The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-09-19

!. said the driver.

Better get In, MISS SAID the uTlycI.
Something wrong here, said Tommy, as
Celestia pushed him gently to one side ana
started to open the door for herself.
Hurry up said the driver
Celestial hurried and Tommy's face began
to fame with rage. At the same time ne
formed pretty shrewd guess at the condi-
ton Celestia was in.
How can you tolerate such insoIence!
he exclaimed, his brows lowering.
II have to do everything the driver says,
exclaimed Celestia in an unconditional voice.
She Climbed into the car, and shut the
door after her, the driver sprang to his seat,
and Tommy stepped calmly on to the 1901
board. The driver. seeing this attempted
to throw Tommy off the footboard. Tommy
simply got his fingers in the mans collar
jerked him clear of the car, and let 60 The
man fell heavily on his head and lay still
IF you have to do everything the driver
says" cried Tommy in jublant voice, u
shall be the driver! Jump in, Freddie, while
the jumping is good. may need you
Freddie jumped in and seated himself by
Celestia with every evidence OF pride and
importance, and the car lurched forward
Just it's former driver began to shows
signs of life.
It was only hundred yards to where the
road entered the woods; dense SECOND
growth of spruce. birch. pine, balsam ana
Iarch. succeeded after about mile by
splendid fragment of primaeyal forest. Here
Tommy brought the car to stop, got out,
and opened the door of the tonneau
I'D like you to sit in front, by me-, ne
said gently
And Celestia obeyed him like auto
maton.
Tommy And once more the car went for
ward. He addressed various questions to
her, but got answers. 1t was as II she
did not hear him. She sat bolt upr1ght,
looking straight ahead with unseeing eyes
1t was only when he spoke words or phrases
with semb1ance of command that she
showed signs of understanding. As when he
said, Don't try to fight this road. Take It
easy. Lean back.
The road came out of the forest, passed
between two swamps, and ascended long
hill, fenced and pastured, from which there
was a view of rough farm land, and in the
distance wooden village with steeple
in the midst
At the bottom Of the hill a car had skidded
from the road, and come to grief In DOGGY
ditch. The driver was trying to lever 1t out
with fence rail. Two women stood watch
ing him. At the sound OF Tommys car
sweeping down upon them, they looked
around, and Tommy recognized Mary Black
stone and Mrs. Gunsdorf His face became
white and grim. He gave his engine more
gas, and rushed by them, hurting column
of thick dust high in the air.
Mrs Gunsdorf, at sight OF Celestia, be-
for moment like stone image OF
horror. Only her head turned little. and
SO standing, she looked after the car. Then
very slowly as If she was lifting heavy
weights, her arms twisted and tense rose
from her sides, reached the horizontal
and then without a word sound, she
dropped dead in the dust.
Next to the church in the village stood the
little parsonage. A car was drawn up In
front of this, and in the middle of the road,
looking expectantly at the car which Tommy
was driving, stood Professor Stilleter with
a white flower in his button hole. Also on
the look out was a clergyman and a lady
who was doubtless his wife.
To Tonn. the scene was like a page In
a book, written for children in words of two
syllables. Sti1leter, the white flower-the
clergyman. It was almost too simple.
To Stileter the driver who should bring
Celestia to him was man of Importance
Not until the car was almost upon him with
undimnished speed, did he divert his eyes
from Celestia's face to that of the man be-
side her. Upon the face of that man there
a jubilant boyish grin.
Tommy pressed button, the gave one
of those sudden signals of warning that
sound like giant being sick at his stomach.
Professor Stilleter leaped aside, but not
in time to escape being grazcd by the mud
guard which sent him rolling.