Evening star., 1924-12-07

L
glanced about. her What a
duck of a place to develop en-
CINE trouble in!' she muir
INJURED The surrounding seen
cry consisted of snow and primeval
forest, for she was stalled in the wilds
Of Maine, or possibly the wilds of
Canada. She was not quite sure
which
This" Nancy assured herself i'm
patiently, 'is perfectly preposterous.
/ can't stay here all night. I'd freeze
to death. Why on earth doesn't car
come" Then, as if the good-or
bad-fairy that had always seen to
it that she got what she wanted had
summoned it, car sped toward her.
Nancy planted herself in its path.
Stop
The snow dashed it, half obscuring
its headlights. But its driver must
have seen her, for momentarily its
pace sIackened Then the engine
roared anew and the car. leaping for
ward, would have run her down had
she not sprung swiftly to one side.
The habit of caution was as in
grained in Wigglesworth Thayer as
his conscience. He had played very
cautious game as end for Harvard
20 cautious that he had been chosen
Tor the all-American team two years
running Later he had while flying
in France very cautiously disposed
of six Boche planes with minimum
risk to himself
Caution had advised Wig, when
Nancy had tried to stop him. TO put
his foot on the accelerator and keep
il there. But before he had gone
more than a quarter of mile his
conscience began to bother him.
suppose somebody really were in
distress. o..
The thought was too much for him.
SO he snapped off his lights, stopped
his engine, and started back. But
cautiously. for he knew this road and
its reputation after dark.
Now Nancy had turned back to her
car. AS Wig came upon her, her
hack was to him and he did not rec
Ognize her or even her gender. That
was because she had, for this trip
that was to have landed her in Que
bee garbed herself in breeches and
puttees. And in these, with her short
coat and close-fitting little hat. she
looked like a-weI, exactly like a
slim and adorable girl.
There was no excuse save the
snow, the place and the time for
Wig to mistake her for anything
else. or to announce his presence as
he did.
put up your hands, he suggest
ed. by way of preliminary.
Instead Nancy screamed. She was
frightfulIy ashamed of that inme-
diately.
Good gracious she snapped.
What do you mean by creeping up
on me that way? l had no idea
there was anybody around. Why
don't YOU blow a horn
"Good-lord" gasped Wig. ITS
"Yes-isn't the world small
place." she suggested, satirically.
You are supposed to be arriving AT
Somervilles' from Boston and l find
you on my way to Quebec"
I'm going to the Somervilles now
from Quebec. Didn't Edith tell
you?"
IF she had. should be in Boston,
not here"
In fact, it was on the discovery
that Wigglesworth was to make one
of the party her friend Edith Somer-
willie had invited for the week end in
her new country home that Nancy,
with chin stubbornly lifted. had
headed her car. in the direction op-
posite to that from which the object
of her dislike was expected to ap-
proach, and had driven boldly into
the lowering north.
:: i :: =
THEY had never stopped to Won
der how they got that way. They
belonged TO the same set in Boston
and they had no more chance of
avoiding each other than goldfish in
the same bowl
Nancy now eyed him critically.
You had better give me that re-
volver," she suggested. You don't
look TO me like safe person to
have it"
They were off, both running true
to form.
1T happens" he retorted stiff1y,
ito be nothing more deadly than
pipe. l am not in the habit of go
ing armed
Really? I would have thought
YOU wouldn't even venture across the
public gardens without a gun. One
of the swans might attack you, you
know
But he. relapsing into tight-lipped
silence, had turned to her engine.
You've burned out your bearngs!"
he cried at once. almost as if she had
committed murder.