Evening star., 1925-09-06

when they might have met
they had passed without speaking;
she-Ann Sylyester-at a decorous
and restrained 20 miles an hour. look
ing as if butter would melt neither in
her pretty mouth nor on the radiator
'of the little tin coupe she drove; he
Richard Duer-at his customary cocky
35
No one could rebuke Dickey Duer
for driving 35. Or even IS. But he,
if he chose. could rebuke Ann.
This was because Dicky was a mem
Der of the Massachusetts State Patrol.
Ann detested him. Long before she
even saw him-ofticially. The corners
of feminine eyes are ever so service
able.
AS for Dicky he had, as both State
patrolman and private citizen, a
rowing eye. The latter had noted Ann,
as both a patrolman and an individual.
Easy to look at" the individual
had decided. And quite aware of il. -
Ann usually heard him long before
she saw him.
This particular June evening, how
ever, Dicky and his motor cycle were
neither to be seen nor heard. Both it
and Dicky were in ambush off the
State road He was smoking a sur
reptitiouS cigarette. This was a viola
ton of the rule number something or
other and Dickey jolly well knew it.
lie remained unperturhed.
The quality of the night, he would
have maintained, was excuse enough
for his dereliction. 1t was a June
night, but not the sort of June night
that poets customarily celebrate. 1t
was raining. Dicky could not ignore
1t. And | left my happy home for
this he murmured.
NEVERTHELESS, he wasn't sorry.
He had known what he was up
against when he became state pa
trolman. His father had put the case
before him and his father was trained
in the presentation of facts. being an
able and we'll compensated corporation
lawyer.
And" Dicky's father had pero-
rated, there's the discipline. You've
never been particularly amenable to
discipline, you know, Richard
Probably just what I need" Dtcky
had retorted cheerfully.
The point was that he didn't want
to be a corporation lawyer. Not yet
anyway. And he did want to join the
State patrol.
This his father could not understand
when Dicky broke the news to him.
Later he did.
The Massachusetts State Patrol, he
discovered, was made up of less than
$50 young D'Artagnans, picked in
every sense of the word. His motive
in investigating being misconstrued,
he had been warned that the waiting
list was prodigious and that neither
political pull nor social prestige could
secure prefernent for Dicky.
But I want to keep him outi' he
had protested.
The man he had questioned had
given him a swift, curious glance
II don't think you need worry about
that he had commented dryIy.
''Oh, is that so.' retorted Dicky's
father-to himself.
To Dicky, he had said. I'm not sure
you can get in, but If you can" 90
oh, I'm in," Dichy had replied
blithely. Start preliminary training
next week. In three months I'll be
dead-or III have my shield"
AT the end of the three months
training he was, on his own. author
ity, near dead but he had his shield
Officially he was State Patrolman
Richard Curtis Duer. Otherwise, he
was still Dicky-Dicky lurking in am
bush this drenched June dusk, smok-
ing forbidden cigarette.
X \
d
night to stay at home. Indeed,
AIMS mother had so suggested
IN be more careful tonight" Ann
promised. Don't worry, mother"
AIMS mother had retorted that she
would worry. But Ann had gone,
leaving her mother to find what solace
she might in the perusal Of the paper.
This had proved short-Hved. Friday
the thirteenth she gasped as she
noted the date line. "Oh dear-and
such night She's so reckless"
No one privileged to- view AIMS ac-
tivities at that instant would have
doubted that. Dicky was SO privi-
legged. OF course, Ann did not know
that. She believed she had found
what she sought-a stretch of yeasty
road with not car in sight. And so
she firmly-if fearfully-placed her
foot on the service brake.
The surreptitious cigarette ne was
consuming all but dropped from
Dicky's lips.
He stopped short. The little tin
coupe having spun about like a der
wish was now headed back in the di-
rectton from which it had come
Ann caught her breath and stepped
on the gas. Dicky spun his engine.
This was a matter for investigation.
Ann, for once, failed to hear him.
Il did it, she was assuring herself
dizzy with skidding and triumph. 81
went around twice, but I did it.. And
I'll bet 1 could do it again"
AS she slammed her brakes again
The car did just what she expected
but the last thing Dicky was expect
ing, It's rear wheels just shaved his
front wheel. A hundredth of a second
later Ann saw him hurtle by. He was
not trying to skid.
The little coupe, as if to deny all
completely in the matter, promptly
stalled and looked the picture of
perfect innocence. This Ann could
not achieve. Her headlights revealed
Dicky with his motor sycle under con-
troll but minus his cap and, she suS-
pected, his temper, bearing down on
her.
We'll" he demanded irately.
Il was trying to skid confessed
Ann.
IN tell the world you succeeded"
he replied grimly. Are you often
taken that way?"
only when the road is wet" she
retorted 1T can't be done when the
road is dry, can it?"
1T .can," he replied
"How?"
Dicky gave her suspicious glance.
You skid enough as it is" he re-