Evening star., 1924-06-08

Or that Tuck had no inkling. He
had paced the floor until dawn came.
At that point the need of action be-
came definite. He called up his ga
rage. Twenty minutes later he was
on his way to the Berkshires, a mod
ern Lochinvar with thoroughly
modern steed.
The miles whirled behind him. At
10 o'clock. without warning. the road
ster stopped. His nose, tardily, told
him why.
THE roadster had stopped almost
= abreast of farmhouse. Before
this stood car which bore the i'm
print of its maker as Enthusiastically
in its lines as it did on the radiator.
The owner Of this lifted his head
from under it's hood and greeted him.
"Out of gasc" he asked.
Worse than that" Tuck assured
him. bearings burned out. And say,
does that machine OF yours run? TIL
give you three hundred for it."
The owner had expected two.
Make it three and a quarter" the
man said, automatically. "and-''
Done. Hitch a team to my car nd
drag it into your barn. I'll pay for
that later"
Sure" said the other. He cast a
cautious glance about and then pro-
duced pint flask. This" he an
nounced, ".ain't none of that bootleg
stuff, but good corn whisky. Help
yourself-and luck to you
Tuck took a swallow.
IT need it." he remarked, meaning
luck.
Take it with YOU" offered his bone
factor. meaning the whisky. PLENTY
more where it came from!
"The old boat has got bit Of life
left in it at that" Tuck decided. '1
wonder if it can beat forty"
In a. few minutes he discovered that
it could actually turn out fifty or
thereabouts And that fact. allied
perhaps with the swallow of whisky
he had taken on an empty stomach,
made him feel plea sanity exhilarated.
It'll make it. all right" he thought.
The next instant he jammed his
brakes, made an Intellectual effort to
swerve to the right. and then. amid
IA wild splintering. plunged through
chaos into unconsciousness.
In a minute-so it seemed-he open
ed his eyes. Then he blinked rapidly.
But the illusion remained. He was in
i 80, 1v;cy ha-
misunderstanding through dormer
windows. He strove to fathom this
mystery. and then. as memory flashed
back to him. he started to get up.
I'D advise you to stay where you
arc" suggested a cool. uncompromis-
ing voice. I've taken your clothes
and hung them out to air. 1 only
hope for your sake that no revenue
officers use this road today"
Tuck turned. In the doorway stood
breech and booted figure that
nevertheless was as feminine as the
voice that had given him pause.
II remember hitting something" he
began. confusedly.
do you really?'' Her voice Knocked
III TlScu wy IiliShCi SoOp
is pretty well demolished and SO is
your car. but l have an idea you
were too drunk to remember any
thing"
Drunk" he protested. utterly
amazed.
so drunk, should say, as to have
escaped injury altogether" she
went on.
Entering the room with swift, as
sured step, she crossed to a chair,
picked up a flannel shirt and a pair
of faded overalls and tossed them to
the bed.
Now that you are feeling-better,"
start repairing the chicken COOP"
Tuck stared at her incredulously.
"One of US is crazy" he assured
her. II haven't a minute to lose. !
Great Scott, What time is it?'
"Half-past nine"
"HaIf-past nine?" he echoed and
glanced about. why, it should be
dark if it's as late as that"
You've been here all night" she
explained. "I looked in last night
and earlier this morning but you
were still-unconscious, shall we
say?"
Kitty had been married. Tuck was
utterly overwhelmed. A woman's in
tuition should have guessed that; a
womans eyes could hardly have look
ed upon him save with pity.
But this vindictive young female
was implacable.
'If you are handy with tools" she
week to repair the damage you have
done. In any event, between that
and going TO jail"
"Jail?- Tuck repeated.
I'm Massachusetts, that's where they
are sending young men who insist
upon operating automobiles when
under the influence of liquor"
But Great Scottr he exploded. II
wasn't. hadn't even had a drink
Except, that is, just one" he
concluded.
She shrugged skeptical shoulders
you can tell that to the Judge If
you prefer"
"And, anyway I'll pay for the
COOP"
"Oh. no, you won't. Labor is one
thing money won't buy these days.
Not on a farm. If you're a reason
able young man you'l do exactly as
1 say. Think it overr And there
upon she departed.
After all. what difference did 1t
make what he did or where he went?
Life now stretched before him end
lessly, emptily. And so he dressed
and descended to the kitchen. There