The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-10-07

pus, with Cicely beside him at her
queenliest best. To get there drab-
bled, limping, maybe too late for ev-
everything, would be blow, but moth
Ing compared to the risk. Suppose
there should be danger-anything
might happen with the road surface
wholly unknown! Suppose they stuck
past moving and had to wade out
through mud midleg deep! Suppose
also skidding, blowouts-all the worst
in the auto calendar of harms? But
Cicely had decreed the way past
Banksbush, so he headed into 1t, his
teeth set, his heart pumping like
trip-hammer.
Roads, exc women, are full of guile
This special road had nothing worse
than mudflakes all through the first
mile. A quarter more and Banks
bush would be past. Linton breathed
freer, Notwithstanding he knew the
worst was to come. A hundred yards
further on the washouts had barred
many sharp-angled powders, to get
past which he must dare the clay
ooZe spread by choked ditch. One
ditch bank was mushy, the other rea-
sOnably firm. 1t might hold up I'M
der crawling car-but here the need
was not caution but power. So he
braced himself firmly, muttered.
Hold hardw to Cicely and set his
beauty car straight at 1t. To his
amazement the vehicle shot through
the earthly welter as though mud were
beneath consideration. He would GER
tainly have made it but for the dog,
Lulu's pet fox terrier, which dashed
ahead of them barking furiOusly, stuck
fast-was half buried in sheeted mud
thrown off by the wheels that stopped
dead two inches from its quivering
body.
Lulu upon the lawn saw everything
and began crying, wringing hands, say
ing: Brute! oh, you brute!" Sophie
ran down from the piazza between
the two brilliant paupers, all ia king
at once, and berating the heartless
motorist.
"Why, it's Mr. Linton. And Cicely
with him." Sophie cried hurriedly, pre-
tending to recognize the luckless pair.
"What can we do to help? Send for
an airplane. That looks to be the
only way of getting you aut."
THANK you for nothing" Linton
shouted back as he climbed from the
car, sank almost thigh deep in the
oOZe, seized the terriers head, held
it up, and tried to unearth the body.
Cicely called to her sometime wooers,
''Why don't you come help? You
won't drown, being taller than poor
Gyp."
Because l won't let them" Sophie
tainted. 1--WE are going to the coun-
try club ia little while. The other
road is quite passable-they've been
working on it since daylight. You
were foolish to venture the way you
did. I'll ask father TO send stable
man to dig you out. I'd love to take
you with us, Cicely, If there was only
a way of getting you out Git to be
seen."
"Never mind me, I'll get myself
out" Cicely cried, fiinging off hat.
gloves, dust cloak, even her dainty
pumps. Thus stripped for action she
bent far down, slipped her hands I'M
der the dogts head, and held it while
Linton worked furiously freeing the
poor creature. Don't mind anything,
just so we save him." she said to Lin
ton. "Td be haunted always by his
eyes If we left him to smother"
The stableman came so laggardly
he found two rumpled and out of
breath young people scraping mud
from shivering terrier, yet taking
time between scrapes to smile at each
other. They gave the rescued animal
cheerfully to his owners representa-
tive, yet Clcely said, looking after
him: I'D love to kiss Gyp. But for
him I'd never have known how good
man could be. You never once even
looked at me. All your fault! You
deserve a reward. What shall 1t be?
A new car or-something else?"
Linton grinned. Something else,
please ma'am," he SAID "a piece of
blessed willfulness sure to make life
interesting"