The Winslow mail., 1923-03-02
CHAPTER V-continued.

There was an astonished shout and
a cry of warning ahead. A large car
riage, with two fat horses and fat
coachman seemed To be right on top
of Aimee's handlehars. She swerved
and braked violently. while the horses
were reined back on their launches;
the Sphinx toppled sideways, shooting
Billy clean through the screen Of
brambIes that covered the ditch.
Aimee performed a sort of semi
somersault, and landed on her feet
with an intoxicated stagger. For one
awful moment she found herself fac
ing the amazed occupants of the car
riage.
She was conscious Of the face of
Georgina, very white, staring at her
-mouthed, with eyes as big as
saucers. Beside Georgina sat a tre-
mendous. elderly lady gripping a
lorgnette, and speechless with anger.
A large young man in black, his eyes
matching Georgina's for size, had
started up and was grasping the side
of the carriage.
In fraction Of a second the truth
telegraphed itself to Aimee's tiustered
brain Aunt Eiythea!
Aimee leaped the ditch like cha
mois, right over the top of Billy;
plunged through the tall hedge as a
circus rider goes through a hoop, and
vanished.
"Is anybody hurt there!" gasped
Mr.. Alexander Lambe. is"
"Nope. Not here" said Blly's
voice feebly from the ditch. A pair
of booted legs waved among the
brambleS.
81 never saw anything so disgrace
full in my life!" cried Mr.. Lambe.
''Your number! 1 want your num-
ber. Il!
Lady Erythea, whose face was
crimson, leaned forward and smote
the coachman twice violently in the
back with the handle of her parasol.
"Drive on-fool!" she said explo-
sively.
The coachman started and whipped
up the fat horses. Mr.. Lambe stag
gered as the carriage went forward.
Aunt" he said, ''that-that woman,
who was driving, ought to be appre-
hended! If l had my way"
If l had my way" retorted Lady
Erythea, shed be whipped She and
all her tribe. But the idiot Gervase.
OF course, was on the wrong side f;
we've no case l hope their wretched
ander, do you heart"
Mr. Lambe obeyed, protesting faint
ly. Georgina, with one hand pressed
to her bosom, felt as though she were
on the point of heart-failure.
''Hussies," said Lady Erythea, quiv-
erlng, ''and louts! Country's overrun
with them. Decency is dead"
The carriage jingled round the cor
per and disappeared.
Billy Spencer collected himself from
among the brambles and regained the
soad, with the air of a sailor cast
away on an inhospitable coast. Aimee
thrus: an inquiring face through the
hedC-, and emerged.
BILLY - she cried. "Are you dam
eged?
mot a bit. Only scratched"
And the Sphinx"
Brake lever bent, that's all. Moth
hg serious
Aimee suddenly sat down on the
edge of the ditch and began to laugh.
She laughed till the very road threw
back the echo; scandalous laughter.
That's good!" said Billy, grinning.
'That's the stuff was afraid it
might have shaken you. Go on
laugh =.
You'll never let me drive her
again." gasped Aimee, hopping her
streaming eyes.
won't 1 Why, you've learned the
game-you1l never do that stunt
twice. Only thing 1 feared it might
have shaken your nerve. But you've
no nerve to shake! You're the goods
That fool coachman was on the wrong
side, anyway. Let's get on the
Sphinx. You'll ride her like bird