The diamond drill., 1919-04-26
A WILD RIDE
BY DOROTHY M. MARsHEA.



Syndicate)
Alice Hildreth came dancing into the
room where her mother sat. waving an
open letter In her hand.
Mother, mother" she exclaimed
joyously. "Aunt Helen wants me TO
make her visit while she Is In the
mountains Please. dearest. say can
GO" she pleaded. II do SO want TO
90 through the mountains"
But, Alice" demonstrated Mrs. Hill
dreth. you"
"Now. mother, interrupted Alice.
"you know you are going to be dar-
ling and let me 60"
After many arguments and much
teasing. Alice convinced her mother
that she ought 10 be allowed TO go. So.
on the following Monday, bright.
sunny day, Alice started In her little
gray roadster for her Journey TO Aunt
Helen's.
Up hills and down she went slow
ing up now and then to admire the
beautiful scenery. Everything was so
new and marvelously beautiful TO her
that she wished she had a week to
spend on her trip.
She paused while TO admire the
"old Man OF the Mountains" then
speeded up In order to reach her des.
tination before dark, and I'm her hurry
she did not notice the Danger" sign
that gave warning OF the dangerous
Three Mile hill of Franconla Notch.
Suddenly, after making sharp turn,
she saw stretched before her the most
dangerous descent In the mountains.
She Jammed on both brakes, but they
only slowed the car up trihe. The
roads were all cut up from recent rains
and were In a terrible condition, and
poor Alice could only brace herself and
clutch the wheel. thanking her lucky
stars there was no one In the road.
She went over the last bump and
down the final slope at an awful speed,
when suddenly young man In sol
dier's uniform came running out from
her horn, and I'm the second that fol-
lowed the steering wheel was wrench
ed from her other hand as the front
wheels struck rut. She felt herself
going over. and then everything grew
blank.
When she came TO. Alice found her
self lying on her auto robe with a
young man I'm khaki bending over her.
IL did not take long 10 discover that
she was miraculously unhurt, but the
car was completely overturned. They
stopped passing farmer, and the
young man. with his help finally sue
ceeded In rlghtlng the car again. And
wonder OF wonders--it was not dam
aged much save for dent In the mud
guard and broken windshield
Alice discovered that Donald WRne,
for as such the young man introduced
was bound fore the same town
as she. So IL was quite natural that
she should invite him to go In her car. !
II does not take two young people long !
To get acquainted, and I'm the two hap
by weeks that followed they spens
much OF their time together. Just be- |
fore Donald was called for service }
overseas he asked for and received Al I
Ices promise that she would let him
guide her car down the path Of life as !
long as he promised not TO tip her out. |
because" she declared, "the spill ! !
gave myself was enough TO last n life
time"
When Alice told her mother OF her |
experience after reaching home safely |
she also showed her new ring that |
and cleaned on her left
hand.
"Now. mother" she teased. "aren't !
YOU glad you let me go To see Aunt
lIelenI Because. She added, "cyen II
aid have an awful scare. ] never would
have met Don IL II hadn't been for that
Wild, Wild ride"