Evening star., 1925-09-06
By ROYAL BROWN

tended to by the watering carts phleg-
matte advance. The business section
had been watered, and Ann, stopping
at Eb Sears newsstand, applied her
brakes warily to avoid d skid.
Eb gave her his customary wink as
he handed over several packages, with
the larger one containing the pay roll
among, them.
Ann placed the packages in Violet
and started Violet'S engine. AS she
passed the bank, Chief gave her a
nod.
Ann returned his nod. And them
From a side street just ahead
touring car emerged. There was but
one man in 1.-THE driver To the
casual eye it suggested no menace.
Chief certainly regarded it unmoved,
even when 1t apparently stalled, block
ing Violet's advance.
But Ann. Her heart seemed to
have stopped. She glanced first right
and then left. On the curb stood
man with a Dashed nose and funny
looking ear. On the other side of the
street stood another man.
They were both of them, she saw,
poised to spring. Then-they were
actually springing.
Ann gritted her pretty teeth and
slammed on her brakes. Violet re-
sponded gallan ntly This was a little
game Violet remembered well. If
Ann chose to play 1t in Main street
with Chief looking on. that was her
business. Vfolet's business was to
skid. IL anybody got in Violet's way
that was their business-and mis-
fortune.
That it was the Chelsea Cyclones s
misfortune no one could doubt
Chelsea proved quicker on his feet in
that spring than Lefty Red and as a
result Violet's left rear wheel fouled
him. anyway it hit him below the
belt and landed him back in the gut
ter. There he lay. somewhat dazed
Lefty was more fortunate. He had
time to jump back onto the curb
stone before Violet got around to him.
He was not sure what Violets next
EICve was to be-or his.
At that point Chief came to life.
''EIiY' he shouted.
This was addressed to Ann who, so
far as Chief was concerned, was the
culprit. He had seen her knock down
one pedestrian and narrowly miss an
| other. That these were criminals,
| contemplating crime, never occurred
| TO him. Was he not present in uni
form? Could they not see him? And
| thereby be deferred?
The answer to the first two ques-
to the last was absolutely no.
"Hi"' shouted Chief again, with
growing Indignation.
Ann didn't even hear him. Violet
was skidding not wisely but too we'll
AIMS hat had chosen this instant to
| slip down and totally obscure the
vision of one eye. But she still
wrestled with Violet's wheel Then
| she remembered to take her foot off
"a hf-.ll lyn toll Loo s-Irt Il
and headed approximately toward
| home. Ann gave Violet the gas.
| Violets direction, however, was only
| approximate. Chief, retreating so
| hastily that he all but sat down, saw
! Violet carom against the curb, skid
once more and then, Strengthening out.
! start up Main street as fast as she
| could go.
At that point Dicky appeared on his
motorcycle.
Go and get her." shouted Chief. 1
| want her-she knocked man
down"
Instead, Dicky hurtled on past. And
Chief began to blink his eyes, wonder
ing If perhaps all this wasn't a crazy
dream.
TOR Dicky proceeded to commit OBJ
= vious and apparently unwarranted
ssault on the man whom Violet had
so narrowly missed. Dicky poked this
! individual plump in the stomach with
the butt of the short but extremely
serviceable billy that he was carrying
| in bis right hand.
Lefty promptly sat down, the bet
| ter to digest this.
| In the meantime Dicky lunged
| straight at the touring car, climbed