Putnam patriot., 1912-07-19
..., aaln. ne began.

Floyd bowed and stepped aboard the train. leaving the two to walk back together, followed by the maid.
 q wanted to ask you of the race" Miss Carlisle said. when they were quite at the end of the long platform.
 The speech remained unfinished. There was shouted order. the cough of the locomotive mingled with the ring and jangle of tightening coup lings. and the Lowell express pulled out of the shed. Stanton wheeled with an ejaculation, but halted without at tempting useless pursuit.
 How very unfortunate!" murmured Miss Carlisle, putting aside her tan silk veils. How very stupid of the conductor"
 Stanton turned from the departing train to the tranQuilly regretful girl, his straight dark brows knitting. For the instant be could have been cer- tain that she had done this intention ally and by a pre-arranged plan But at once reason reclaimed him; he re- called her breeding, iher fathers high position and wealth, her composed worldliness, and ridiruled himself.
 Since Ihave made you miss your train, and missed my, own. can only repeat my former suggestion" she added, as he did not speak. Why should you not eoneiwith my father and me in our car? It is only a three CT four hour trip, and you will be so much nearer Lowell, at least. l am sorry our chauffeur is i'll, so I am forced to ask you to driEe. Of course, if you fear tiring yourself for race day after tomorrow"
 Stanton started to speak, then ab- ruptly shrugged his shoulders. After all. why not?
 Thank you." he returned. I scarcely think a seventy-five mile run will incapacitate me"
 "You will come?" Her amber eyes cleaned vividly. ''You are too good Let us find my father and the car. It is at lleast car worthy of you--a better than the Mercury, | confess to thinking"
 "A foreign machine?"
 -tNo,san Atalanta Six. Martha, find papa in the station and ask him to come out to the cal"
 They emerged by a side exit into the noisy, dirty, sGnny New York street.
 Ills it snot well designed, well swung? ?" sshe challenged 'iati is fast eon the race traek-yo0 knowtahat. Is .itrnot handsome"
 She spoke eagerly. with more ani' mation than he had yst seen in her. Stanton ran careless glance oosaer the big, tan-coinred automoi5ile standing by the curb
 "@It is a good car" he agreed con. eservatively; privately he considered itfbcth too high and too heavy Ifer:rae' ing work.
 ~Only thatteYou say onlY that? But wait, you have not driTen 1t. When papa comes wescan start
 Mr. Carlisle s@as coming a spare, nervous gentleman who wore glasses set or a Roman1nose, from which they slipped rmonoteneusly He and Stan ton had once met at the Mercury dqf flee, where one Wvas arranging for az tire contract, ana the other was sign ing an sagreemert to drive for tRe season. They recognized each other HOW, while Miss Carlisle eupciseB outlined the situation.
 "A most astonishing affair" com mented her father. Very kind oi you, Mir. Stanton, iraeed. These Eail road men are careless. Valerie
 Miss Carlisle declined the invitatinn to enter the tenneau.
 q shall rife beside Mir. Stanton she announced. .+I wisl2 to see expen driving at close range, ssor once.'
 "Ah7" queried Stanton; sudde 1fs the conviction that she had done this purposew fiareh up anesy, and with it his anger She would ahave a rae ing driver for her chauffeur? Very we'll He swung into the seat.
 Until fheg were eput of the city, he 6rove with q wise obedience to traff1e regulations. But when the country lipe was reached, Stanton stopped the car, donned a small pair or ecg gles from his overeoat pocket, and passed his hat back tS MT. Csrlisle's care.
 'I am sorry I had ne time sso get into motor clothes" he observed a little too pleasantly. -Ssdh We VIII manage"
 They made the next ten miles In ten minutes. having fair road. Ihep rough hills and villages somewhS' lowered their pace. IT was a dizzylhe rnsh through a gale of wind, bfdhKe clesying of the summer air, aeeompa- nied by the weird howl of the electric horn upon which Stanton kept a ha ger much of the time, vision Of scat tering wagons.
 There was a curious circumstance. Valerie Carlisle literally covered ID her seat, pale, shivering, usually %l'h her eyes shut. Yet she, the imperious demander of her own way, uttered no remonstrance. although faintly crying out once or twice when they slid oy some obvious danger of cliff or road Stanton saw, from the corner or ms eye. and speculated as he drove.
 Do you think this is safe?" MT. Car lisle found an opportunity to urge.
 T think so. If nothing breaks, s6an- ton called back. twisting the car around load of hay
 They reached their destination ID two hours and ten minutes. when they entered the village limits ano the speed fell to fifteen miles an hour. MT. Carlisle slowly revived, ana regained his breath and his glasses. His daughter released her grasp or the ssat, raised a shaking hand to touen