The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-28

train, and missed my own. can
only repeat my former suggestion"
she AIDED. a. he did not speak. why
should you not come with my father
sorry our chauffeur is i'll, SO | am
| forced to ask you to drive. OF
course, II You fear firing yourself for
the race day after tomorrow"
Stanton started to speak, then
abruptly shrugged his shoulders. Al
ter all, why not?
Thank you," he returned. Il
scarcely think a seventy-five mile run
will incapacitate me-
"You will Gomez" Her amber
eyes cleaned wildly. You are too
good Let us find my father and the
car. 1t Is at least a car worthy of
you--a better than the Mercury. |
confess to thinking"
"A foreign machine"
NO, an Atalanta Six. Martha,
find papa in the station and ask
him to come out to the car
They emerged by a side exit into
the noisy, dirty. sunny New York
street.
lis it not we'll designed. well
CIV uHS SnG tHdtttiSCu' - 10 iucA
on the race track-you know that.
Is it not handsome"
She spoke eagerly. with more ami
nation than he had yet seen in her
Stanton ran careless glance over
the big, tan-colored automobile
standing by the curb.
1T is good car" he agreed con-
servativeIy; privately he considered
it both too high and too heavy for
racing work.
Only that? You say only that
But wait. you have not driven it.
When papa comes We can start
Mr.. Carlisle was coming; spare.
neryout gentleman who Wore glasses
set ON a Roman nose, from which
they slipped monotonously. He and
Stanton had once met at the Mer-
curry office, where one was arranging
for tire contract. and the other was
signing an agreement to drive for the
season. They recognized each other
now. while Miss Carlisle concisely
outlined the situation.
"A most astonishing affair" con-
mented her father. Very kind of
you. Mr.. Stanton. indeed. These
railroad men are careless. Vale
rie-"
Miss Carlisle declined the invita-
ton TO enter the tonneau.
II shall ride beside Mr. Stan
ton. she announced. Il wish TO see
expert driving at close range. for
once"
"Ah?" queried Stanton. sudden
ly the conviction that she had done
this purposely fared up anew. and
With it his anger. She would have
a racing driver for her chauffeur?
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 small pair
of goggles from his overeoat pocket,
and passed his hat back to Mr. Car
isles care.
II am sorry had no time to get
into motor clothes" he observed. a
little too pleasantly. Still We will
manage"
There was curious circumstance
ten minutes. having a fair road
Then rough hills and villages some
what lowered their pace. It was
dizzying rush through a gale of wind,
a birdiike cleaving of the air. accom-
panied by the weird howl of the
electric horn upon which Stanton
kept a finger much OF the time,
vision of scattering wagons.
There was curie rs circumstance.
Valerie Carlisle literally covered in
her seat. pale. shivering. usually with
her eyes shut. Yet she. the imper-
ious demander of her own way, ut
tered no remonstrance, although
family crying out once or twice when
they slid by some obvious danger of
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