The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-01-14

And while the man hesitated Alan
grabbed him by the shoulder, threw
him bodily from the car, dropped into
his seat, cried warning to Rose, and
threw in the clutch. The machine re-
sponded without jar; they were
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. 1t was light, but the motor
ran famously, and II not capable OF
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, t.
communicate the intelligence that
they. were already being pursued.
A heavy touring car, she SAID 1t was.
driven by man, woman In the
seat by his kde-Judith the latter, the
man an old employee Of her fathers
by the name of Marrophat.
Marrophat! .... ........
Alan remembered that one.
He could only trust in his skill al
q driver, and skill is the lesser factor
in such q race.
They could overtake the fugitives
practically when they would.
But for some weird, Incompetent.
sible reason they chose to hang 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. .f .". r
For his own part, he drove like an
exceptionally cunning mailman. .
And then, quite clearly, he recog-
Lzed the time and the place and the
character Of tho road that lay before
him as the car sped like dragon.hy
down slight grade.
From the bottom of the grade It
swung away in wide, graceful curve,
bordered for some distance by railroad
tracks on a slightly lover level.
He had guessed tae f1endish plan OF
the other driver only too truly.
AS they approached at express
speed the stretch where the road par.
hlleled the tracks Alan sought to hug
the left-hand side Of the road, but in
vain.
Roaring, with it's muller cut out, the
pursuing car swept up and baffled him,
bringing it's right forward wheel up
beside the left rear wheel of his car,
then more slowly forging up until,
with its weight, bulk and superior
power, it forced him inch by inch to
the right, toward the tracks, until his
right,hand wheels left the road and
ran on uneven turf, until the left-hand
wheels as we'll 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 Q
freight locomotive -.
There followed a maniac moment
when the world was upside down.
Alan's car slipped and skidded, swung
sideways with frightful momentum
toward the railroad tracks, caught it's
wheels against the ties, and -.
Tue sun swung in the heavens like q
ball on string. There was crash, q
roar There was nothing-ob.
The car had turned turtle, pinning
Rose and Alan beneath 1t.
"Alan!" she gasped. "You are not
killed." is
"No-not even much hurt, fancy"
he replied. "And you?" .s..
mot much"
The deep-throated roar Of the loco.
motive believing danger silenced him.
He closed his eyes.
Then abruptly the weight was lifted
from his chest. He saw a man drag
cling Rose from under the machine,
and saw that the man was Marrophat.
And almost Immediately someone lift
ed his head and shoulders, caught him
with two hands beneath his arm pits
and drew him clear Of the machine.
And the face of his rescuer was the
face of Judith Urine.
The crash he had expected, of the
car being crumpled up by the oncom'
ing locomotive, did not follow.
AS he scrambled to his feet, his first
! glance was up the track, and discov'
cred the train slowing to halt.
His next was one of wonder for the
countenance of Judith Trine as she
stood, at little distance, regardinc
him; her look almost illegible, curl
GUS compound Of passions coloring it,
relief, regret, hatred. love
His. third glance deserted beyond
her The figures of Marrophat carrying
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