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

why don't you go. we mustn't wall
l almost think ! see car coming II
the distance behind"
mo. you mustn't wait" echoed
Christopher laconically.
He was standing against one of hi
own driving wheels, looking up at he
with an odd expression in his eyes, a
II he were suddenly very tired. Sh'
was no longer white. A bright colo
stained her cheeks, but 1t was Chris
topher who was pale under dust ant
tan. He felt rather detected, for h,
was in the act of doing a hideou
thing-wounding his best friend. Alst
he was throwing away 10000 pounds
and a fortune from his uncle just be
cause girl had cried and looked for
lorna young girl, brave and loyal
who had impoverished herself for rel
father and was fighting for him now
against all odds.
Christopher had quietly, stealthil,
taken a penknife from his pocket and
with his hand behind him, had driver
the little blade deep into Scarlet Run
ner's tire. Poor, faithful Scarlet Run
ner, who had served him SO well, ant
whose heart was throbbing still with
the desire and power to bear him or
to victory! Yet he couldn't take thai
victory, and see the girl lose. He ha6
hated her, but he didn't hate hel
now. He simply couldn't be the cause
of making her fight in vain.
81 said we mustn't wait. And you
must go first" she repeated.
Sorry" said Christopher DULY
with lump in his throat, as he hoped
that Scarlet Runner would forgive
him. I'm afraid l can't obey. l APP
pear to be hung up, too. Tire down
l see."
Dorothy Herbert stared at the fat
tening rubber and M'Lellan whistled
family, making a sound rather like
the escaping air which gushed from
the tires wounded inner tube.
ut would be auixotic of you to wait
for me now" went on Christopher.
Fortune of war But l don't give
up yet. 1t won't take me long to re-
place this tire, and 1 have a fighting
chance still. But there's no fun for
either of us if you don't start at once.
beg of you to go on"
Hesitating, half reluctant, half
eager, the girl let herself be hypno-
tiZed by the command in her late enc
my's eyes. Almost mechanically her
foot pressed the clutch lever; touch
on another lever drew up the support
ing metal legs. The car moved for
ward. Once the driver looked back,
maskless; a few seconds later she had
dropped over the brow of hill.
II suppose 1 shall have to record
this-er-stop against you," said
MLellan, as Christopher renewed the
inner tube and forced on the cover by
means of the new American tool which
had served him bravely not long ago,
on a certain eventful journey to
Barnet.
"It's my duty to do that. All the
same, well, 1 think it's about the
finest thing I've ever known man
to do-jolly lot finer than the record
you might have made, if you hadn't
done it."
There are some things you must
do-you don't know why" grumbled
Christopher, once more taking his
seat.
Far beyond the outskirts of Edin-
burgh crowds began to line the road
way on either side-cheering, enthu-
siastic crowds, prepared to give the
winners hearty Scotch welcome
Then, thicker and thicker grew the
press in. the southern suburbs. 1t
seemed that Lowlands and Highlands
had banded together to form one huge,
shouting throng.
Put on a squirt master!" roared
a tall soldier in kits THE lassies
no far ahead o. We the noo!" eGi
Christopher smiled, but not very
gaily He was beating down the. temp
tation to lessen the distance between
the cars, and he had conquered it just
enough to give that smile.
At last he struck the superb line of
Princes street, and far away at the
other end he could see crimson ban
ner, which marked the winning post.
towards that flutter of red
(yet not so fast as it might have gone
II the chauffeuse had chosen) was the
gyroseope. a..l
The air rang with applause as the
car, with the pale girl driv-
ing, passed beneath the flag; and
Christopher, hearing, could not have
analysed the feelings which surged in
his breast.
He had timed his own arrival as
he followed, and he came in at the.
finish precisely as he had started, ex-
actly two minutes behind the car
which set out before him.
Those who did not know doubtless
he ought to be glad and proud
to win the second prize, an exceed,
ingly handsome gold cup; but Chris
topher knew, and IL he had not known
he would have become unpleasantly
certain when he saw his .uncle's face
The old man had come by train to
Edinburg to meet the winner Of the
first prize, who, from Geographic ac-.
counts, he had little doubt would be
his nephew.
He had taken a suite of rooms at
the hotel which he considered best,
and had ordered the most elaborate
dinner the chef could produce, to be
accompanied by plenty of the most ex-s
pensive champagne. And, behold, his
joyous preparations were wasted! &
This was bad enough. but. a few
words from M'Lellan Ito whom he.
had been introduced on the day of
the start) made matters worse. The
two met in the hall of the hotel
where Mr.. Race was all but dancing
with rage as he waited to berate the
failure who was putting up Scarlet
Runner in the garage. A few words.
we'll meant on MLellan.s part, and
spoken in praise of Christopher's
generosity. gave the old
man some idea Of the true state of
the case.
Unable to trust himself longer in
the society I of his feilow-man, he
stumbled upstairs to the private dining