The Detroit times., 1911-07-06
CHAPTER VII.
(Continued).

"It.s perfectly ridiculous taking. Il
along" she added. We're not going
on any desperate midnight errand. the
merep time Of night IL the only thing
that's even unconvential. But Walter
wouldn't let me come without It.
1 asked no questions. BY this time
had learned better; and besides |
did not greatly care what We were
doing or what -wus- te-happen- next.
would be OF service II could. that
was all. Since II was to be hopelessly,
Il might as well be blindly, too; and
the sense of adventure was gone out
OF me. The car swayed and sidieo
gently TO the irregular mutter or the
engine and the drowsy whining OF the
gears. We might almost have been
motionless. except when the fare OF
some passing light swept across US
filling with an uncanny and sudden
illumination the polished interior OF
the limousine, and showing me as Dy
the glimpse OF a lightning-hash the
yelled and silent figure by my side,
Here was romance beyond my widest
Imagination: night and hurry and mys-
terious need, the swift rush onward
through the warm gloom, the woman
hood of the breathing shadow SO close
TO me. whose thought ! could not know,
whose anxiety I could not seek 70
fathom, whose trouble could only
help by doing ignorantly what she
asked OF me and then leaving her IN
other hands. And all this that should
have stirred me to chivalry seemed
only dull and weary. a thankless task.
The lines OF The Last Ride Together
began running In my mind, and turn
ed them over and over. trying vaguely
TO All In forgotten phrases, until the
rocking OF the car reminded me where
was. and the sardonic incongruity OIL
II Jared me back to earth. II was al
ways like that: the deed parody Oh
the dream, the details OF actual hap
penings making mouths at the truth
that lay behind them, life sneering NJ
itself. Here were two lovers hurryine
together through the night, held silent
by a secret and bound by blind trust
And they were riding through West
chester In a motor-car, and the thought
OF n fussy medical man with a bass
voice was the naked sword which lay
between them.
"A IIOil0y Caiy AOOhAho INV - H1o~
and luminous caterpillar, hung along
side us for moment. then fell behind
Our engine had not been running per
fectly from the first: and now as We
jolted over a section Of newly mended
road and began to climb bunny hill
! the trouble suddenly became so much
worse that Il looked as though II
meant delay. Impure gasoline does
not make one cylinder miss IRE regu
larly for many revolutions and ther
explode once or twice with q croupy
grunt.
There's something the matter with
the car" said Lady nervously. :"
hope we're not going to break down
| We mustn't break down.
The chauffeur says It's the gaso
| line" I answered, but don't believs
II. It's ignition by the sound"
do you know anything about
carr"
little" said and as we drew
up at the side of the road, I was GU
and In front OF the machine almost be
fore the chauffeur had numbered from
his seat. He got out his electric lamp
and began tinkering with the carbur
etor.
Hold on a minute" said. If yo,
ball up that adjustment, 1t may take
half an hour to get Il right again. Ar,
you sure II isn't ignition?"
"Tgnition's all right. sir" he grunt
ed; she's getting too much gas"
Then why are three of your cylin
ders all right and one all wrong?"
snapped. Come around here with tina
lamp"
Once the bonnet was open Il wa.
not hard to find the trouble. The nu
which held one OF the wires to It's con
nection on the magnetic had dropped
of. and the end OF the wire was hang
ing loose, connecting only when tn,
vibration Of the car swung II agains
the binding-post. The chauffeur di,
not appear grieved.
Were dished." he remarked cheer
fully, "T've no other nut like that"
Its probably In the underpan,"
retorted. We got the pan on. an,
after some search in the puddle o
grimy grease, were fortunate enough
to find II. A moment later we wer,
throbbing steadily on our way.
THAT man OF yours isn't exactl.
delighted with his work." comment
ed.
IL don't blame him. He isn't exact