Putnam patriot., 1912-09-06

head.
 There was no mistake possible. ever again He did not know that he spoke, yet his cry reached the street below.
 "F1oyd! Floyd!"
 q am Floyd"
 "You-s
 q am Jessica-"
 The room reeled giddilv. his vision blurred And as his composure went down in chaos, her courage rose up to aid his need.
 You're goin' to take it hard" com passioned her earnest voice. I've been doin' wrong to you. while I thought I was only hurtin myself I'm sorry,
 The lisp. the soft exeitement-born accent so blent with memories of splendid peril and comrade risk, fell on ready ears.
 "God." hreathed Stanton. and sank into a chair, dropping his face upon his arm as 1t rested on the little tea table.
 You've got to bear it; there's only me. But that's the only way I've de- eeived you, Stanton" The rustic of her dress came strangely with his name in those clear tones. "All that told you of my life is true. except Jes. My father had to have son, an he made me one. At first, when I was little, it was for fun he called me Jes when I had my boy-clothes on, an played there were two of us But when we found that all the country side, all the factory hands. every one except my nurse believed Jes and Jessica twins, we let 1t go on. It made it easier for him in trainin' me to be his partner For he said I was man-fit for that So Jes studied an raced an worked with him all day; in the evenin' Jessiea wore froeks and frills. We lived alone in the big house; it was so easy. used to dark en my skin bit; that was all You're not listenin'-you want time to think it out"
 He neither moved nor contradicted. Time for readjustment he did need, for realization of this and himself Standing. a slim. upright figure, she gave it to him. waiting while the little Swiss clock on the mantle chattered through many minutes.
 When my father died" she re- sumed, at last after 1 found out that I wasn't goin' to die, too. I saw Jes was able to earn his Twin while Jes- sica was liable to starve. I had 1t in my blood to love that work, I suppose; told you once that the very smell of exhaust gas drove me out of myself with speed-fever. Every racer knows it, you know it, that feelin' So I got a place in the Mercury factory; an that way met you. don't know how to make you understand"
 He interrupted her ruthlessly, al- most roughly, as lie might once have spoken to Floyd; not looking up.
 What of all that? You are you. now You've let me think you dead for two months-you left me in hell"
 "No, no!" she denied in swift de- fense Not that. I never guessed that you could believe me dead; I thought you must know me-jessica."
 How should l know? You never came near me. The Floyd I knew would have come" the bitterness of those desolate nights and days choked speech.
 There was a pause, filled with some strange significance beyond his fath- oming
 "I couldn't come" she deprecated, her low voice broken. You're maxim this hard. When I was picked up nft CT We went of the bridge. they found I wasn't Jes. They talked of me-the newspapers printed stories about Stan tons mechanician-they said, they said you knew I was a woman when we went West"
 The movement that brought Stanton to his feet was galvanic. He under stood. finally. in one blinding flash of full comprehension: understood the doctor. the nurse, his fellow-drivers' embarrassed reticence, and Miss Car lisle Understood, too, that here had been suffering acute as his own And in the mans hot outrush of protection Jes and Jessica were fused into one.
 They'll talk to me" he grimly as- sured. I'm not shut in hospital, now Why didn't you send them to me? You knew I'd come to you"
 His sentence broke, as bis eyes caught and held hers; Floycis eyes. straight and true in spite of the girls scarlet shame burning in either check.
 ~I knew, yes. you are that kind But how could I tell you would want to come? How can I tell it now? You'd see me through safely, anyhow. I'm rememberin that you dismissed Floyd for one faIsehood, an I've tricked you for weeks"
 He drew a step nearer her; the pulse which had commenced to beat through him the day they started for Indianapolis and which had ceased two months ago. suddenly woke anew with a long steady stroke. The old rich sense of life ran warm along his veins.
 What of you2" he put the question. Brute enough I've been 10 Floyd. Per haps he had too much of me for you to want more?"
 She gasped before the challenge, then abruptly fared out. powder to spark, defiance to mastery. as so often on track or course.
 You're mockin' me. Ralph Stanton! An I won't bear 1t I've told you too often that cared, trustin' you'd never away from you, an I couldn't do it. I never meant you to knov I was any one but Jes Floyd. meant to be your