered."
what is it?" asked Dorothy In a
troubled voice.
"Petrol seems to be running low.
Charles here"-he referred to the
echanician-"says the tank must be
leaking. Well go on as best we can
and try to find an inn. Fortunately
most Of the inns nowadays keep sup
plies of petrol for just such emer-
gencies."
"Are we-do you think
"Oh, no; not bit of danger Of that"
returned Brentwick hastily. They'll
not catch up with us this night. That
is very inferior car they have-so
Charles says. at least-nothing to
compare with this. IL I'm not in er-
ror, there's the Crown and Miter just
ahead. Wen make 1t, fill our tanks
and be off again before they can make
up half their loss"
Dorothy looked anxiously to Kirk
wood. her lips forming an unuttered
Query-what did he think?
Don't worry. Well have no trOu
ble," he reassured her stoutly. "The
chauffeur knows undoubtedly"
None the less he was moved to stand
up In tse tonneau. conscious Of the
presence of the travelling bag, snug be
tween his feet, as well as Of the
weight of Calendars revolver In bis
pocket. while he stared back along the
road.