Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-26

III ~ Copyright. ioIL The
CHAPTER Nv. (Continued)
Mr.. Carlisle was coming; spare,
nervous gentleman who wore glasses
set on Roman nose, from which they
slipped monotonously. He and Stan
ton had once met at the Mercury office,
where one was arranging for tire
contract, and the other was signing an
agreement to drive for the season.
They recognized each other now, while
Miss Carlisle concisely outlined the
situation.
"A most astonishing affair."" COM
mented her father. Very kind Of
you, Mr.. Stanton, indeed. These rail-
road men are careless, Valerie
Miss Carlisle declined the invitation
to enter the tOnneau.
81 shall ride beside Mr.. Stanton"
she announced. Il wish to see expert
driving at close range. for once"
''Ah?' queried Stanton; suddenly
the conviction that she had done this
purposely flared up anew, and with 1t
his anger She would have a racing
driver for her chauffeur? Very well.
He swung into the seat.
Until they were out of the city, he
drove with a wise obedience to traffic
regulations. But when the country
line was reached. Stanton stopped the
car, donned small pair Of goggles
from his overcoat pocket, and passed
his hat back to Mr.. Carlisles care.
II am sorry had no time to get
into motor clothes" he observed, a lit
tie too pleasantly. "Still we will
manage"
They made the next ten miles in ten
minutes, having fair road. Then
rough hills and villages somewhat low
cred their pace. 1t was dizzying rush
through a gale Of wind, a birdlike
cleaving Of the sumer air, accompanied
by the weird howl of the electric horn
upon which Stanton kept finger
much of the time, vision OF scatter
ing wagons.
There was curious circumstance.
Valerie Carlisle literally covered IN
her seat, pale, shivering, usually with
her eyes shut Yet she, the imperious
demander of her own way, uttered no
remonstrance, although family crying
out once or twice when they slid by
some obvious danger of cliff or road
Stanton saw, from the corner Of his
eve, and speculated as he drove.
'Do you think this is safe" MT.
Carlisle found an opportunity to urge.
81 think so, if nothing breaks" stan
ton called back, twisting the car around
a load Of hay.
They reached their destination in
two hours and ten minutes. When they
entered the village limits and the speed
fell to fifteen miles an hour, MT. Car
Isle slowly revived, and regained his
breath and his glasses. His daughter
released her grasp of the seat, raised
A shaking hand to touch wells and bon
net, then passed a handkerchief across
her dry lips and looked up at the man
beside her.
'.How do you like the car" she
asked.
stanton surveyed her, almost sur.
prised into conjunction.
ut hasn't the Mercury's pull. to be
perfectly frank" he ansWered:"lt IS a
trife heavy end less lively. But 1t is
fine machine, and of course you do
not want to race with IT,"
"Of course, do not want 70 race
with it," she slowly assented, and
ayerted her face from him, watching
the streets.
stanton. unruffled as in the New
York depot. except for his Wind-tossed
hair. whose blackness was flecked
with yellow road dust, leaned back to
reclaim his hat and inquire their desti-
nation. When he returned to the usual
method of driving with both hands and
facing forward, Miss Carlisle mad alto.
gether recovered her poise.
speaking Of racing, have never
thanked you for the other night, she
observed, her low tones inaudlble 70
those behind them. II never expert,
enced anything like watching you on
the track-you carried me away be.
yond ccnventionality, | am afraid. And
to feel that had share in your be
widering feats--
The ugly mood rose again in Stan,
ton.
"You need not have felt that respon'
sibilitv., he declared. my feats, as you
are pleased to call them, are snareo
bv no one I drive for purposes OF
my own.
She understood at once.
"You mean that you did not race
with the Duplex because | wanted 70
see your famous driving?" .
He checked the machine 10 permit
the passing of trolley-car.
81 had my mechanician beside me
and there were two men in the Du.
plex.'' was his oblique reply. = 40 not
amuse by brushing near ASSASSINATION.
The retort was thoroughly stantanes'
que. Miss Carlisle bent forward 70
catch the slipping dust-robe, before
answering him, but gave an exclama,
ton as the motor abruptly fell silent.
ooh, I am so sorry! The robe
caught in the switch and moved It..
ut is nothing" he assured, STOPPING
to remedy the tangle, and sprang ou1
to crank the engine.
He had done this very act for Floyd
two weeks before; only then the stop.
page had been Intentional. Stanton
was thinking Of that incident, while
he bent to seize the chrank, and not
Of what he was doing. But he saw
Valerie Carlisle lean toward the steer
ing-wheel, her red lips apart and her
eyes glistening, just as he pulled up
$Io hondlo4 4 4