Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-02-01

oiled up the shade covering the giass-
sst door into the next room. my
manager. Lestrange."
The scene thus suddenly opened to
ne startled Emily was sufficiently
matteroffact. yet not lacking In q
certain sober animation Of it's own.
Around drafting table central In the
bare, systematic disorder Of the apart
ment beyond. three or four blue-shirt-
ID men were grouped. bending over
! set Of drawings. which Lestrange
was explaining. Explaining with q
vivid interest In his task that sparkled
over his clear face In q changing play
OF expression almost mesmerio In its
command Of attention. The men
watched and listened intently; they
themselves no common laborers. but
the intelligent workmen who were 70
carry out the ideas here set forth.
Wherever Lestrange had been. he was
coatless and the sleeves Of his cutting
shirt were rolled back. leaving bare
the arms whose smooth symmetry re-
vealsd little Of the racing drivers
strength; his thick brown hair was
rumpled into boyish waves and across
his forehead a fine black streak
wrote OF recent personal encounter
with things practical.
"Ohi" exclaimed Emily family. And
after moment, "Close the curtain.
please"
None Of the group I'm the next room
had noticed the movement Of the
shade, absorbed In one another; any
sound being muffled by the throb of
adjacent machinery. Bailey obeyed
the request, and leaned back in his
chair.
That's Darling Lestrange," he
stated with satisfaction. That's his
own design for an oiling system he's
busy with, and It's beauty. He's
entered for every big race coming this
season, starting next week in Geor-
gia, and meantime he oversees every
department in every building as It
never was done before. The man for
me, he is"
Emily made an unenthusiastic sign
Of agreement
81 meant very different man from
Mr. Lestrange," she replied. her dig
nifty altogether Ffrench. II have no
doubt that he is all you say, but 1
was thinking of another class.
meant-well, l meant gentleman"
"Oh, you meant a gentleman" re-
piled Bailey, surveying her oddly. II
didn't know, you see. No; don't
know any one like that"
Thank you. Then ! will go. lit
does not matter"
She did not CO. however, but re-
manned leaning on the arm of her
chair in troubled reverie, her long
lashes lowered. Bailey sat as quietly,
watching her and waiting.
The murmur of voices came DULY
through the closed door, one, lighter
and clearer in tone, most frequently
rising above the roar pervading the
whole building. It was not possible
that Emily's glimpse of LestraDge
across the glass should identify him
absolutely with the man she had seen
once in the pickering lights and shad-
ows on the Long Island road; but he
was not Of a type easily forgotten,
and she had been awakened 10
doubling recognition.
Now many little circumstances re-
CURED to her; a strangeness in Dicks
manner when the new manager was
alluded to, the fact that her rescuer
on that October night had been driv-
ing a racing car and had worn a rae
ing costume; and lastly, when Bailey
spoke Of Darling" Lestrange there
had flashed across her mind the mech
anician's ridiculous answer to the re-
quest to aid her chauffeur In changing
a tire: 'I1l do it for you, Darling"
And listening to that dominant voice
in the next room, she slowly grew
crimson before a vision of herself in
the middle Of a country road, appeal
ing to a stranger for sucoor, like the
heroine OF q melodramatic fiction. De-