The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-01-09

A Mad
Race
An Up to Date Story of an
Elcpement
BY HENRY T. ARCHIBALD
Copyright BY American Press Assoc
BY HENRY T. ARCHIBALD
Copyright by American Press Asso
citation, 1911.

y
|
Speaking about these dams bursting
and destroying people," said a either
| OF Colorado. reminds me of case O
food out here in this state OF course
the one refer to didn't destroy hun
dreds Of homes and lots Of people. bu
to those concerned in it it was (
mighty important affair"
what food do you refer to, Silsby 2
asked wilkins, sitting with his feet OF
the iron rail encircling the stove anC
intended for foot rest.
IF I'm going to tell you the story
I'll have to bring the different events
In as they happened" replied Silsby
otherwise I'd get it all mixed up. Tt
begin with, Molly McGregor was the
prettiest girl in - county, and no
only the prettiest girl. but the bigges
madcap. But you ought to see bel
now. She's the quietest little woman
| in the world and afraid of her owl
shadow. She's married and got three
children, the oldest"-
| "Oh, cut that shortv' cried the mar
on the other side of the stove. You're
putting in the end before the begin
ming thought you said you were go
ing to proceed in order"
If you can tell the story better
than
"Oh. go onp said the other foo
warmers in one voice.
"As was saying" continued the
narrator MOLLY McGregor was the
merriest madcap in the county. She
had all the men in love with her, from
the richest ranchman to the meanest
cowboy. McGregor, her father, was 8
Scotchman, who was about as hard tC
move when he took position as Pixies
peak, and the position he TOOK with
Molly was that she was to marry the
man he selected for her.
1.-The old man didn't worry much
about her not doing as he intended
when the time came, for she had one
man dangling about her one day and
another the next. and sometimes they
were thick as flies about sugar bar
rel So long as that kind of monkey
shines was going on her father knew
that there was nothing to fear, and
even If his daughter should fall in love
with some one of her admirers he had
no idea that Molly would marry any
one except the man he picked out for
her."
II thought" interrupted the man on
the other side Of the stove, you were
going to tell us something new. That
sort of stuff is to be found in nine
tenths of all the stories in the world"
"Shut up, Wilkins" said one of the
listeners, land let's have the yarn"
"T'm not going to spoil it for him"
grunted Silsby. 1T was old McGregor's
confidence that was his undoing. so
far as his daughter was concerned.
But, I tell you, my friends, it doesn't
do any good to watch girl. You
might as well watch soldier on the
field of battle with a view of pulling
him out of the way from the bullet
that's going to kill him. Before you
know it he doubles up. So does the
girl. A certain fellow gives her look
and she drops.
"The man that looked at Molly Nc
Gregor when she surrendered was Ned
Deane, who was nothing but cow
boy. Ned was very good fellow, but
he had nothing laid up. while the own
er of a gold mine that was yielding
81 900 to the ton was dead stuck on
the girl.
First thing Old McGregor knew that
his daughter was going to go back on
his matrimonial plans for her was
when Bryant. the mine owning sutton,
rode up to the ranch one morning and
said:
"'Say. old man, | met your daughter
Just now driving that automobile you
bought her last Christmas. with Ned
Deane sitting beside her. As they
went by | caught sight of a valise I'M
der their feet. and | reckon they're
running away.
"'WhatP exclaimed the Scotchman.
his eyes bullying out of his head.
"'Bet you $50 it's an elopement'
"McGregor never did anything fast
In his life till that moment 1t wasn't
five minutes before he was in one OF
the autos he kept on the ranch. and
tell you the hand on the speed gauge
just spun around from zero to fifty In
| no time at ALL"
"Oh. he's going to give us runaway
couple in an auto chased by her father
in another auto" interrupted the crit
ical wilkins That's hackneyed."
BET you ten that isn't the point of
the story" said Silsby.
by proceeded:
/ "McGregor doesn't come into the
story or my version of it at all, except
that there was big chase ia tell
you something about that only my
friend on the other side Of the stove
considers it wornout story material
One thing must mention. and that is
that while the race was going on the
clouds were thickening and there was
muttering Of thunder Just before
the lovers reached the turn Of the road
where 1t goes down into one of the
narrowest canyons In Colorado they
heard report behind them and. look
ing back. saw that a busted tire had
sent the pursuing auto off over level
space beside the road It didn't upset,
but Molly knew the race was over; her
father couldn't hope to catch her on
foot"
Silsby paused to light pipe. and
wilkins, supposing the story to be end
ed, remarked:
That's the rottenest yarn l ever lis
tened to-not a new thing in 1t from
beginning to end"
| When Silsby had got his pipe lighted
he resumed without noticing the com
| ment:
1.-The lovers in great JOY turned down
| into the canyon The road is good
there, but very winding; consequently
an auto can't be driven at anything
like full speed without upsetting. But
the race being over, they slowed down
| to an average of about eight miles an
hour. Pretty soon there was clap OF
thunder in the distance. Ned looked
| uneasy.
"'Stop her moment he said.
"Molly slowed down. and they looked
at each other, white as sheets. A dis
tant roar told them they we're caught
In a narrow canyon four miles long
with a cloudburst behind them.
Hadn't / better take the wheel?
| gasped Ned
"'No. I'm more used to 1t than you.
"For about a mile the road made a
number Of short turns, so 1t was i'm
possible to make time. And while
they were zigzagging the water penned
In between the two walls Of the can
yon-there was only room for the road
was gaining on them very fast.