Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-24

8faHtl0d,s CIoy0 y0e understood
smiling a. he looked across.
| YES" no assentsd. and drank the
innocent pledge. Motoriste both,
there was NO asestion Of stronger
beverage.
Stanton turned to tho waiter.
You can 60; III ring whom We want
you. Did you ever drive an Atalanta
6ix-sixty, Floyd?"
.'No, but I've handled their fours. l
like six cylinder machine, myself; II
has % ano . torQue-"
The Conversation plunged into pro.
fessional technicalities: the, senti.
mental episode was pushed aside.
People going In and out OF the res.
taurant stared interestedly at tho two
exchanging comments and questions
Stanton's dark face Vas well-known,
and face not easily forgotten. while
his companion's dress sufficiently
identified him 40 one Of tho racers
who held the city's attention during
the motor carnival.
| When the dessert was before them,
Stanton suddenly returned to the per.
sona1 note.
"How did you become finished
automobile expert by the age Of twen-
ty-one" he questioned bluntly.
well. believe you are only i've
or six years older" Floyd countered,
with = touch Of whimsical sadness.
"But-1 grew up in an automobile fac
tory. I had no mother, no kinswomen
at al, and my father made me his
constant companion. He taught me
everything he knew. and newell, he
was Edgar T. Floyd. who owned tho
Comet automobile plant, and who de-
signed and built and raced his own
| cars"
Stanton gasped. Where had his
memory been. not to recall the name
Of Floyd? A multitude Of confused
recollections rushed across his mind.
Of that famous manufacturer and
racer for sheer love Of the sport, Of
tho superb cars he had built, and Of
his death in . railroad wreck, the
previous year.
"He tied me in his car" continued
Floyd, with a shadcwy smile. when
was too young to be trusted to hold
on. III you are going to take my me-
chanician's seat. Jes.' he said to me,
you have got to 90 MY luevnnaaz:: cc!::;';;
work And by the time was fifteen.
I could. We used to race with the
chief car tester, for combination train
ing, on a mile practice track around
the factory. held the wheel myself
at seventy.five miles an hour, before
was seventeen. And he took me
with him, as spectator, to every big
race here and some abroad. OF course
he was training me to take charge Of
the manufacturing business with him,
not for racing myself. But, somehow
affairs went wrong. When he died,
eighteen months ago, everything COL
lapsed and found nothing left. The
factory itself is tied up In lawsuit; I
may get that out Of the ruin: build
ings full Of silent machinery havs no
capital to use. and no heart to SELL"
There was pause.
II WONDER" Stanton unused slowly,
why you volunteered to act % my
mechanician that night"
Floyd's gray eyes flashed to meet
his, all his color and animation rush.
ing back
Because I love the racing, I love
It," he answered. impulsively frank. II,
I've got my fathers blood in my veins
and the frail physique of a useless girl
can't you see how they fight? The
very smell Of exhaust gas makes my
heart jump and pulses tingle. Be
sides. had watched you often. I
couldn't see you put out Of the rum
ming. Then. was tired Of" he
checked himself sharply. Ought we
not to go back on the course?"
Stanton rose, signaling the waiter.
"You saw me through that Difficult.
IT," he acknowledged. But, you said
this morning that you had sister; l
wonder you stayed with me for the
season."
my sister understands" Floyd ex.
planned; he had risen also, and stood
for moment beside his chair, his
unseeing gaze bent on the ground.
"She knows that was not brought up
to live woman-fashion. wish, IL ever
you hear anything Of me that you do
not like. that makes you feel different
ly toward me. wish you too would
remember that was reared by = man
to live among men and missed all that
women teach"
Stanton regarded him in an astonish-
ment at once indulgent and ironic.
I'm not likely to hear anything Of
you that will shock me, very badly"
he dryly returned. DO you think
am gentle girl, myself, Floyd?"
mot so you could notice It," sprang
the prompt opinion; the candid gray
eyes laughed out Of their short
eclipse.
They went back to tho course to-
gether.
The next two hours were spent in
repeatedly circling the ten mile course
in ten minutes; reasonable practice
gait. from stanton's point of view. On
the last trip he and Floyd disagreed
over question Of mixture. and came
up to the repair pits quarreling vigor-
ously. exciting tho interest Of all be-
holders.
III don't know when motor needs
moro gas. I'll go take correspond
enee course" was Floyd's last retort.
as ho slipped out Of his seat.
ITS running like 1t never did be-
%o1A ond 1o& IL