Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-06-07

head and could not see whether her
pursuer was gaining on her or losing
ground. However, her ears told her
that the machine sehind her was max
ing less noise. and had she not lost her
head completely she would have re-
duced her speed accordingly. Since she
showed no sign of doing so, Coolidge
pressed his accelerator and soon drew
up to within hailing distance. He
thought of calling, but. remembering
the result of his first effort, refrained.
Presently he saw the thief turn
sharp bend in the road The auto skid
ded, followed a tortuous course for
some distance and brought up against
q deserted shanty. Before it struck
the chauffeur had succeeded in reduc-
ing its speed, and neither she nor the
machine. was much injured, though
both were badly Jared. But Miss Ath-
erton was more ratified at being over
hauled than by the jarring.
Take me to jail.' she cried. "Take
me to Jail. I'm thief
Now, there was everything in Miss
Atherton's appearance to belle her con-
fession. Coolidge saw at once that
what appeared ON the surface was not
the truth.
"Are you hurt?" he asked solicit
ously.
His tone was reassuring. Miss Ath-
erton looked up and saw a gentleman
regarding her not only kindly, but aG-
miringly.
Miss Atherton, though she had re,
gained her equanimity and satisfied
herself that she was in no danger of
being dragged to Jail, was still not her
self. Nevertheless, she was still a wo-
man. She began to throw the blame
on to Mr.. Coolidge.
What were you trying to run me
down fOr?" she asked in no friendly
tone.
II could not see that lady was
driving my machine, so I naturally
supposed some one was trying to get
away with it.
Miss Atherton looked as If she were
about to burst into tears.
"You were quite welcome to use my
machine, I assure you," faltered Cool
idge, fearing a collapse.
"Then why didn't you say so?'
"How could l say so when 1 was not
on hand"
"But you cried out, Stop thief!"
II supposed some one was stealing
my machine. l did not know that
young lady had merely borrowed it."
Miss AthertOn was recovering her.
self slowly. She made no rejoinder to
Mr.. Coolidge's last remark. He con-
cluded to make an effort to get her
either to her home or his. anywhere
but where she was. There were two
vehicles to be taken care OF. but now
that she had ceased to be buoyed up
by excitement he did not have to trust
her to drive either of them. BESIDES,
he did not know whether the one she
had been driving would be available
after the collision. Opening the door
of the car in which ne had made the
pursuit, he begged her to enter.
"Where are you going to take me?"
she asked
ITO your home
"What will you do with the one 1
have injured?
Leave it where it is for the present"
She walked lamblike to the door he
was holding open and entered the car.
He entered at the wheel side and,
turning into the road, drove back
over the course they had been racing.
But the return speed was very differ
nnf from tho Cno1;dno
was quite delighted with the adven-
ture. He was pleased that his car had
not been stolen and still more pleased
to have a pretty girl beside him who
had given him an opportunity to show
his gallantry by borrowing his car
without leave.
She begged him to permit her to send
a man to take his machine to a shop
and repair it, but he declared that it
had not been damaged Then began
an explanation as to how she had come
to run away with his car, but it was
not exactly the one already given with
this story. Up to the point where
Coolidge had cried "Stop thiefv' it was
succession of excuses. From that
he had made her think that she was
flying from long Imprisonment. Coo
lidge declared that hanging would be
too good for him, but he did not sug-
gest anything else that he could have
done under the circumstances. By the
time he got her home he had implored
her forgiveness, but what for did not
matter. There was a sort of reconcilia-
tion between them, and everybody
knows that making up between a
young man and young woman is liza
Bile to stir the emotions. At any rate,
when they parted Coolidge had re-
ceived permission to call in the even
ing to learn If the shock Miss Ather-
ton had received had been fraught
with serious consequences.
Coolidge availed himself of the privi-
lege accorded him, and Miss Atherton
had scarcely finished dinner before he