Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-08-15
Oopyright l9l2. The Bobbs- Merrill Company

Copyright 1917 The Bobbs Merrill Company
DRY, to be In the near future a torture
more acute than physical pain and per-
sonal grief.
loft, In the Silly night
Ere slumber's chain hath bound me-
Fond memory brings the light
OF other days around me-"
That was the quaint stiff melody Of
fifty years before, that Jessica Floyd
sung to Stanton before they parted.
On reaching home, an hour later,
Stanton found a letter awaiting him
from the assistant manager Green. It
was dated from Long Island, and re-
open for the last days practice next
morning during the early hours.
"The car is at last ready, and II
you see Jes Floyd, tell him that we
can not get along without him any
longer" ran the concluding sentence.
Stanton put down the letter, frown-
ing at 1t In irritated establishment.
Had not Floyd gone to prepare for the
race, with Green and by his direct or
der? How then could he, Stanton,
know anything about his mechanician
and why did not Green know every
thing? Possibly Floyd had been kept
at the Mercury factory; but in that
case Green would surely have sent
there for him, instead of trusting to
the faint chance Of Stanton's encoun-
tering him. OF course Floyd must be
ready to go out for the delayed prac-
tice work next morning-Stanton rose
impatiently; of course he would be
ready.
A thought like a needleprick halted
him when halfway across the room, q
wild fancy. Could 1t be conceived
credible that Valerie Carlisle did wish
to prevent the Mercury car from rae
ing, and, falling to reach the driver,
might attempt to keep away the mech
anician she knew to be so valuable?
the eve of the Massachusetts, race.
On an impulse beyond restrain, he
turned to his telephone; there would
be some one to tell him of Floyd at
the factory, for 1t was working night
and day to I'LL its orders.
Eyes, 337 Frenchwood," the thin
voice finally came along the wire.
Eyes, Mercury. Mr.. Stanton? Wait"
The instrument roared vilely; he
knew 1t was the din of the huge en-
gines he heard across thirty miles of
distance.
Hello" another voice took up,
through the drone. Stanton? This
Is Mr.. Bailey. What? Oh, why Floyd's
gone on" there was blank clicking
TO Long Island tonight" was faint
ly resumed He'll be on his job when
you need him. Stanton; go bit easy
on the poor kid. He isn't machine"
Stanton exclaimed something ugly
and hung UP the receiver with snap.
Bailey was fool, he mentally sneered,
and Green was another, and he him
self the third AS for Miss Carlisle,
he had not seen or heard of her since
the trip to Indiana. No more orchids
and laurel. He smiled In sardonic re-
lief and went to open a window to
the pungent October air. Tomorrow
he would see Floyd at the course and
begin the work which intoxicated him
as 1t does all those who once acquire
the fearless mastery of car at high
speeds and taste the strong excite
ment Of the racing game. He drew a
breath of anticipated exhilaration;
this was the ground where he and
Floyd stood closest in understanding
and where Jessica could never come.
But he wished that she had not
looked SO strangely grave and wistful
that evening, II troubled him.