The Press., 1918-03-28

 seas over, took it upon himself to ap- proprIate the auto out for a spin, and about midnight, at his hotel. Boyden was called out of bed to the tele- phone.
 'It's me-" was announced in maud lin tones. :.
 "Who is mel" demanded Boyden.
 "Joe DavIln, of course. Say, Boy den, I'm all in, and I've run the ma chine into a telegraph pole and pretty nigh smashed 1t to flinders. You'll have to get some garage machine to haul us into town"
 Boyden's keen eyes sparkled. He was neSer at 8 loss to turn an incl dent to his own advantage.
 ''You- get. right to the hotel here," he ordered his befuddIed friend man. datorlly. "Leave the machine where 1t is. Don't say a word to anybody about the accident. Do just as say, or I'll throw you over for good"
 In. the course of an hour Davlin ar rived at the hotel. Boyden got him to bed. Then he used the phone liberal ly. He sent word to the office of the city company insuring his automobile against theft, that it had been stolen. Placidly chuckling, he went to bed himself, feeling that he had done a good hours work.
 Next day the insurance adjuster ar rived. The local watchman had found the wrecked machine, minus it's tires, which someone had stolen. There could be no doubt that 1t had been stolen and wrecked. Boyden received three times what he would have taken for the machine and left for new fields of adventure and speculation. It happened that Neil came upon the adjuster, anxious to settle the affair and get back to the city. The wreck was offered to the local garage for S1OO."
 "T wouldn't give $50" remarked the garage man contemptuOusly.
 "Take it for. $50," pressed the in surance adjuster eagerly.
 Don't want 1t at any price,"
 "Forty?"
 "No.'
 "I'll give forty" spoke up Neil, and the bargain was clinched on the spot.
 Ned had a friend who operated a small machine shop, and to his place he had the wrecked auto taken. The latter was friendly and clever. He patched up the dlsjointed machine, happened to have a set of solid rubber tires that had been once used on a truck, and, clumsy, grinding, missing fire regularly but going just the same, the machine tore proudly about the village. Nell was too pleased to hear the jeers of those who criticized the old rattletrap. He was proud as Luci-. fer when, coming down steep hill, he was arrested for speeding.
 ''That wasn't power" enlightened 8 friend. 'It was momentum"
 ''What does 1t matter, so she goes! ?" chirped Nell.
 Now, destiny was preparing new surprise for Nell, which linked in with the incident of the wreck. One day handsome young man and a lovely girl of seventeen, Gabrielle North, left the train at Fairview with some trepida- ton.
 They hastened to reach the outskirts of the town. On a bench outside of the shed where Neil kept his beloved automobile and was tinkeFing over 1t inside at that moment, they sat down to rest.
 ''The telegram from our mutual friend which we received here, says that your uncle has wired to have us stopped when we reach Rosebury," spoke the young man in an anxious and serious tone.
 "Then it seems" murmured the young lady sorrowfully, "that we can't go to Rosebury."
 ''No, not by train, and as soon as your uncle finds we have left the train he will have his hirellng spies after Us all along tue route."
 "Oh. Walter! what are we ever So- Ing to dor" walled the girl at the point of tears. -s..'
 "Reachs Rosebury, some other way than by rail-" was the prompt re- sponse. ''You see, watchful as your uncle is, he don't know that we are headed for my friend, the Rev. Jarvis Boutwell, at Rosebury, who will marry us at once. Then we can defy the malignant old guardian, who is bound you shall wed another man of his se- lection"
 "Walter," sobbed Gabrielle pathet1- caIly, 'T am yours till death!' . All this and much more Neil over heard, hammer suspended, his good, sympathetic heart stirred to his depths. At the end of ten minutes he understood the situation complete.
 Here were two gentle souls pursued by an ogre In the shape of meretri- cious relative and guardian, who sought to rend them rudely apart and crush their mutual love under his feet. It should not bel Neil startled the cooing. calculating pair by abruptly confronting them.
 SFFiends." he announced clearly; ''Pve been eavesdPOpping. I overheard all you said, and I'm going to help 1ep,"