Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-02

shape IT suggested gigantic cigar
, in color II was black, and its joint
less metal casing glittered in the win
| try sunlight. Halfway down its length
| the great cigar was cut out into 1
nick, and in the nick sat, very w
right and alert, the slender figure b
woman. She wore a leather jacket
her hair was covered by kind o
curtain descending from Weather
cap, and fastening under her chin
! and her eyes looked through gogglei
| In an elfin mask, which protected ant
concealed the whole upper part o.
her face.
"A woman!" was the whisper tina
went round the crowd, and Christie
pher heard one hurrying official sa.
to another: "Only arranged last nigh
for her to do It, Old Dick Herbert!
hurt his right hand and so She"
Race caught no more, but he in
stantly sprang to the conclusion tina
the trim figure in the strange cal
| must be that of the famous woman
motorist he had seen yesterday, Ma
dame du Guesclin, the pride Of sport
ing France.
EVHTylUluR COIIlDIHtu W lUtub tht
attention of the crowd upon the new
arrival A woman, apparently young
certainly brave and skilful. was tC
conduct the car during long and try
ing race, and that appealed to the
chivaIry and romance latent In mos
mems hearts, even those who are mos
natter Of fact. Besides, the car It.
self was 80 astonishing that, when II
In, gi0hf would lnnk
any other.
The thing had no side wheels, but
from under the metal casing two cen
trail wheels could be seen revolving
one placed behind 1.-The other, in a
straight line. Running as 1t did upon
these two central wheels alone, the
marvel was that the vehicle could keep
upright Only while 1t was moving
could 1t possibly do so, after the man.
ner of bicycle, thought the inter-
ested spectators, most of whom had
heard Of this new invention without
really believing it. But when the gy-
roscopic car had slid into its place d.
rectly in front of Scarlet Runner,
and had come silently to standstill,
1t still remained upright on its two
central wheels. Those who were com
pletely ignorant of the real nature Of
the invention regarded it as a kind
Of motor miracle; but Christopher and
others who had read with intelligent
interest of the machine which was be-
ing made, understood more or less
what was happening. They knew that
the cigar-shaped vehicle was kept on
its feet, so to speak, by the two small
horoscopes spinning In sealed cham
bers, one on each side Of the car, and
driven by the current from a small
electric battery.
A shout of applause arose, in re-
Spouse to which the trim chauffeuse
nodded gayly, as If she took part Of
the tribute for herself. Then, doubt
less with the feminine wish to SHOW
OFF, what her car could do, she
jumped lightly out to speak to an old
man who came toward her. She had
touched hidden spring and a step
had dropped from the side of the car
riage, enabling her to alight with ease.
This was another score for the car,
but there was better to come, for,
sudden as was the displacement of
weight, the vehicle only swayed
through a small angle. Immediately
assuming its upright position again.
A new burst of applause arose, and
the throng, pressing from all quarters
or'gaze at.the marvel, nearly broke
down the barriers put up to prevent
interference with the competing auto
mobiles.
This time the young woman did not
bow, for she was talking earnestly to
the old man who had come to her with
one OF the officials. He had his right
hand swathed in bandages, and Chris
topher was sure that he must be Rich
ard Herbert, the inventor Of the now
popular favorite.
He was thinking complimentary
thoughts alike about the inventor, car
and chauffeur when the masked young
woman raised her voice to a tone loud
enough for him to hear. Yes" she
said laughing, I'VE are the freakiest
freak of all. And I'm glad, for this is
race for new Inventions, and the
newest ought to win. really don't
see what that poor old, uninteresting
red thing is doing, In this ,galere, do
your -
1t. was the voice Of the girl who had
attacked Christopher in the restaurant
yesterday, and 80 far from being re-
pentant she was now gratifying her
desire for revenge BY attacking his
car, K4
Abuse 81 Scarlet Runner was to
Christopher what b red rag is to a
bull, or a sneer at her first baby to a
young mother.
"vicious little vixen!,' he said to
himself, turning a color to match his
car. And instantly a furious desire
tosbeat this girl in the race swept oyer
htyxo a I'm Tint N o ah}IdIch
petty, what you will that Is stupid
and wrong headed, to care In the least
for her stabs, but he was an angry as
II she had stuck her hatpins into one
or Scarlet Runners beautiful fat tires.
fsiT can beat her and all the rest Of
them, and / will. Women shouldn't
come into this sort OF thing. l can't
stand manpish girls" he thought.
"rhis one shall see what the poor old.
uninteresting red thing can do. any
how
Y AS he thus resolved the freaks were
buslly getting away. The girl had
hoped up into the gyroscopic car once
more, an official observer from the
club by her side, and then, with
scarcely a sound from the engines, the
black, cigar-shaped carashot ahead like
q. shark chasing Its prey. Two min
utes later came Christopher's turn, his
own observer having by this time
mounted to the seat beside him. They
were on toscover thesfirst mile Of the
thousand which would complete the
test. And not one man but was his
own chauffeur.
Through London and THE streets Of
suburbia that lies between town and
country the long line of strange-look-
ing automobiles many built for the
running of this race--ran slowly
enough, serpentining in and out Of
traffic, The order had been given that
no competitor must pass another un-
I'll open spaces had been reached.
therefore Christopher was compelled
tokeep at the enemys back He had
but too many. opportunities for OBJ
serving the big car, and its chauffeuse,
oflsseing the easeFwith which the car
n - a =. -