The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-08

after Elma-and he did it with a ven
geance. Everybody felt cross and
nervous, and the air was electric with
feeling.
Then came the storm-a literal one.
The heat had been great all day, and
as evening. closed storm sprang up
SO suddenly that the party was IN
sort of dismay The stragglers came
hurrying back under sky fast grow
ing purplish dark, and cold wind
came from the lake. The men got
things into shape with the greatest
alacrity-Man, an old hand at the
game, leading. There was no shelter
in sight, and the only thing possible
seemed to be to get the curtains and
chains on the machines and make the
four miles to the nearest village.
They gathered everything hastily
together and got safely started just as
the rain came down in sheet with q
wind that dashed it into every fold OF
the curtains behind which the women
sat huddled and afraid. Some one
had to ride in a front seat and Elma
had elected to sit beside Maxwell
Dunn, who drove the first motor.
Preston managed the other. The
chauffeurs had been left at home.
The roads were full Of twists and
turns and not too good and, with the
lightning and thunder, the way
through the woods was full of danger
Max saw this, and decided to get into
The open at the first chance ard wait
until the wind was down, even II
everyone were soaked. Signaling
danger with the horn, he succeeded in
stopping the car behind aud his own
car just in time for rotten trunk to
fall full across the path, catching the
front end of his machine and ninning
him down.
He had instinctively stopped the car
dead. Elma gave scream and every
body began calling out. Preston and
Perry and Sam were down In mo-
ment. but Max seemed stunned. A
branch had struck his head, blood
flowed over his face, and his legs were
held fast Elma was wiping of the
blood with her white cloak and say
icg not a word She put her arms
around him while the men freed him.
At this point Nora came on the scene.
Preston ordered her back, but she
stood in the rain, her eyes on Elma.
and did not move.
The trunk, small one, was lifted
off in a moment, and Max sat up and
felt his face and tried to get out
and fell fainting.
Bone snapped somewhere" COM
mented Preston.
Nora few at Max as they straight
ened him out moment before lifting
him into the back seat.
Here" she said, Il will get In and
hold him. Nobody has right to but
|! The rest of you don't know-do as
| say!" She was waiting to hold him
when they lifted him in, and again he
opened his eyes-and Strengthened
and laughed
I'm all right-nothing broken
Just dizzy" He wavered for mo-
ment against Noras shoulder. STEADY,
dear, don't be alarmed. Are you
frightened? I'm all right" But he
had called her "dear!" She forgot the
rest of them:
The storm abated, and with much
fussing and Tuning and planning they
all finally got under way again.
The whole affair was an adventure.
1t was hardest on Thomas Preston, on
Elma Horton-and on Mrs. Stanton.
She had always wanted too much
money. Nora knew that she had come
to her senses. She knew what she
wanted. The sight of another girl
wiping Max's face, supporting him,
was revelation to her. She could at
the moment have slain Elma.
Perry fell in love with girl nearer
home, and Sam cherished his bull
pups and cultivated his brother.in.
law to be.
Copyright, 1913. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)