The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-05-15
This is one OF The Times
Novel Week :;
series.
II will be finished Ii six
big installments.
CHAPTER l.
BY Helm of an AutO

ficient to dazzle even European
royalty, Delight Warren, young.
beautiful, about to be wed to
the man of her own choosing,
could afford to be wilful.
But never was Delight so very
wilful as that day In Paris when
word came from Montenegro that
Lieut.. Michael Balsic, her fiance,
had had the misfortune to break
his ankle, and therefore could
not make the journey to Paris.
where. except for the presence Of
the groom, the wedding stage al
ready was set.
The message, tragedy itself for
Delight, was secret source of
satisfaction to Delights aunt and
uncle, under whose care the girl
had been since the death of her
parents.
They had heard things, had
aunt and uncle. Gossip had been
busy in more than one European
capital making Lieut.. Michael
Balsic's name synonymous with
frivolity. Then, too. Montenegro
was a land of semi-savagery
where men ruled by force and
women obeyed through fear. For
instance, there was Count Stefan
Balsic, Michael's brother; aunt
and uncle had been told he was
veritable barbarian.
Il "Of course now the wedding
is postponed" Delights aunt said
to her. with a broken ankle
Lieut.. Balsic will not be able to
travel for several weeks, and you
know your uncle must be back in
New York by the 18th. l shall
not think of your remaining in
Paris alone. Lieut.. Balsic, when
his ankle heals, will have to come
to America to claim you"
Once in New York, Delight
foresaw there would be aunts
and uncle's opposition to Michael
to overcome anew; there would
also be the difficulty of Michael
coming so far.
1t was the supreme test of De.
light Warren's wilfulness. Since
the disabled Michael could not
journey to Paris, she would
journey to Montenegro. Once
there, Michael would send hi.
people to meet her and take hel
to his home. She would tele
graph her coming to him.
1t was only that morning, &
few hours before the tragic mes
sage heralding the broken ankle
had arrived, that Delight, stroll
ing along a Paris boulevard, haC
met Jack Rupert, driver of Amer
lean racing motors.
You do not remember me
} Mr.. Jack Rupert, but We met a.
Mrs. Gerard's house last year
the girl had greeted the Ameri
/ can. You had just won an al
together astonishing motor race
against an aeroplane."
Il don't remember forgetting
! you, Miss Warren" Jack Rupert
had replied.
II am astonished to find yor
so far from Broadway" she de
! clared.
Il amt calm about 1t myself, >
! was the discontinued admission
But | had smash, and Mr.
Gerard figured out that wal
due to rest. So I'm going to {
name on the map written Monte
! negro, to get the contract fol
building some automobile stages
: for the government. Not tina
Mr.. Gerard wants to build thu
J stages, but we want the adver
: tisement."
Montenegro" the girl ex
claimed. why, l am to be mar
: ried to a gentleman from there.'
So when Delight, out OF hel
wilfulness, decided to go to Mich
ael, what wonder her frs
thought was of Rupert, Jack Ru
pert of lower New York and the
automobile race track. Ruper
of the caustic tongue and un
certain temper. Rupert was t
make the trip to Montenegro il
his car. Why could she not gt
along as passenger?
The answer lay with Jack Ru
pert.
There amt no loss of dignity
In motor racer becoming chauf
feur to such as you," he said
when she sought him out and ex
planned her dilemma.
And so the journey was mad,
to Crnagora, where Delight ex
pected a servant of Michael t.
meet her. Sure enough, an oper
carriage was waiting. Delight!
intuitions told her the carriage
and the brightly dressed old mar
beside 1t had come from Michael
"Gospodin Michael Balsic?'
she asked stammering over al
most the only Servian wore
known to her. -
He smiled and nodded, produc
ing a letter. She tore it opeI
eagerly. -,
There were only a few lines, il
Michael's florid and caressint
style. He thanked her from hi
heart for her angelic confidence
in him; he would pass his lif,
repaying it.. He urged her t
start Immediately; the drive wal
long. - IS
Delight raised a glowing fac,
from the reading and gave hel
hand to Rupert. % Ia
II can't see any special reason