Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1919-10-16

part because Evelyn had twice de-
posted him in the ditch since the car
came home. 1.-THE horrid thing will
60 round the corners so fast" had been
her lament after these mishaps. Bates
added the pious prayer that he might
60 round with the car on the next
occasion.
Evelyn had been into Derby on the
day the Vicar narrated the misfor-
tunes OF his straw hat. Having done
little shopping, she set out for the
Hall few minutes after the hour of
twelve, by which time the day had
turned gloriously fine with light
wind from the east and a bank Of
white clouds high beneath the azure,
which promised welcome interludes of
shade. She had a journey Of twenty
three miles before her (for Melbourne
Hall lies far from the little town of
that name and knows IL not), and
leisure enough in which to do 1t. Bus
mess, she knew not Of what nature,
had carried her father to London near
ly week ago. She would be alone
until tomorrow, her own jailer, she
said with pout, the mistress Of hours
by which she could profit 80 little. Her
mood, indeed, had become one OF
cynical Indifference, tempered by the
reflection that this was the first visit
the Earl had paid to London since her
escapade. What, she asked, II q word
of that story came to his ears even
now? The weeks Of safety inspired
a sense OF security which circum-
stance hardly justified. She paled
and trembled when she asked herself
what such passionate man as her
father would do II the truth were dis
covered by him.
Here, truly, was NO impulse to the
delights Of speed or to that reckless
ness which the Vicar chided. Evelyn
drove slowly, her thoughts vagrant
who has not pleasure awaiting her at
her journeys end. She had traversed
over twenty miles of the distance and
was Just looking out for that we'll
known landmark, the spire Of the vii
lage church, when startled cry from
the usually phlegmatic Bates aroused
her attention and called upon a SELF
possession which rarely failed her.
"A horse and carriage-bolting be-
hind us, your ladyship-put her on
the fourth-my God he's coming right
on top Of us-quick, your ladyship-
horse bolting-"
He stood up in the dicky and waved
his arms and continued to cry, "A
horse bolting!" as though by repeti-
ton alone he would bring Der to a
sense Of danger. Evelyn, upon her
part cast one startled glance behind
her and instantly became aware of
the situation For down the road,
which sloped slightly toward them.
horse bolted madly in their direction
swinging light brougham from foot
path to foot. ath and leaving a dense
cloud of dust t. be witness to the
speed. So mad was the gallop that
the frightened beast, seen first at
distance perhaps OF ( hundred yards,
was no more than three hundred
yards from them when Ey elyn opened
the throttle of her car to the full and
sent 1t racing down the incline as II
udO never TdCcu uclOTc rHlc0u,
twenty, twenty-five miles an hour the
speed Indicator registered, and still
the car appeared to be gaining spesd.
Behind, as though in vain pursuit
the laundering sound of hoofs waxed
louder; and once or twice In the In
terludes OF sounds, mans voice
could be heard crying to the horse
and to those in the car incoherent
words in an unknown tongue.
Let her go for Gods sake, your
ladyship-let her go-hes coming ur-
keep to the right-don't mind the
corner-well do it yet" These and
many another exclamation fell from
Bates volcanic lips as he clung to the
dicky for dear life and tried to drive
the mad horse into the hedge by the
Wild waving of spasmodic arm. His
appeal to her to keep TO the right
showed that he, at any rate, had not
lost his head. Instructive habit sent
the animal flying to the left-hand side
of the road as he would naturally be
sent by any coachman. Though the
brougham lurched wildly, the terrified
horse returned to his accustomed
place again and again, taking the cor.
ners In wide sweeps and increasing
his speed with his terror. A grea,
raw bony brute that had been ridden
to hounds the previous winter, his
gallop was that Of thoroughbred
over good grass lands. Even the ten
horsepower car could not keep its
lead. Evelyn knew that he was over
taking her. The shadow of catastrophe
seemed to creep over her very shoul-
ders. "Is he far OF now?" she would
ask Bates despairingly.
The answer. many times repeated
began to be monotonous.