The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-29
Euening Story
A High-Speed Courtship.
BY FREDERICK HART.

n SA-kOH(Cu SO01 t61AAPs
BY FREDERICK HART.
The big gray racing car plunged
around sharp curve, skidded
wildly, righted itself, and shot ahead
up the straight, with its speedometer
climbing steadily from fortv-fifty-
five-sixty-close to sixty-three. Its
lone occupant was a girl-a girl en-
veloped in a white dust-coat, wearing
a snug motoring cap and gauntleted
gloves that were gripping the wheel OF
the powerful machine with a sure
clasp. that seemed to indicate COM
plete mastery of the iron horse that
was surging under her. The roar of
the exhaust and the high song of the
tires on the smooth road drowned
all other noises. Another curve show
ed ahead: and the girl, setting her
teeth, took it at full speed. She passed
a car coming in the opposite direction
with rush that left its occupants
gasping in amazement. But the girl
cared nothing for frightened passen-
gers or danger to herself. She was
saying as she nursed her car to an
even higher burst of speed, I'll show
him! I'll show him!"
About a mile behind her car,
somewhat like her own, was making
even more reckless time over the
road. 1t was painted a dull brown
and built in long stream lines that
gave it the appearance OF something
which would scorn anything under
sixty miles an hour. At its wheel was
seated a young man, so enveloped in
coat, cap and goggles that nothing
could be seen of his features.
AS he urged his machine down the
road he kept saying to himself: Great
Scott Why did she want to. run away
like that? I've got to catch her"'
The cause of this mad race down a
country road was one of those little
things that bring about great effects
Bob Hathaway had gone to call on
Margaret Elliot with the firm inten-
ton of proposing to her; thing
which he had been on the point of do
ing for the last two months. To do
her justice, Margaret was perfectly
aware of this intention on the part of
young Mr.. Hathaway; and in her
mind she had decided what her an
swer was to be. But Bob. unfortu-
nately for him, was an enthusiast on
the subject of his big Bramble road
ster, while Margaret had but one pas
sion-her own Gancia Eight, which
she drove. tended, and repaired her
self. Bob on calling, had unwlseiy
boosted of the time he had made in
coming over a distance of eight miles
Margaret had replied that she often
made the distance in several seconds
less. This had started an argument
WAlACil lAdQ QLlILcOp DIS SuClI al
do. from a friendly dispute into a
definite intention on the part of both
parties not to give in to each other
Margaret had suddenly challenged Bob
to a race to Baxter, fifty miles away
and before he had had time to object
she had fastened to the garage, run
out her car, and was flying up the
road. Bob, a little angry, followed at
his best speed. The result was two
cars madly careening for a distant goal
and a perfectly good proposal scat
tered to the winds.
The Gancia had had a few yards
start, which its faster pick up had
heightened to nearly a mile before
Bob got his heavier machine into its
the throttle the Bramble began to cut
down the distance. Twenty miles out
of Baxter he was less than a half-miIe
blind, and gaining steadily. He ex-
ulted under his breath, and pushed
the throttle the last fraction of an
doomed under him and ate up the
strip of roadway. He was gaining
he would win.
At that moment, fifteen miles from
the goal, inspiration visited Mr.. Rob-
ert Hathaway. He grinned a grin to
himself. A well-known clump of trees
shot past Bob knew that a quarter of
a mile further on the road straighten-
ed into a stretch that ran eight miles
without a curve ending with a sharp
climb and then a twisting descent into
the town of Baxter. He drew up till
he was about hundred yards in the
rear of Margaret's Gancia, so that he
was sure that she saw him in the lit
tie mirror on the left fender; and there
he hung as the two cars rounded the
last curve and shot into the long
straightaway.
He saw Margaret glance slightly to
one side-the top of her head was visi-
BILE over the rear of her car-and then
the Gancia uttered a defiant roar and
sped down the straightaway. Bob re-
piled with a long blast on his horn,
and settled himself for the finish. But
here an amazing thing happened. The
Bramble began to lose. At the begin
ming of the straight it had been ap-
parently gaining; but as the road
whizzed under the wheels of the two
cars the Gancia slowly but surely drew
away. Mile after mile of the road
slipped past, and at each mile the
Bramble was a little farther behind
Bob looked at his speedometer and
grinned again. The figures "6s"
showed in the little window, and his
throttle was a good half-inch from
being pressed down to the limit.
"She's making about 3d. he
thought to himself. That's the best
she can do with that old bus Of hers
and at this rate she'll beat me to
Baxter by a good two miles. o. k.!''
And he chuckled as he suppressed a
tendency of the Bramble to increased
its speed.
The last six miles of their jour
ney was finished in this order. AS
the white steeple that marked the
town of Baxter showed. above the
treetops Margaret, urging her car to
a last effort, saw her speedometer
register seventy. A glance at the mir
ror showed that her rival was no.
where to be seen. She finished the
last mile and slowed down to a sedate
thirty as she entered the main street;
there, before the one hotel that the