Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-21

wv ell, You IL let llc SNC Hhu -
hand with them now. by
pounds" he exclaimed as he shifted
woke and burden onto his own
shoulders. You weren't going to
cart this all the way up the hill by
Yourself, were Nou?"
She laughed again. Il did nearly
four years on the land. YOU know,
after all they were a bit heavy,
but it's the balance that you have
to set right You may take
your turn, but Ill have another
pro sently-"
50, slowly, and changing at inter-
walls, the two made their way up the
hill. Archie realized that she would
have hated him not to let her take
her turn. Also that sharing Il
burden thus. without chance of
much conversation. was carrying
them further toward intimacy than
n whole afternoon full Of small talk,
The two young people had just
mounted the steepest part of the
drive when, at a familiar sound that
broke out upon the summer air,
Archie Laverock's blood suddenly
ran chill
For there was one thing about his
car which old Mr.. Rice Mathews
really could manage. This was the
horn. lie took 4 small boys delight
i'll warning anybody within fifty
Yards OF tho danger that was upon
them. 1t was the horn his young in
srector and his granddaughter now
Eeard-"HOnh, honk. honk, honk, -
and with each "honk" drawing
nearer tO them.
He'd got into the car then.
/! a. 4
manage her. Down tins hill, .
Arches first a2hast thought was
to clear the drive. Miss Rice
Mathews was taking her turn with
the load Of stones: she was per-
laps four feet in front of hm-and
what she thought of feeling sudden
~ seized. yoke ana all, and fling
violently into the middle OF Il White
Knight rhododcndron bush Archie
did not stop to consider. she never
opened her lips nor gasped, such
worlds was she removed from the
type Of young woman who viii cry
out in pain and omerEcnCy-but
that Archie only thought OF much
later on. In his heart at that mo-
ment were the disrPspectful words.
'Doddering old IDIOT! ! can't turn
my back for second = ."
All nv dNlutiIIy tAtldIIltn 10 MS
companion was: "Nll right, STAY
where you are &" Gn the middle
of bush) give us room and | can
manage >" before dashing round
the bend toward that CHEEKY boot
ing.
Mr.. Rice Mathews sat at tho
wheel. beaming with delight. He.
who had not been allowed to venture
one yard off the level in front of the
house, was touchingly pleased by his
increasing speed. Not the slightest
idea had he that this speed was that
q the boat drifting over nearer to
the rapids-thc rapids of that
beast OF n drive" CatastrOphe
waited in the form Of the abrupt
tuln' the descent. the closed gate,
the stone wall beyond the gate.
All right. I'm coming. one tick"
the old voice called out blithcly. I'm
coming for those stones. my dear
Mauvc, I'm coming. what is
the usee OF having learned to drive
if / can't
He was SO happily intent upon his
game; the fayorite game Of all Of
US, the game Of Dare. The child
pays 1t with matches on the nursery
hearth. the man with engines above
the clouds. the woman with those
even more dangerous toys--tLa
emotions Of herself and others. In
lhlS. ~ any rate. the delicate oId
lhFatid was young at heart as any
hape' so at that CHASTITY iuncture.
ne gust beamfd out Of the car thai
vas driving him; driving him with
struction. &c
Good God" broke fron, Two
Too k, as he FlfgIfI
that this charming old irnnrar,,,,s
would, as likely as not. lam tho ac5
ceIeIator on instead Of the brake
what happened next-how II han
t+hed ne scarcely knew. VIA
AauNe saw. as. leaving her stonns
She picked herself out Of thc
branches and pecrcd. anguisbcd
4ouhd the bend, was q picture M
she VIII not forget. The drive IN
ttnseiy poised hanneled figure tba+
yaGged the speed Of that oncor,i,,e-
cdr. and that took a tiger-gwift
Zap as II To cast itself into lie
E track, and was then caught
up upon the footboard as a
c cY,,Juaor ban is caught UP, in the
NO r. was past her-/
bcd ne rest she did not see, but
,ret.'I' sudden slam Of a lever
= - " IN OF the brakes, diminuendo
"a the rush, and the pull IN IF H.
ear on the very brink Of tbat
perilous slope. tia
men danger over. she clutched ~
suong bough beside her. ana eapi,
~ moment among the leaves The
gone' lne stones for the rock gar
you shouldn't have tried To car-
a. sinoae stones all that way, nv
ceaI' her grandfather reproved her
IoHlIhg piacidly up to her a few
moments later. Il was coming 7
.s' 80 coming Archie didn't know
Ll@t when he stopped me. was
I'i.,i1alhs to take you by surprise.