Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-03-21

empty, Emily slowly turned to race
her uncle.
"You love David Ffrepch?" he asked,
his voice thin and harsh.
YES" she answered. She had no
need to ask II Lestrapge were meant.
He is married to some woman of
the music halls"
mo"
How do you known He has told
your"
She lifted to him the superby conf
dence of her glance, although nervous
tremors shook her in wavelike sue
cession
IF he had been married, he would
not have made me care for him. He
has asked me to be his WIFE"
They were equally strange to each
other in these new characters, and
equally spent by emotion. Neither
moving, they sat opposite each other
in silence. So Bailey found them
when he 'came back later, to take his
massive stand In the doorway, his
hands in his pockets and his strong
! jaw set
IL think that things are kind OF
mixed up here, Mr.. Ffrench," he stated
grimly. 81 guess I'm the one to
straighten them out a bit; I've loved
Mr.. David from the time he was a kid
and never saw him get a square deal
yet. You asked him what he was do
ing here-TH tell you; he is Lee
strange"
There is a degree of amazement
which precludes speech Mr.. French
looked back at his partner, mute.
Gle is Lestrange. He never meant
you to know; he'd have left without
your ever knowing, but for Miss EN-
lily. | guess I don't need to remind
you Of what he's done; if it hadn't
been for him we might have closed
our doors some day. He understands
the business as none of US blackburn
Der, old-fashioned ones do; he took
mold and shook some life into it. We
can make cars, but he can make peo-
pie buy them Adyertisingi why,
just that fool picture he drew on the
back o. pad, one day, of a row Of
thermometers up to one hundred
forty, with the sign 'Mercuries are at
the top made more people notice
Bailey cleared his throat "He was
always making people notice, and
laughing while he did it, He's risked
his neck on every course going, to
bring our cars in first. he's lent his
fame as a racing driver to help us
along. And now everything is fixed
the way we want he's thrown out
What did he do it for? He thought
he needed to square accounts with
you, for being born, / suppose; so
when he heard how things were going
with us he came to me and offered his
help. At least, that's what he said.
| believe he came because he couldn't
bear to see the old place go under"
There was a skeln of blue silk
swinging over the edge of the table
Mr.. French picked it up and replaced
it in Emily's work basket before re-
plying
IF this remarkable story is true"
he began, accurately precise in &C.
cent.
you don't need me to tell you it
is" retorted Bailey. "You know
what my new managers been doing;
why, you disliked him without seeing
him, but you had to admit his good
work. And | heard you talking
about his allowance, Mr.. French. He
never touched 1t, not from the first;
it piled up for six years. Last April,
when we needed cash in a hurry, he
drew 1t out and gave 1t to me to buy
aluminium. When he left here first he
drove a taxicab in New York city I'M
til he got into racing work and made
Darling Lestrange famous all over the
continent. l guess 1t went pretty hard
for a while; If he'd been the things
you called him, he'd have gone to the
devil alone in New York. But he
didn't"
An oriole darted in one arcade and
out again with a musical whir OF
wings. The clink of glass and silver
sounded from the house windows with
a pleasant cheeriness and suggestion
of comfort and plenty.
"He made good" Bailey concluded,
thoughtfully. But it sounded queer
to me to hear you tell him you didn't
want him around because Mr.. Dick
took his place. | know, and Miss En-
lily knows, that Dick French was no
use on earth for any place until Mr.,
David took him in hand and made him
fit to live. That's ALL | guess, that
I had to say; I'll get back to work"
He turned, but paused to glance
around. Its going to be pretty dull
-. -Zy" IA