The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-04-18

or parley along the way {
The car was now almost upon him
and the horn beloved frantically
He dropped the lantern and flung the
gun to his shoulder. When the car
was barely FIVE yards away he nreo
at the tire nearest him and jumper
aside The car rushed by; he emp
tied the other barrel into the rear
tire, broke open the gun and reloaded
swiftly.
And then a sound. flung back 10
him by the wind. struck him INTO
immobility. The sound was scream
such as never issued from the lungs
OF man.
Good Lord!" he groaned; the
wrong car! It's woman!"
AS he started after the car with
staring eyeballs. he saw that pls
shots had taken effect Both tlres
on the right side of the car were use
less The rushing speed slackeneo.
The car plowed along the edge OF
a deep ditch until Porterfield's soul
died within him Then it came back
into the track again, rushed through
a drift, and bounced over a smooth
space Another drift reduced us
speed to a crawl third stopped II
} dead, the fattening tires spinning
around impotently.
AS Porterfeld approached. the en-
CINE was stopped. young woman
stepped out of the car. She did not
{ seem frightened despite that scream
! but the poise Of her head, as re-
vealed by the moonlight. somehow
- caused Porterfeld a dim foreboding.
t His uneasy feeling was promptly
t justified The wind was not more
), cutting than the accents OF the girl
e as she greeted him:
L well. Mr.. Porterfield, you seem
a to have added highway robbery and
automobile wrecking to your other
accomplishments"
81 "Elsie." gasped the unhappy Por'
. terrified
Miss Corning to you" she cor
- rected, with a manner coldly mercl
=, less. Have you any explanation to
make for rendering this road as IN
safe as western Indian trail. ano
- for destroying two tires?"
They had once been engaged; anc
=. it was not through the desire q
~ Porterfield that the engagement hat
been broken.
q You see, Elsie" he began earn
Fl estly.
n Miss Corning interrupted tn
y girl
He bowed and continued: "Th'
bank at Bellevue has been robbed
The sheriff telephoned me to loo
out for the burglars. who are in
white car, equipped with top, vino
shield and four lights. Your ca
answered the description"
And you wrecked it without II
vestigating.
There was no time. And 20
would not stop"
Il recognized you." acknowledge
the GIRL but l didn't think yol
message was important. And | was
AMIN a hurry. My maid Is ver
sick. The telephone lines are dowr
SO l started to drive to Doctt
Brant's at Lebanon
my runabout only needs Gran
ing. said Porterfield. taking an IL
pulsive step forward. Il would
only too glad to drive you over Their
That would atone in part for n
stupidity"
II could not think Of discommo
Ing you," returned the girl, icil
besides, you must stay here al
shoot up the burglars car"
IN case of sickness or distress
. replied Porterfield loftily, my du
on0 Is clear The burglars can go har
If they were coming, they'd have be
here long ago. III have that car c
orr in jiffy.'
49, They made the journey to Leban
t;ng In constrained silence. Portertit
,dae reused the physician. secured
h,d. promise to follow Immediately in
vas own car, and then started back
and the Corning home
atch When the car whirled into
Corning driveway, the moon had
tho den itself behind a film Of sn
and clouds. There we're lights In the
like old house, but nobody was in sig
over Diseased by a purpose. the wildn
,hite OF which made his teeth chat
Porterfeld shut OF. As the car ca
,t,on to a stop by the wide porch he turl
70 ot deliberately, took Elsie Corning
mo his arms and kissed her.
east There followed silence that ST
tim ied-a silence so profound
occa hings seemed to rock with IL.
,eine | erfie,d did not dare to break 1t.
,hts. Under the circumstances. n
ad a Corning had to speak first. And
did. finally, in soft, little vo
ming from which all the chill of their
,epan encounter had melted: How
your nose is, Toni"
space
I'll of The telephone was ringing as
seen terfeld stepped into his own h
roved some time later. 1t was the she
as rapid. precise and unrutfled
need: ever.
or IN That you, Tom? Well. it's all
f the We got the fellows who robbed
wav Bellevue bank. Caught them up
roaa Chiffon. when their machine