Putnam patriot., 1912-08-23

! tires" Floyd warned. as he complied ! with the directions We have only | got one extra set here. The shipment for the race hasn't arrived yet"
 Why not?" Goodness knows. Mir. Green has l telegraphed to the tire company. suppose they will. be along today, or tomorrow at the worst"
 T should hope so. Ready?"
 Just about Oh. they all say that your trial for speeding in Pelham Parkway took place day before yester- day"
 Tt did"
 Floyd stopped in the act of ascend ing to his seat. You didn't tell Jessioa," he re preached
 How do you know?" queried Stan | ton astonished
 "I saw her late last night, on my way here. What did they do to you?' Fined me all the law allowed which the Mercury Company paid and suggested the wisdom of not doing 1t again. l didn't suppose Miss Floyd would be interested in police court de i tails Get in" The mornings work had begun. It was always a course race. the l Cup event. and in many places the way lay over hastily prepared country | roads Here and there men were still at work. banking turns or smoothing the ground. On the second time around, the Mercury struck an edged stone and lost tire with a sharp re- port Stanton drew up by the road side. and Floyd ran back to pitch the mischief-making rock into the fields.
 George and Palmer are out" he ob- served, returning "They might come to grief on it, too. Besides, We our selves might hit 1t again. I like l track race"
 "So do l. How many tires left?" i Three"
 They worked rapidly, both for prac- tice and from force of habit. The 1 Duplex roared past at leisurely gait. while they were busy, it's driver way 1 ing a hand in sympathetic greeting. l Floyd paused to wave response. and l presently the Mercury sped after Its I rival
 Before ten o'clock they had lost an- l other tire.
 Those tires in yet?" demanded 1 Stanton. when he again drew up be- 1 fore the repair pit.
 The harassed assistant manager shook his head exhibiting sheaf of 1 yellow telegrams
 Not yet The Ruby Company tele- graphs that they shipped the order l last week by express; the express company telegraphs that they sent the carload on from Chicago tive days ago and it must be here"
 "The freight car must have been l left in the New York yards. instead of being sent out here." deduced Stanton exasperatedly.
 ''New York says it isn't there"
 Perhaps they shipped the order to the Mercury factory by mistake" Floyd suggested.
 MT Green looked at him in scorn.
 "Of course I 'phoned there first of all. The chief says they are not there. either. and to telegraph all along the line until We trace the car"
 Have you done it?" Stanton in auired
 Pm doing it now I've got as far west as Utica and each freight yard 1 denies having them"
 We'll go to lunch Floyd The an swers will come in meanwhile"
 There was a hotel nearby, which l Mir. Green made his headquarters, and where Stanton and Floyd chose to stay. A good many of the other driv- CTS and officials also remained for that night
 ."Fd run into little old New York the drivtr of the Atalanta ear ex- plained to Stanton, "only I'm afraid it ain't healthy to go through Brooklyn so often"
 To the hotel the answers continued to come all that afternoon. until Mir. Green and the office were showed over by strips of yellow paper. The larger the city and the more crowded its freight yard, the longer the time re- qiIfred to make the search for the missing car and report the result to Long Island.
 After four o'clock, the roads were again open for practice until sunset. The Mercury went out for a couple of circuits, and lost another tire by skid ding on turn. After that the car stood before its camp,-"Afraid of wearing out her last pair of shoes" Floyd informed solicitous questioners.
 Cant you buy them somewhere else?" chafed the irritated Stanton.
 The assistant manager stared in a reproach touched with hysteria. His collar was wilted his eyeglasses dan gled by their cord.
 Buy them? Buy enough racing tires fitting the Mercury to last you for a three hundred mile road race, and get them here by tomorrow morn iag? Whats the matter with you, Stanton9"
 Well, since there is nothing 70 do but eat. come to dinner. Floyd" said the other
 'It isn't dinner. it's supper" cor rected his mechanician. This is the country and you had your dinner at noon. But I'll come. anyhow" At the table in the course of the meal a small teapot was set before Stanton.
 Chocolate, sir" he was apprised Why. you had none at luncheon"
 The pompadoured waitress giggled.
 "No, sir But the gentleman sent a boy after some and came down and saw the cook, and cooks that fond of nonsense, and she fifty-four next De-