El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-04
The White Car
tBy John Ironside.)

sc - ONE as early as you can
7 Monday, If possible. VIII ex
pect you when we see you.
Those were my sister Maimee's part
ig words when I started her and hel
multifarious parcels off from Victoria
last week, and now it was. Monday aft
ernoon, the 23rd of December. {
gloomy, depressing day in town, rair
and darkness and slush, oceans OF
slush I had got through with my
work earlier than 1 anticipated and
found I had just time 10 catch the last
! train for Eastdean if I hustled.
I hadn't an instant TO spare for 9
wire. and it was impossible to tele-
phone. for Tom Morland (Maimee's
husband though the best Of good fell
lows. is quite content to live four miles
from a railroad and yet dispense with
telephone.
There was no vehicle available when
some two and a half hours later, ]
found myself at the sleepy little sta
ton; but we had run out of the
rain, and though the sky was overcast
there was a full moon behind the
clouds Once out in the open the light
was good enough for me to see the
way dearly along the white winding
road, and I walked at brisk pace,
carrying my suit case
1 anticipated a good time at Chal-
toner's, for Matinee and Tom were de-
termined to make their first Christmas
in their own house a real merry one.
and had hidden a certain number of
guests-few, but fit. Nancy Field
would be among them L knew, and it
was of Nancy's laughing eyes more
than anything else that I was thinking
as 1 strobe on my way. We had not
lar
ed if she would have forgotten me.
I had covered about three parts the
distance when I heard ahead the deep
purring hum of a high powered motor
car, and an instant later I saw her
lamps like the blazing eyes of some
weird monster bearing swiftly down
on me-the wrong side the road, too.
had barely time to flatten myself
against the hedge when she flashed by,
so close that it was marvel she didn't
touch me. A big white car, going, as
judged. at nearer so than so miles an
hour. The road curved a short distance
back-a nasty curve for car to take
at that speed; but supposed the
chauffeur knew his route, for heard
the honk of the horn.
My starsI That was a near thingi"
I thought. They'll come to grief"
The crash of a terrific impact
sounded from beyond the curve, fol-
lowed by a series of the most appalling
screams I have ever heard. I dropped
my suitcase and raced back along the
road, but before 1 got to the curve
q hadn't thought it was so far the
screams ceased quite suddenly. I felt
sick at the thought Of what I must
see when I reached the curve, but when
I did I stood still in sheer amazement
There was nothing, absolutely moth
ingi The moonlight was stronger now /
and I could see quite a distance-half
a mile or so; but there was no sign OF
the white car and no sound but the /
drumming of my own heart.
Then, all at once, 1 felt scared; the
v hole thing was so uncanny.->>1t /
struck me that there had been ne rush !
Of air as the car raced by meSiust now; /
1t had passed like a great white phan- (
-om, nor~had it raised any dust There /
marvellous about the last j
fact, however, considering the rain I
that had fallen SO recently. The road
seemed hard enough; chalk roads dry /
quickly and this was a good one. To-
night there was neither dust nor
mud, yet one would have expected to
find some trace of the passage of a
heavy car, even, by moon1.-ht didn't
rust to that, but expended some 20
Testas and almost as many minutes in
the whole width of the road
1t close quarters. I found the track