Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-26
was 10 question sot stronger beyer

age.
Stanton turned to the waiter.
"You can go: I'll ring when we want
you. Did you ever drive an Atalanta
Slx-sixty, F1oyd?"
.s'No, but I've handled their fours. ] L.
like a six cylinder machine, myself
1t has SO fine torque-"
The conversation plunged into pro-
fessional technicalities; the sentiment
al episode was pushed aside.
People going in and out Of the
restaurant stared interestedly at the
two exchanging comments and Ques-
lions. Stanton's dark face was well, j
known, and, a face not easily forgot
ten, while his companions dress SUM
GENTLY identified him as one Of tho
racers who held the city's attention
during the motor carnival.
When the dessert was before them.
Stanton suddenly returned to the per.
sonal note.
How did you become finished
automobile expert by the age OF
twenty-one?" he questioned bluntly.
well. believe you are only five or
six years older" Floyd countered, with
touch Of whimsical sadness. But
grew up in an automobile factory.
had no mother, no kinswomen at all,
and my father made me his constant
companion. He taught me everything
he knew, and newell. he was Edgar
r. Floyd, who owned the Comet auto
mobile plant, and who designed and
built and raced his own cars"
Stanton gasped. Where had his
memory been, not to recall the name
Of Floyd? "A multitude of confused
lrecollections rushed across his mind.
OF that famous manufacturer and racer
for sheer love of the sport, of the sup
erb cars he had built. and OF his death
in railroad wreck, the previous
t. year.
'.He tied me.in his car continued
Floyd, with a shadowy smile, when I
was too young to be trusted to hold
on. If you are going to take my me-
chanician's seat, Jes.' he said to me,
you have got to do my mechanician'a
work And by the time was fifteen,
could We used to race with the
training, on mile practice track
around the factory. held the wheel
myself at seventy-five miles an hour.
before I was seventeen. And he took
me with him, as a spectator, to every
/
course he was training me to take
charge Of the manufacturing business
with him, not for racing myself. But,
somehow affairs went wrong. When
he died, eighteen months ago. every
thing collapsed and I found nothing
left. The factory itself Is tied up In
lawsuit; | may get that out of the
ruin; buildings full Of silent machin-
L cry I have no capital to use, and no
heart to SELL
| There was a pause.
IT wonder" stanton unused slowly,
why you volunteered to act as my
mechanician, that night?"
Floyd's gray eyes flashed to meet
his, all his color and animation rush.
ing back.
i Because love the racing, I love It,
he answered. impulsively frank. II,
I've got my fathers blood in my veins
and the frail physique OF a useless
girl-can't you see how they fight?
4 THE very smell of exhaust gas makes,
@|my heart Jump and pulses tingle. Be-
sides, had watched you often, l
couldn't see you put out of the running.
Then. was tired Of" he checked
himself sharply. Ought we not to 90
back on the course?"
you saw me through that difi-
lculty," he acknowledg but, YOU
said this morning that you had
sister; wondered you stayed with me
| for the season"
"My sister understands Floyd ex-
lplained: he had risen also. and stood
for moment beside his chair. his un-
seeing gaze bent on the ground. "She
knows that was not brought up to
live woman-fashion. / wish, If ever
lyou hear anything Of me that you. do
mot like, that makes you feel different-
lily toward me, wish you too would
remember that was reared by q man
Ito live among men and missed all that
women leach"
4 Stanton regarded him in an aston.
Iishment at once indulgent and ironic,
i I'm not likely to hear anything Of
you that will shock me very badly,
Inc dryly returned. do you think /
am gentle girl, myself, FIoyd?"
mot so you could notice It," sprans
1.-The prompt opinion; the candid gray
eyes laughed out Of their short eclipse,
i They went back to the course to-
lgether.
The next two hours were spent In re-
Ipeatedly circling the ten mile course
lin ten minutes; reasonable practice
lgat, from Stanton's point OF view. On
1.-The last trip he and Floyd disagreed
lover a question of mixture, and came
lup to the repair pits quarreling vigor-
lousliy, exciting the interest OF all be-
holders.
If don't know when motor needs
more gas, I'll go take a correspondence
course,' was Floyd's last retort. as he
lslipped out Of his seat.
4 Its running like it never did before,
i and you'll let it alone" Stanton sent
1.-THE definite order after him.
i The witnesses grinned at one an.
Iother.
1 "Say, Floyd, that's fine big brute
: LOT a machine you've got there" com.
. Iplimented the BROADLY amused George.
. as the young mechanician went by him.
ct sure u.s." came the cheerful agree
|ment
eyes. But it's nothing to the brute