Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-08-29

sat with upseeing eyes directed out
the window, chin in hand, much as he
had found Floyd sitting in the west
bound train the night they started for
Indianapolis. September sunlight, Oc-
tober crimson and gold, alr gone.
A delicate fragrance drifted around
him. there was the frou-frou of soft
garments as some one took tho seat
facing him. Stanton looked up, and
saw Valerie Carlisle opposite, her
blond fairness framed In dark vel
vets and furs, her amber eyes regard
ing him from beneath the shadow Of
her wide plumed hat.
There Is nothing at all singular in
my being here, Mr.. Stanton" she stat
ed. in her cool, indolent voice. BE
! cause ascertained by telephone when
you intended to leave the hospital, and
80 arranged to meet you on the train.
Tomorrow I start for Europe, to re-
main for long time, and 1t was neo-
essary for me to speak with you first.
I am sorry to see that you have been
! frightfully ILL.,"
"You are too good" he answered,
the old antagonism stirring him strong
ly. "As you observe, I was not for
tunate enough to finish myself COM
pletely in the late wreck"
zone sometimes feels like that"
she conceded, passing one small gloved
hand across the soft fur Of her muff.
lately, for my part. You probably did
not know that l was engaged to marry
Archer Ross, Of the Atalanta Automo-
bile Company"
Stanton sat erect. All F1oyd's sus-
picions of this girl rushed back to his
mind.
YES" she confirmed the thought In
his expression. What you are imagin-
ing Is quite correct. / tried very hard
to induce you to drive for the Atalanta
Company instead Of for the Mercury.
The Atalanta absolutely required a
good racing record. But l failed. You
We're more than firm in your decision"
So that had been what she wanted
OF him. That had lain behind her
polished surface of gracious admira-
ton and had been the core of her in
sincerity.
"And when I would not drive for
your company, you tried to prevent
me from driving for my OWN" He
wondered incredulously
She looked at him, and looked away
again.
81 fancy you would scarcely credit
I
now. I have been very clumsy; a So
ciety woman is not trained to practical
melodrama. You are unbelievably diff
ficult to lead"
Her fiawless self-possession gave an
effect of unreality to the whole affair.
Stanton felt vertigo of the mind.
"You had that purpose in view
when you first spoke to me at the
Beach twenty-four hour racer" he
questioned. "You hoped to induce
me to wreck my car by fast driving, in
order to leave the Atalanta a better
chance of winning?"
ooh, MOI" she deprecated. 81 never
tried to cause your wreck-what can
you think me? No, that was merely
an imDulsive experiment; wanted to
see If you would do as l wished. Some
men have done So"
Are you going to tell me that you
drugged me at Lowell, on the eve of
the road racer"
"Drugged you? That is a harsher
description than i ever gave the Incl
dent in my own mind. But I poured
into your coffee what Archer Ross had
given me for that purpose. He said it
would not harm you only prevent you
from driving next morning; he had
been betting heavily on his car. But
you raced, after all, i'll as you must
have been. l never imagined you would
take such a risk, or l should have re-
fused the responsibility disliked the
task, anyhow. To be frank, l was hor- /
ribly frightened when l saw you on
the course, and when the report of
your accident came in, felt guilty of /
assassination
He looked at her, at her ivory-and-
gold beauty, her composed ease, his
own face coldly emotionless. 1t did
not matter, nothing mattered, now.
But yet he read that behind that APP
parent ease of hers heaved a sea of
stormy thoughts; as always, her speech
was no guide to her mind.
II suppose, then, that you would
not have been distressed if I had
broken my arm when I cranked your
car after driving you home from New
York" he commented.
Her color changed for the first time,
her eyes flashed to his.
"You angered me-" she retorted.
"You brutally told me that you had
not raced at the Beach, to please me,
nor would you do SO. You were super
cilious, no man had ever treated me
that way before. For one instant did
hate and long to hurt you; I pushed
up the spark as you cranked The
next moment l would have undone 1t
II could"
There was pause. as the train halt
ed at station, and the usual furry of
egress and ingress ensued. When the