Evening star., 1925-11-01

really a premonition of what lay
| ahead, or depression due to what lay
! behind, is matter for psychologists
! to determine. Meredith only sensed
! that this was to be his last race. and
exactly as though he were drowning,
the events of his life were re-enacted
| photographically on the sensitive film
| of his subConscious mind. His body
! was an autOmaton, hands on the
/ wheel, eyes on the track, and the wind
whistling wickedly in his face; but his
/ inner consciousness was occupied with
/ long-forgotten incidents, and their re-
| portrayal fascinated him.
! Life after all IS best seen in per-
| Spective; wherefore the past has its
! unfailing charm. He understood things
| now that he had never comprehended
| before. Bitterness went out of his
| heart. and he felt more kindly toward
! this little town; he saw it in a new
| llght--eyen grew to love il. Why, II
was his home town, his birthplace
/ the spot where Diana had first seen
/ the light of dawn. had comfOrted him
| in his sorrows and kissed awake his
/ courage. And now Calora, shaking
! off the lethargy of 40 years. had called
! him back as its honored son-called
/ him back to help start a new era in
/ the towns development.
! Suddenly the drama Of It all hit him
! full force, swapping the bonds of emo
! tional restraint. Diana-the triple-A
! crown-the glory of Calora-vindica-
! ton OF his name and birth, They
were all emotional impulses that
! shocked him into consciousness. This
was his day, and nothing should rob
him of it-nothing.
The cars were roaring down the
/ backstretch in the ninetieth lap. In
| through field glasses. suddenly emitted
a war-whoop and flung his cap into
the air. There he goes he shrieked.
| Go get 'em, Meredith. Go on, you
wild man, Ya-hooo-o"'
X *
| THE moment had come for which
the packed stands had been
waiting, and the crowd responded now
as one man. erect and vociferous.
/ Meredith was stepping on it" and
| they understood at last why he was
/ called the Black Ghost. They had
never seen such speed, such driving.
! The black car had become a blurred
! shadow that was rapidly overhauling
| the field.
! 1t was a phantom Butterfly that
| gained on the swishing leaders
! through in a figure "S''-weaving
back and forth at a hundred and thir-
| ty-five miles an hour. and never click
| ing a hub cap. On the hundredth
| lap he did it again, and this time
! went into the actual lead, taking the
| pole and Skimming out in front, a
reckless son of Hermes, plotting
black destroyer of space and time.
In the pits the mechanics We're
holding up blackboards chalked with
huge white signals "G-9"-"G-9'
"G-9." That meant Get No. 81
Get Meredith
In a race where men We're drop
ping out and reentering it was hard
to keep track of who was actually
| in the lead. The drivers nodded now
as they thundered past. They un-
derstood that the Black Ghost was
in front and they set out to drag
him down.
Remember that not once had Mere
| dith gone into the pits for a tire
| change. De Pulva had renewed all
| four wheels on the eightieth lap and
now he was driving like a demon. the
nearest man to the leader. If Mere
dith stopped now the race was lost,
with all that 1t meant.
Wild Tom was the first to see it
a thin white streak showing in the
left front tire. And the streak
widened as he watched.
SO, that was it, Death had flung
down it's challenge. Fate had uncov-
cred its trump card. Destiny was
! daring him to go on. Well, so be 1t.
His jaw-muscles bulged, and he forgot
! everything but the blind lust to win.
| He roared past the shouting stands
and the green flag signaled: "One
| more lap to go"' He was blind to
Blubber Doyle, waving frantically
| from the pits, blind to everything but
| the spreading white streak on that
tire. He felt only the pressure of
mechanics arm around his shoulders,
heard only the voice of young
| Cheever shouting frantically into his
ear: DE Pulva. De Pulya! De
| Prlva"
BY that cry he knew that the
| Italian was at his heels. Down went
his foot, and the Black Butterfly be-
came a singing comet scorching its
way along a boarded skyline.
And there was the goal at last,
Tired, straining eyes recognized< the
| Observation-Disclosures crowded stands
| that rushed to meet him-the figure
of Wagner crouched on the sideline
with the. checkered flag, that means
''You have won't
Fifty car lengths-20-10, Nothing
could beat him now. He had kept
the faith! Flash of binding black,
| fall of checkered flag as he passed
| the line. and then-bang. The left
| front tire exploded. and the Black
Butterfly swerved in it's flight,
plunged. spun twice around-appeared
| to hesitate
Even with the swiftness of the
| blow Meredith's mind reacted instant
ly, obeying the training of years. He
| thought of the young mechanic at
his side, thought of his comrades be-
| hind him, and with all his skill he
| struggled to save them. He guided
! the car in its last struggle SO that
| when it did turn over, and he was
| pinned beneath 1t, young Cheever was
| thrown clear, and the wreck was out
| of the path of those behind. Then
| the sun went out and he f1oated off
! into the moonlight that he loved. :.
X x X x
MO, he did not die. Gods luck"
had ridden with him.
He realized it when the fractured
skull had mended, and he discovered
that he was in Diana's home, and
that it was she who had nursed him
back to life.
News of his return to conscious