The daily Alaskan., 1917-06-11

showed no Slgn or uOlnS 50, NOOuuBS pressed his accelerator and soon dreI up to within hailing distance. He thought of calling, but, remembering the result of bis first effort, refrained
 Presently he saw the thief turn 6 sharp bend in the road. The auto skid ded, followed a tortuous course for some distance and brought up against a deserted shanty. BefoEs tS struck the chauffeur had succeeded in redue- ing its speed, and neither she nor the machine was much injured, though both were badly jared. But Miss Ath- erton was more rattled at being oVer- hauled than by the jarring.
 'aTaks me to jaill" she cried. "Take ne to jail. I'm a thief"
 Now, there was everything in AiSs Atherton's appearance to belle her con- fesslon. Coolidge saw at once that what appeared on the surface was not the truth.
 "Are you hurtY he asked Boncit- ously.
 His tone was reassuring. Miss Ath- erton looked up and saw a gentleman regarding her not only kindly, but ad- miringly.
 Miss Atherton, though she had TO- gained her equaRimity and satisA0d' herself that she was tn no danger of being dragged to jan, 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 forT she asked in no friendly tone.
 "I could not see that 8 lady was driving my machine. 50 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 dge, fearing a collapse.
 "Then why didn't you say sof''
 "How could say so when was not on hand?"
 "But you cried out, Stop thiefF"
 "I supposed some one was stealing my machine. l did not know that a young lady had merely borrowed 1t"
 Miss Athorton 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 he had made the pursuit, he begged her to enter.
 Where are you going to take me" she asked.
 ''To your home"
 What will you do with the one I have tnjuredi"
 Leave 1t where 1t 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 oyer the course they had been racing But the return speed was very differ ent from the outgoing. Mir. Coolidge was quite delighted with the adTen- 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 6 shop and repair 1t, but he declared that 1t had not been damaged Then began an explanation as to how she had como to run away with his car but 1t was not exactly the,one already given with this story. Up to the point where Coolidge had cried Stop thiefr' 1t was a succession of excuses. From that point onward 1t was lamentation that he had made her think that she was flying from a 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- ton between them, and everybody knows that making up between young man and a young woman is ha- ble to stir the emotions. At any rate, when they parted Coolidge had re- ceiTed 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 was announced. He seemed very anX- ious lest some sign of physical or men, tai shock had appeared during the in- terval since he had last seen her and gave vent to an expression of joy when she assured him that she had suffered po fpiY,r- 1,-hpknr oyrapk FhnS aha