New Britain herald., 1922-08-02
How Harry Underwood Gently
 Aided Aladgo

''A. you sure you Zee. able to dnve?"
 ln Harry underwoodn voice tcnae- and solicitous. there was no betrayal Of any chagrin at tho rebuft l had just given him Evidently he meant to accept my silent dctun.. and drop the sentimental pose he had adopted, when. at his request that I tell him O.. Grace Draper's connection with Jun ior's Kidnapping ha1 succumbed to the nervous, blind dizziness which comes over me sometimes at the re- membrance of that awful time.
 An affirmative response was on my lips, for I would rather drive a car than do almost anything else in the world, and nothing makes me quite so uncomfortable as 10 sit beside another driver. But it occurred to me that if Harry Underwood drove the car and listened at the same time to the in- formation of Grace Draper for which he had asked, he would have neither time nor opportunity for sentiment-a state of affairs for which I earnestly wished
 A Reminder of Dicky
 I'm not quite myself" I said You drive, do you not ?" and then. with a remembrance of his ambulance serv- ice during the war. flushed at my own stupidity,
 If I don't get into any thick traf- hc," he drawled, even as I stammered an embarrassed:
 Pardon so ridiculous question"
 "Ill pardon anything if you'll flush like that again" he returned with a look which changed the flush to a I flame for a second. |
 But the chance remark affected me in way that he could not guess It pushed his rather hypnotic personality a fgurative thousand miles away ana brought Dicky as forcibly before my minds eye as if he had suddenly dropped from the air before me.
 For, without knowing it. he had re- peated words l often had heard from my husbands lips both before and | after my marriage, and the memories which the words brought me made me forget everything else for poignantly blissful second or two.
 Are You All Right?'
 'Well :" MT Underwood's drawing voice broke the spell When your spirit or your astral body or whatever you call 1t has returned from the place it's winged itself, perhaps you'll inform me if I am to drive. I thought an invitation to tool this chariot trembled upon your dainty lips but a moment since. However. I've learned  to take anything for granted"
 "Of course, I'd like you to drive,'' returned bit impatiently, And please pardon my absence of mind. l was thinking"
 'Very dangerous thing to do," he in terrupted with a preternaturally grave face. You never know what the con- may be. Personally, I new CT indulge myself in the habit. Now, if you'll just move over, Lady Fair I'll try my luck with this gear shift: :. reverse, forward, left. Is that it"
 He had alighted from the car as he was speaking, and walked around the front of it to the side upon which r was sitting. And I guessed that his F seemingly anxious query as to the F gear shift was only a subterfuge to f give me time to pull myself together. f He was too experienced a driver not to |, have noted the things for which he had asked. 2 You have them exactly I said se- s lately, moving over in the seat, and r 'or the next five minutes MT Under- V wood gave his exclusive attention to q he car. s There, I've got her number now,' | le said when he had shifted gears, re- I iersed and experimented with the 0 spark until he had satisfied himself t hat no emergency would find him un- V 'amiliar with the mechanism. Now c Q resume our interrupted journey. c Are you sure you're all right?' a