New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-10-28
]. CHAPTER XXI.
Antielimax.


Alan came to himself supported BY
Barcus-his senses still Keeling from
the concussion of that thunderbolt
which he had so unwittingly loosed-
the cloud of sulphurous smoke and yet
dissipated by the wind.
Judith lay at his feet, stunned; and
round about other figures of men in-
sensible, if not, for all he could say
dead.
And then Barcus was hustling him
unceremoniously down the wharf
Comet Comet" he rallied Alan
Pull yourself together and keep a.
stiff upper lip. Rose is waiting In
the car. and II you don't want to be-
arrested you'll stir your stumps, mys
son! That explosion Is going to bring
the worthy burghers of New Bedford
buzzing round our ears like q swarm
Of hornets!'
His prediction was justified even
before it was made; already the near
by dwellings, we're vomiting half
clothed humanity: already a score Of
people were galloping down toward
the head of the wharf; and in their
number policeman appeared as II by
magic.
And while the man hesitated Alan
grabbed him by the shoulder, threw
him bodily from the car, dropped into
his seat cried q warning to Rose. and
threw in the clutch. The machine re-
sponded without q jar: they were q
hundred feet distant from the scene
of the accident before Alan was fairly
settled in his place.
AS he grew more and more calm, he
congratulated himself on having drawn
an excellent car in the lottery of
chance. It was light, but the motor
ran famously. and II not capable Of
e racing pace it would serve his ends.
as speedily as was consistent with
reasonable care for the life of the
woman he loved.
Yet his congratulations were prema--
ture; they were not ten minutes out
of the environs of the city when Rose
left her seat and knelt behind his, to-
communicate the intelligence that
they were already being pursued.
A heavy touring car, she said it was.
driven by a man, woman in the
seat by his side Judith the latter, the,
man an old employee Of her fathers
by the name of Marrophat.
/ Marrophat! q
Alan remembered that one.
He could only trust In his skill az
n 1vSsu oh; IL,
In such race.
They could overtake the fugitivea>
practically when they would.
But for some weird, Incompetent
sible reason they chose to hang a Ger.
tain distance in the rear, a distance
that could readily be bridged by two,
minutes Of furious driving.
Why?
In the succeeding quarter-hour the
calmness of fatalism became Alan's.
They were biding their time for some
secret and fatal purpose. The blow
was predestined to fall, but cruelty de-
ferred.
For his own part, he drove like an
exceptionally cunning mailman.
And then, quite clearly, he recog-
nized the time and the place and tho
character Of the road that lay before
him as the car sped like dragon-dy
lown slight grade
From the bottom Of the grade Il.
lwung away in wide, graceful curve.
aordered for some distance by railroad
racks on a slightly lover level.
He had guessed tne fiendish plan OF
the other driver only too truly.
AS they approached at express
speed the stretch where the road par.
llleled the tracks Alan sought to hug
the left-hand side of the road, but in
vain.
Roaring, with It's pufler cut out, the.
pursuing car swept up and bafled him.
bringing its right forward wheel up
beside the left rear wheel of his carr
then more slowly forging up until.
with it's weight, bulk and superfor
power, it forced him inch by inch tn.
the right. toward the tracks, until hin.
rght-hand wheels left the road and
tan on uneven turf, until the left-hand
wheels as well lost grip on the road
metal, until the car began to dip on.
the slope to the tracks.
He heard the far hoot-toot OF ..
freight locomotive
There followed maniac moment.
when the world was upside down.
Alan,s car slipped and skidded.. swung
Sideways with frightful momentum
toward the railroad tracks, caught its
wheels against the ties. and
The sun swung in the heavens ike :
ball on string. There was a crash. =
roar There was nothing OBJ.
The car had turned turtle, pinninx
Rose and Alan beneath II
klled?'' - '4e W.
ne replied. "And your.
Not much =