The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-06-20


gave quick assurance. This has
been a bad day; I'm not surprised
that you couldn't keep away from
here"
Il couldn't keep away" Mr..
Rose assented heavily. This
morning | got a letter from my
niece. Isabel. IL seems she is
married and her husband made
her write it.
Gerard. Isabel Rose threw the
wrench that struck you and
wrecked your car. last year. Cor
rte's been shielding her. How
I've ground IL into the boy"
There was a tall pile of spare
tires beside them: on IL Gerard
put his hand. steadying himself
against the shock that was less
of surprise than of poignant self
reproaeh of his own failure to
divine this open riddle.
Around the curve swooped a
gray streak, fled toward the
camps, was opposite. and past.
The Mercury was unleashed in
the fastest speed of the day.
Mr.. Rose brought his eyes
from following it's flight to meet
Gerard's gaze.
You remember how Isabel
nagged him to take her around
the race course In his pink ma
chine" he reminded. 81 forbade
IL and thought no more about the
thing. Well, she got him alone
you know, | guess, that he was
wild with boys near-love for her
and she got his promise to take
her around once. She worked the
plan all out; Corrie started with
out his mechanician. and she
waited for him a mile down the
course, dressed in her riding
habit and wearing a mans cap
and motor mask. She figured that
Corrie could drop her off after
making the circuit, just before
he reached the camps, so that he
would come in alone as he start
ed and no one would be the
wiser.
1T worked all right, Gerard.
until they met you and you chal-
lenged Corrie to race. He didn't
want to with her along, but she
devilled him to go on, and he did /.
can guess IL went to his head
having her beside him. When
you began cutting Corrie off so
he couldn't pass by, he caught the
Joke right enough. She says he
was laughing when he began to
pitch odd screws and bolts at
your car-he was never angry
for a moment, just playing as you
aha N "a
over losing; she snatched some
got the bolts from and threw it
at you herself. She didn't know
what she had thrown or done un-
til she saw you fall stunned
across your steering wheel and
your car plunge off the road"
81 might have known" said
Gerard, and turned his face to the
course he did not see.
You might have known" flar-
ed Mr.. Rose. what was the mat
ter with me? Hadn't lived with
Corrie B. Rose since he was born
and never had seen him cheat or
play foul, win or lose? 1 should
have known when he wouldn't
talk-he never was afraid to
speak out and take his licking.
And he never lied to dodge me;
l went back on him; he never did
on me-"
With a humming purr and rush
the Mercury car shot past again,
followed by the long roll of ap-
plause.
We're leading by minute
and a half" one of Gerard's men
triumphed, running past on some
errand. "Oh, you Rosiei"
He stopped his machine as
soon as he could, and put Isabel
out" Mr.. Rose continued somber-
ly. She says herself that she
was scared sick and begged him
to save her. He told her to go
home and say nothing, that he
would take care OF her. He did.
II II hadn't been for your protect
ing him, that morning, he might
have ended in states prison. 1
don't suppose she would ever
have cleared him IL she hadn't
fallen In love with one of those
southerners she has been visiting,
and blurted out the truth when
he proposed, the other day. He
put her in a buggy, drove her to
the nearest clergyman, and mar
ried her; then made her write
the whole story to me-"
Does Flsvia know?" Gerard
asked.