The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-06-27

to spend tho night in tho open. II
the buried gears could only hold
the car for mile or 40 more
But a sudden. swapping erackic
ended hia hope. The gears had
meshed. and meshing. had broken.
Again a Wild. earcening thing. with
no snow banks to break tho rush.
tho car was speeding down the
stcepest OF the grades like a human
thing determined upon seif-destruc.
ton.
A skidding curve. then n straight
away. whlle Barry chung 10 the
wheel with fingers that were white
with tho tixhtneas Of their grip. A
second turn. while a wheel hung
over the edge. third and
Tho awful. suspended agony OF
space. a cry. A crash and a
dun. twisting moment Of deadened
Fifty feet below tho road lay a
broken. crushed piece OF mechanism.
its wheels still spinning. the odor
OF gasolin. heavy about II from
tho broken tank. ono HIGHT stili
cleaning. like a blazing eye. one
light that ccntrred upon ths
huddiet. crumpIed figure Of a man
who groansd once and strovc vague.
~. dixziiy. 10 rise. only 10 sink At
last into Inconsistencies. Barry
Houston had lost his fight.
How long he remained there.
Barry did not know. He remcm.
bercd only the failing. dizzy mo
ment. tho second or 20 Of horrible.
racking suspense. when. brcathieaa.
unable 10 move. he watched the
twisting rebound OF the machine
from which he had been thrown
and sought 70 evade u as II settled.
metal crunchlnw against metal. for
the last time. After that had come
ngonixcd hours In which he knew
neither wnkefuinens nor the quiet
Of total Inconsistencies Then
Vaguely. nv from far away. he
heard n voice--the sort Of a voice
that spelled softness and gentiencas
Something touched his forehead and
stroked u. with a careas that only
woman's hand cnn give. He
AA4fEAt NAAAtAAtIF WIN AIF AUUNlfAAF
that he lay no loagcr upon the
rocky roughness of mountain
side. but upos the softners Of a bed.
A pillow was beneath his head. The
hand again fingered on his fore.
head and was drawn away. A mo-
meut more and slowly. YEARLY.
Barry Houston opened his eyes.
IL was the room OF a mountain
cabin. with its skins and snow.
shoes; with It's rough chinkings in
the interstices Of tho logs which
formed the mainstay OF tho house.
with its four. panel windows. with
It's uncouthness. yet with It's com.
fort. Barry noticed none OF this.
His eyes had ccntered upon tho
form Of a girl standing beside the
little window. where evidently she
had gone from his bedside.
Fnir.haired she was. tho Barry
did not notice II. Small OF build
and slight. yet vibrant with the
health and vigor that f. typical Of
those who live In the open places.
And there wns a plquant something
about her. too; just enough OF an
unturned little nose 10 denote the
fact that there was spirit and indie.
pendence IN her being: dark blue
eyes that snapped even as darker
eyes snapped. as she stood, half
turned, looking out tho window,
watching with evident eagernesa
tho approach OF some one Barry
could not see. The lips carried a
halfsmile Of anticipation. Barry
felt the instructive urge 70 cali 10
her. to raise himself
He WINGED with sudden pain, n
sharp. yet aching throb OF agony
which involuntarily closed his eyes
and cienched tight his teeth until
II should pass. when he looked
again. she was gone. and the open.
Ing Of n door IN the next room told
him where. Almost wondering, he
turned his eyes then toward the
blankets and sought to move an
nrn--only again TO desist In pain.
He tried the other, and Il respond
ed. The covers were lowered, and
Barry's eyes stared down upon a
bandaged, splinted left arm. Brok.
en-.
He grunted with surprise, then
somewhat doggedly began an in
spection OF tho rest OF his human
machine. Gingerly he wiggled ono
toe beneath tho blankets. 1t
seemed 70 BIO in working order. lie
tried the others. with the same re-
suit. Then followed his legs-and
tho glorious knowledge that they