The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-07-26

servatively; privately he considered
It both too high and too heavy for rae
ing work.
"Only thatY You say only that? But
wait, you have not driven 1t. When
papa comes We can start"
Mr.. Carlisle was coming; spare
nervous gentleman who wore glasses
set on a Roman nose, from which they
slipped monotonously. He and Stan
ton had once met at the Mercury Of
fee, where one was arranging for q
tire contract, and the other was sign
ing 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. 81 wish to see expert
driving at close range. for once"
"Ah?" queried Stanton; suddeolly
the conviction that she had done this
purposely fiared up anew. and with
1t his anger. She would have a rae.
ing driver for her chauffeurf Very
well. He swung into the seat.
Until they were out Of the city, he
drove with wise obedience to traffic
regulations. But when the country
line was reached, Stanton stopped
the car, donned q bman pair Of cog.
giles from his overcoat pocket, and
passed his hat back to Mr.. Cariisle's
care.
81 am sorry had no time to get
into motor Clothes" he observed, a
little too pleasantly. ~Stll we will
manage"
They made the next ten miles In
ten minutes, having fair road Then
rough hills and villages somewhat
lowered their pace. It was dizYying
rush through gale of wind, a birdlike
cleaving Of the summer air, accompa.
MED by the weird howl of the electric
horn upon which Stanton kept a fin.
ger much Of the time, vision Of scat.
tering wagons.
There was a 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
eye, and speculated as he drove.
do you think this is safer" Mr.. Car
Isle found an opportunity to urge.
81 think so, If nothing breaks" STAN
ton called back, twisting the car
around 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, Mr.. Carlisle 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 bonnet, then passed a hand.
kerchief across her dry lips and
looked up at the man beside her.
How do you like the carr" she
asked.
S;anton surveyed her, almost sur
prised into conjunction.
1T hasn't the Mercury's pull, to
be perfectly frank" he answered. ct
is trifle heavy and less lively. But
1t is fine machine, and of course you
do not want to race with It,"
"Of course / do not want to race
with it." she slowly assented, and
averted her face from him, watch
ing the streets.
Stanton, unruffied as in the New
York depot, except for his wind-tossed
hair, whose blackness was fecked
with yellow road dust, leaned back
to reclaim his hat and inquire their
destination. When he returned to the
usual method Of driving with both
hands and facing forward, Miss Car.
Isle had altogether recovered her
poise.
Speaking OF racing, / have never
thanked you for the other night" she
observed, her low tones inaudible to
those behind them. Il never expert
enced anything like watching you on
the track-you carried me away be.
yond conventionality, am afraid. And
to feel that l had share in your be-
wildering feats-"
The ugly mood rose again IN Stan.
ton.
"You need not have felt that ne.
sponsibility," he declared. my feats,
as you are pleased to call them, are
shared by no one. l drive for pur-
poses Of my own"
She understood at once
"You mean that you did not race
with the Duplex because l wanted to
see your famous driving?"
He checked the machine to permit
the passage Of a trolley-car.
81 had my mechanician beside me and
there were two men in the Duplex"
was his obliQue reply. II do not amuse
by brushing near assassination"
The retort was thoroughly Stanton
esque. Miss Carlisle bent forward to
catch the slipping dust-robe, before