Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-03-24
w. FLIGHT.

w. FLIGHT.
He had placed the chair within a
yard of the door. His feet, as he sat
with legs extended, ankles crossed,
were almost Oh the threshold She
could hardly pass without stepping ov-
er them. He made no offer to move.
Indeed, he did not stir finger. His
hands were clasped before him, his
head rested on the high back of the
chair, his face was masked in deep
shadow, the deeper for the fire di-
rectly behind him, across the room,
whose dying glow furnished the only
light
1t was long minute before his
measured breathing revived her cour-
age. She sidled out nOiselessly in her
stockinged feet, watching him sus-
piciOusly. But the sleep that follows
an emotional crisis, always profound,
annulled the precautions he had TAX
en- to prevent precisely what was hap
pening,
AT the edge of the veranda she de-
layed long enough to take her slippers
from the pockets of the motoring
wrap and put them on. Then she
stepped down to the soft turf and
sped swiftly round the bungalow to the
| garage.
It's doors were Open-as she already
knew, for view of the garage was
commanded by the side window of
LeOnora's bedchamber Cold moonlight,
slanting in, picked out the blind lamps
of the car and the bright work of bon
net and windshield
With a humping heart she slipped
into the drivers seat and CROPPED for
the lighting and ignition controls Of
the dash. The luck seemed to he with
! her now; the switchboard had not
! been locked.
Her foot depressed the starting
pedal, and in the great hush the will
| ing drum of the motor reverberated
! like long roll heralding the Trump
of Doom. simultaneously meShing the
| gears in first speed, Priscilla let the
clutch in somewhat too suddenly. The
car jumped like startled animal and
| leaped out of the garage. She heard,
or thought she heard, a shout from
within the bungalow, and in her haste
| bunged the shift to second speed. so
that the gears ground and screeched
Internally. Nevertheless, the car
moved down to the road at a swifter
smoother pace.
In passing she saw, out of the
corner of her eye, Mario run out onto
the veranda, pause, then dash madly
! toward the car. She bore heavily on
the acceleratOr and made the third
shift smoothly enough. an instant later
rounding into the road on not more
than two wheels. Angry shouts in
the rear told her that Mario had failed
to Overtake her.
To Il moderate store of amateuriSh
driving ability alone she owed not one
but a dozen breath-taking escapes. The
road twisted and turned in a way to
test the ability of a skilled hand at
the wheel, in the first few miles sell
dom running straight for as much as
two hundred yards. The grade grew
by degrees less dangerous, however,
the road less serpentne; there were
presently stretches of almost level run
ming.
After time the road forked, and
perhaps two miles farther on it forked
again. Being utterly ignorant of the
lay of the rand, but guessing that the
valley was on her right, Priscilla in
both instances took the right-hand
track Well beyond the second fork
the car dropped swiftly down a short
but steep declivity, and, before she
could see her danger and apply the
brakes, plunged into mud above the
rims. Laboring heavily, it stopped dead
After few cOnvusive heaves the
engine sighed and stalled.
| (TO BE CONTINUED