Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-05-26


with legs extended, ankles crossed.
were almost on the threshold. She
could hardly pass without stepping ov-
er them. He made no offer TO move.
Indeed, he did not stir a 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 d.
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 sided out noiselessly In her
stockinged feet, watching him sus-
piciousy. 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 a view of the garage was
commanded by the side window Of
Le0nora's bedchamber Cold moonlight,
slanting in, picked out the blind lamps
| of the car and the bright work of bon
net and windshield.
With humping heart she slipped
! into the drivers seat and CROPPED for
the lighting and ignition controls Of
/ the dash. The luck seemed to be 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 reverberate
like long roll heralding the Trump
1 of Doom. simultaneously meshlng the
gears In first speed, Priscilla let the
! clutch in somewhat TOO suddenly. The
car jumped like startled animal and
] ieaped out of the garage. She heard,
! or thought she heard, shout from
within the bungalow. and in her haste
| bungled the shift to second speed, so
that the gears ground and screeched
/ Internally. Nevertheless. the car
moved down to the road at 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 moderate store Of amateurlsh
! driving ability alone she owed not one
but dozen breath-taking escapes. The
road twisted and turned In a way to
/ test the ability Of a skilled land 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 serpentine; there were
presently stretches of almost level run
ming.
After a time the road fOrked. and
| perhaps two miles farther on II fOrked
again. Being utterly ignorant Of the
lay Of the land, but guessing that the
valley was on her right. Priscilla in
both Instances took the right-h8nd
track. Well beyond the second fork
the car dropped swiftly down short
but steep declivity, and. before she
could see her danger ard apply the
brakes, plunged into mud above the
rims. Laboring heavily. II stopped dead
After few cOnvulsive heaves the
engine sighed and stalled.
With the cessation of its rumble,
came noise of rushing water. Mis-.
| chance had led her to a spot where
the road had been half washed out by
the overflow from mountain stream.
The headlights showed an unrelieved
stretch of mire which forbade the
thought Of trying to go on. The only
thing TO do was to back outfit she
could-and, since II would be Impos.
sible to turn on the narrow trail, keep
on backing till she regained the last
fork: On the face Of 1t no easy task,
but feasible with care and patience.
Hopefully she restarted the engine
and threw the reverse gears. The
wheels moved with sucking noise, at
first sluggishly, then worked free and
spun brisklyi The car held fast where
| II had stopped. She shut of the igni.
ton and got down to investigate. step
ping into mud above her ankles. The
sole result OF her attempt to back out
had been to bog down the wheels near
ly to the hubs.
When she bad strained the motor
for few more minutes without en-
couragement. she gave up the hopeless
struggle and cried little into her
muddled hands.
The unhsnnx alternative. va, hsrs