Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1916-10-06

Her Fathers Tragic Death Weighed
Heavily on Cleo.
floods The road ended in a sheer
preeipice, and at the bottom OF the
precipice, forty feet below, swirled the
river which had done the damage.
Hope, his mind trained for emergen-
cies, instantly realized that it was inn
possibly to stop. The brakes would
not work in time to prevent the car
and its occupants from going over
the brink into the stream below. To
turn the car to one side was equally
| impossible, for the road was bordered
by steep banks, to go down which
meant certain death for all OF them.
| Their only chance--a chance in a mil
lion-was to keep straight ahead in the
slim, slim hope that the car, now trav-
cling at terrific speed, would have suf.
ficient momentum to clear the chasm.
Tightening his grip upon the wheel.
Hope jammed his foot against the &C
| celerator. The light car was going
SO fast that 1t seemed as though its
wheels no longer touched the ground.
Hope could hear Hook screaming In
his ear; out of the, corner of his eye
he caught glimpse Of Cleo, with
blanched face and tight-clenched
hands, beside him. Her lips were
moving Now only a score OF feet
separated them from the brink.
ten feet. five and
the car sailed out into space as though
fastened to the end of a mighty pen
dulum. Though the flight across the
gulf occupied only moment of time.
to the three in the car 1t seemed in
terminable. And when the car reached
the opposite bank it was ten feet
above the level of the highway.
it landed as smoothly as a leaping
greyhound. Like a tennis ball 1t re-
bounded once. twice, thrice. and then,
quite uninjured, but with three white
faced and shaking passengers, went
tearing down the road In the direction
of the distant city.
The clock hands on the campanile
Of the Ferry building in San Francisco
pointed to a quarter after six when
Hope, now travelling with more re-
spect for the speed laws. swung the
car into Market street. He started to
turn into Kearney street but stopped,
at the signal of traffic officer. to let
fire engine pass. 1t tore up Kearney
street, its siren hooting hoarse warn
ing, and he followed it. Ahead dense
clouds OF smoke poured from the win
dows of a corner building. More fire
apparatus was coming. Everyone
was running. A policeman halted
them with peremptory hand. You
can't come any farther in your car"
he ordered.
We'll have to walk the rest of the
way" said Hope, but it isn't very far.
Dawson's place is somewhere in the
next block. By Jove. 1t must be close
to where the fire Isl" Pushing their
way through the crowd, stumbling
over the lines of fire hose, the three
made their way forward until they
were opposite the burning building.
SO dense was the smoke, however,
that the building was totally obscured/
Suddenly gust of wind blew the CO
tain OF smoke momentarily aside. AS
1t did so Cleo, Hope and Hook gave
grcan OF despair. For across the face
OF the doomed structure, in letters
four feet high. they read; "Dawsons
Auction Rooms" Even as they looked
there came rending crash and, amid
swirl Of smoke and a sudden burst
OF flame, the walls toppled and fell in
Somewhere amid that mass of smok-
ing debris, charred beyond recognition
now, was the ledger containing the
names of those who had purchased the
precious volumes. And in one or
those volumes, now no longer trace
able, was hidden the secret OF the sub.
marine.
(To BE CoNTINUED.I