Putnam patriot., 1912-07-26

| Valerie Carlisle Leaned Out Extend i Ing Small Hand.
 "Sick," he reiterated explicitly. Are you ready, Floyd?' The Mercury drew up to her line on exact time. And in the moments while the cars in front were being sent away, Floyd found an opportunity to put a question.
 You have been ill?" he coldly asked.
 Acute indigestion; I've been in a doctors office since nine o'clock last night" snapped Stanton. Did you think I was lying to you?"
 No. Are you fit to driver"
 If you're afraid I'm not, get out and leave me"
 The signal was given. When the Mercury flashed across the line, Floyd ], was almost as pale from anger as Stanton from recent illness. The race was for three hundred miles. thirty times over the ten mile course with it's sharp elbows and steep hills, and was expected to take some six hours of continuous driving. The strain was not light for the pilot at the wheel.
 For the first hour there was no in- cident out of the usual. Floyd attend ed strictly to his work and Stanton drove rather more sanely than usual. But at the beginning of the second hour, the rear of the Atalanta car came in view through the fog of dust ahead; the Atalanta, which had start ed four minutes in advance of them. Stanton sighed with grim satisfaction. and speeded in pursuit.
 Turn ahead" warned Floyd, at his ear.
 There was bad turn. His eyes on the machine in front, Stanton round i ed the banked curve at a pace which sent the shrieking crowd of spectators recoiling from the dangerline and sprayed yellow soil high into the air. As the Mercury lurched into the straight stretch beyond, as Floyd was in the act of turning to examine the rear tires, there came a sharp eXplo- sion and a reeling stagger of the ear as rear casing blew out, wrenched itself bodily from the wheel and rolled like hoop into a field a hundred yards away.
 The machine tottered to the edge of the road, stopping under the power full brakes. Floyd sprang out, drag ging loose one of the extra tires car ried, while Stanton reached for the tool-box They had no need or time 1 for conversation, as they worked, peo- pie from all directions fiocking around in a pushing, eager circle to watch the proceedings.
 The two worked we'll together, | Floyd's delft swiftness balanced by ] Stanton's strength. When the task was finished, the driver first regained l his place.
 Get in," he ordered crisply. Are you going to take all day, or am l go ing to catch that Atalanta?" Floyd obeyed first and retorted sec ond; an invaluable habit. : 'If you're goin' to catch anything but a smash, I'd suggest a showdown for that turn," he countered, in ~the blurred accent so softly deceptive. No tire built is goin' to stick on a ] wheel under such roughin'." i Stanton shot glance askant out of 1 the corner of stormy blue-black eye. 1 He was irritated by the lost time, he | felt more i'll than he could have been i brought to admit, and interference pricked him like spur. '1'n give you a lesson in driving, 1 he cast across his shoulder, and bent over the wheel.
 1 4 was Stanton at his worst and best who made the next two circuits of 1 the long course. Other racers, warned by their mechanicians of the thunder. bolt bearing down upon them, drew l prndentiy to one side, preferring the i chance of later regaining the advan- tage. From every angle and curve the people fled, at sight of the gray car followed by its whirlwind of dust and carrying the huge B" on its hood.
 Twice the Mercury rushed past the | grand-stand, to a tumult of cheers ! drowned by the cars own roar. The 2 ShtOuu llL4cs lHc lHO AICh AP9CA 0A. | official rising. megaphone in hand, and rightly guessed that they had made the fastest circuit of the day. l And Floyd had received the prom ised lesson. for Stanton had safely ne- | eotiated the turn that before cost them a tire, at a pace equally fast. Safely, once; but, not content, he came around the second time driving as furiously, with unslackened speed. Down upon the turn they swept again. Stanton unerringly repeating his ex- ] ouisite feat Of skill and twisting the Mercury around on the two inside wheels; then the predicted happened The crack of an exploding tire came while they were on the bend. instantly echoed by the bursting of its mate from the opposite wheel: the car tore itself from control under the double shock and shot off the course into the field beyond, blowing deep furrows in the soft earth until 1t overturned with final crash.
 Partly held by his steering-wheel. Stanton was flung out on the meadow