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

them. And always the cigar-shaped
car gained upon those that had started
in advance, passing them one by one.
Always, too, Scarlet Runner gave
chase, never understanding the gyro-
scope, but never getting far outdis-
tanced itself Sometimes christopher
had the queer black thing well in
sight, sometimes he Jagged a few miles
behind according to the road surface;
for the gyroscope had the great ad-
vantage of running on single track,
inequalities of the road mattering lit
tie besides, less surface was presented
to the wind.
The Cigar, AS Christopher began to
call the Herbert invention, and Scar
let Runner had started in the race fif-
teenth and sixteenth, respectively; at
the end of the first day the former
was already ninth, the latter tenth.
But Christopher was beginning to
doubt his power to keep continually
close to the enemy. much less to pass
ahead, and he tried to console himself
by thinking that his dangerous rival
ought not to have been admitted as a
competitor in this race. The thing was
too much like a racing car.
The first night halt was in an i'm
portant Midland town, where all the
automobiles were driven to garages
and locked up, so that the driver could
not touch his car without the knowl-
edge of his own official observer. Most
of the competitors stopped at the larg-
est hotel in the place, and Christopher
had the doubtful pleasure of seeing
the fair chauffeuse Every smart and
pretty in her dinner dress) being con-
graduated in the dining room by a
number of her chivalrous rivals. Ma
dame du Guesclin tor whom he had
mistaken the girl before the starD had
arrived by train, to chaperon her
friend and here the latest news.
| The race was to last five days, the
competitors zigzagging about England
to fill up the allotted distance before
finishing at Edinburgh, and for the
T! Cigar and Scarlet Runner the second
day was almost repetition of the
first. Both passed other cars, but
Christopher could not pass Miss Her
bert, try as he might.
On the third day the two were well
in front of all pursuers and they were
breastiryy a steep hill when the gyro-
scope seemed to lose power and falter
little on the difficult incline. Per-
haps there was temporary failure of
petrol pressure; perhaps fault of ig-
milton, but whatever the explanation
Christopher was quick to seize his
chance. With a few gay notes Of his
musical siren he flashed past, leaped
to the summit of the hill and swooped
down on the other side. But DESPITE
the lightning speed at which his ma
neuver was accomplished Christopher
had had time to glance at Miss Her
bert as he tore by. ..,...,tg
/ Up till now she had been distin-
guished for her neatness, but it was
as II excitement and anxiety had
somehow disarranged the girl. A
curling lock of hair the color of a
copper beech leaf had escaped from
its leather covering to fly in the wind
like a flag signalling distress. Her
mask, unfastened on one side. was
hanging from the dust-covered cap
by q cord, and the beautiful young
face was pale and strained. Christie
pher suffered from brief spasm of
compassion, and his delight In tri-
umph was dashed for moment, but
he said to himself that the winning
Of the race meant far more to him
than 1t could to her. She would have
no mercy upon him, nor did he want
It. ,.e-..
He pressed Scarlet Runner for all
she was worth. and was happy In
maintaining the lead throughout the
rest Of the day. Naturally it fell to
him to start first the next morning. an
advantage he expected to use to the
utmost, but it is an old story that
pride comes before fall.
For once Scarlet Runner did not
work loyalty with her master. The
red cars heart beat sluggishly, and
ten miles beyond the last hating
place he heard horn-blast in his
ear, pulled a little to his near side,
and saw the Cigar dash by in an in
sulting cloud Of dust So swiftly flew
the gyroscopic car that it tossed up
tornado of tiny ewhirling stones,
which gave Christopher Race all he,
could do to keep Scarlet Runner
straight, so did they obscure his
view, Nevertheless, on the principle
that disagreeable things. are always
the easiest to see. he was able to make
out, In that swift bird-fiight, that a
small gloved hand threw him mock
Ing salute.
AS II conscious of her wrongdoing,
no sooner had the Cigar swept out
Of sight and the cloud subsidized, than
Scarlet Runner picked upS strength
and energy, leaping forward like a
hound that strains at his leash. There
were still some hours. left Of this last
day. Who could tell what the good
car might yet do tosretrieye her for
tunes? t&G
The morning fled. Christopher came
to the next control without having
had another glimpse of the gyroscope. !.
There he learned that the enemy
must be at least FIVE miles In advance
of him an easy victory at least with.
In reach as It must seem TO every
one. fs1 .iS ia tfte q
Pretty and young as she is, that
girl seems to have had NOT one fem
mime grace which isn't of the body
he said venomously, What bad form
to wave her hand as she passed me!
But you can't make woman under
stand how to play the game."i n
IT think you do her Injustice re-
turned the observer. whose name was
Mcclellan. believe she's a. very
nice girl realty but her father is her
Idol. Shed do anything for him, peo-
pie swho know. her. say. II fnearly
broke her heart when that other
invention of his proved a failure
few years. ago, when she was is or
rs. Old Dick Herbert practically
brought Net up by hand. He was
middle-aged when. he married her
mother. who, died at the girls birth,
and the two have been everything to
each other since. She learned motor
driving and something Of mechanics
to please her father, because she knew
he was inventing this gyroscopic car,
and she thought, as he was old, lit.
tie practical chauffeuring might come
in handy in the family A friend Of
theirs told me the othe day that this
girl-DorothyS1 think her name isl
has nearly usedlup legacy left her
by some relatives as dot in having
this car built It must have cost a
good bit of money, and they have next