The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-25
Making an
Acquaintance
Method Was Breezy,
But Effective
By F. A. Mitchell

Miss Atherton had gone to the coun-
try for the summer. She was a de-
voted automObilist and had intended
to drive herself to the summer home
OF the Athertons, but the machine
broke down the day before she was to
start, and so busy were the mechanics
that no one was available to make re-
pairs Miss Atherton therefore reluc-
tantly decided to take train, and the
auto went to the shop to wait till some
one could find time to repair it.
From the moment Miss Atherton
] reached her country home she missed
her auto. She busted herself in her
flower garden and returned temporari-
| ly to the bicycle which she had ridden
as little girl, but none of her de-
vices for killing time sufficed
| A week passed and the auto did not
| come. To one used to motoring the
perambulatOrs provided by nature
seem very inefficient. Miss Atherton
| fretted at having to walk or to re-
main at home on bright afternoon
when she would like to be spinning
along over smooth roads in her car
One morning she started for walk
The weather was balmy and rather
suggestive OF siesta than trudging
along country road. Miss AthertOn's 8
motions We're languorous. Presently
she passed spick and span machine
standing beside The road At the end
Of long walk was house Doubt
less the car belonged to some one in
the house The lady stopped and sur
veyed the machine covetOusly. 1t was
car for two persons. The nickel plate
Of the wheel the starting and illuminat-
ing devices glistened in the sun.
Miss AthertOn was tempted to open
the door and rest herself on the cush-
ions. Glancing at the house, no one
was In sight. No one was coming up
or down the road There was click
and Miss Atherton was In the car
Another click denoted that she had
closed the door.
Everything about her was quiet.
Only birds sang.
She touched the electric starter.
There was bur-r-r of wheels. Before
she realized what she was doing she
had completed turning on the power,
and the machine moved. How lovely.
How easy! How comfortable! How
restful after walking! She would run
up the road for a short distance, turn
and bring the car back to the place
where she had found it.
AS she moved Off Jack Coolidge,
the owner Of the captured machine,
came out Of the house and from the
porch saw some one running away
with his machine. Instead Of follow
ing on his legs, he ran around to a ga
rage got out another machine and gave
chase.
Quite likely stealing is often at first
unintentiOnal. The thief admires some
thing, perhaps cOvets 1t. He takes 1t
in his hand. Surprised by some one
who enters without seeing his act, he
pockets the object, intending to replace
1t when he can do SO unnoticed
Miss AthertOn was about to turn
with the auto when she heard the
sputter Of motor engine behind her.
What possessed her to act as she did
was mystery to her. Hearing the
words stop thief" it occurred to her
that if she obeyed the order she would
be taken to a police station, tried for
larceny and sent to state prison. Her
first impulse was to put on speed: her
second was to put on more speed, and
the third was to use all the power of
which the machine was capable
Then followed mad race Coolidge
got near enough to see that woman
was at the wheel, but he could not see
what she was like. But presently,
when she turned short distance
ahead of him. he got better view and
was astonished TO see one who wore the
apparel of lady The mystery Deep |
ened. Women don't steal auto cars. |
Such thefts are usually made by men.
and very rough men at that. He could
not conceive of a lady stealing his car. !
She was speeding along at such break !
neck speed that he began to fear she |
would come to grief. What to do, he
could not decide. He followed on as he
had begun.
An auto coming from the opposite
direction met the fleeing girl, and the
driver saw by the expression and the
speed at which she was travelling that
she was under some great excitement.
She flashed by him, and when in a
few moments her pursuer did the same
1t was evident that mad race was on
between woman and a man. Was it
real chase or material for a moving
picture show? The observer did not
know, but having an old fashioned ma
chine he decided not to interfere and
passed on. wondering. Other machines
were met, and the drivers of most of
them, seeing two cars coming like the
wind, drew up beside the road to give
them safe passage.
Coolidge was driving a machine not
capable OF making the speed of the one
being run away with, but for a time he
gained on it, since he dare use his DOW
er to greater extent. The fugitive
for time maintained some degree of
caution, but as her pursuer gained on