Putnam patriot., 1911-12-15


 Ffrench coming toward them.
 Remembering how the three had last met. the situation suggested strain But to Emily's astonishment the young men exchanged friendly mods. although Dick flushed pink.
 Good morning, Lestrange,H he greeted I've just come up from the city. Emily. and there wasn't any car riage at the station. so when one of the testers told me you were here l came over to get a ride
 I've been to see Mir. Bailey" she responded. Get in.
 As Dick climbed in beside her. she bent her head to Lestauge; if she had regretted her impulsiYe confi- dence. again the clear sanity and calm of the gray eyes she encountered established self-content.
 When they were trotting down the road toward home. in the crisp air. Emily glanced at her cousin.
 q did not know you and Mir. Le- strange were SO well acquainted" she remarked.
 '1 see him now and then" Dick an swered uneasily. Hes too busy 10 want me bothering around him much. You-remembered him?" Yes
 He absently took the whip from it's socket. 1ecking the horse with 1t as he spoke.
 Tt was awfully square of you. Emily. not to mention that night to Uncle Ethan. It wasn't like a girl. at all I made an idiot of myself, and you've never said anything to me about it since. never told you where Lestrange took me, because l didn't like to talk of the thing. I'm really awfully fond of you, cousin
 "Yes. Dlekie," she said patiently.
 Well Lestrange rubbed it in. Oh. he didn't say much But he carried me down to where they were praetie- ing for a road race. Such a jolly lot of fellows. like a bunch of kids; teas ing and calling jokes back and forth at one another half the night until daybreak, everything raw and chilly. Busy. and their mechanics busy. and one after another swinging into his ear and going off like a rocket. By the time I4estrange went of. 1 was as much stirred up as anybody. When he made a record circuit al seventy seven miles an hour average, l was | shouting over the rail like a good one. And then. while he was off again, big blue car rolled in and it's driver haH on the Eastbury turn. and to send around the ambulance. It was like nightmare; I sat down on stone and ! felt sick"
 He"
 He shook me up half an hour later. and stood laughing at me. Upset? he said No: we shed a tire and went of into field. but it didn't hurt the machine, so we righted her and came in He was limping and bruised and scratched. but he was laughing. while l a crowd of people were trying to shake hands with him and say things. l felt-funny: as if I wasn't much good. I never felt like that before. This is only practice, he said, when I was about to go. The race tomorrow will | do better. We find 1t more exciting than cocktails That was all, but I knew what he meant. all right. I've been careful ever since. He won the race next day, too"
 Dick, didn't it ever occur to you | that you as well as Mir. Lestrange might do real thingsf" she asked. aft 1 CT moment
 He turned his round, good-humored face to her in boundless amazement. q? l race cars and break my neck and call it fun, like Lestrange? You're laughing at me, Emily"
 "No, no" in spite of herself the pie ture evoked brought her smile. Not like that But you might be inter- ] ested in the factory. You might learn from Mir. Bailey and take charge of l the business with Uncle Ethan. It would please uncle. how 1t would please him. if you didl" Dick stirred unhappily. 'It would take a lot of grind" he | objected. '1 haven't the head for 1t, really I'm not such an awfully bad iot- put l Hdtt "oi h' bVl H"t U" S' ! rious, cousin. How pretty the frosty wind makes you look"
 Emily frightened the reins with brief sigh of resignation Never mind. Dickie. I-uncle will find a substitute. Things must go on somehow, I suppose, even if we do not | like the way"
 But the way loomed distastefnl that morning as never before.