Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-12

hidLtSIs anu IHdJ lH0 lTOuUlS COulAl
be easily cured, so l took it to the
garage man down the street, whose
only service for me up to this time
haG been to pump gasoline into the
tank, and air into the tires.
He drove the car around the
block, listened attentively to vari-
Gus sounds proceeding from the in
sides, and shook his head.
II am only general practition-
err he said. ut has all the symp-
toms of carbonitis, but one cannot
be sure. If you like, l shall call
in specialist"
"But can't you just look under
the hood and find out what is the
matter?" / asked him.
81 could look under the hood, of
course, but might make the wrong
diagnosis, and give the wrong
it, would be to have some good
carbon man make a thorough ex.
animation. Then he can advise
YOU soundly as to further treat
ment. !"
The carbon man occupied an ele-
CANT garage Is miles down the
road, but we could not consult him
that day, as we had no appointment.
After considerable telephoning his
secretary said he would see us on
Thursday week, between three and
three-fifteen p. m. When / sug-
gested that in the meantime
should be without car, he said
he was sorry, but it could not be
helped.
So Thursday week between three
and three-fifteen l appeared with
the car, which l had had towed for
Is miles, and found the great man
ready for us.
He was brisk and brusque, but
business-like. His first question
after a hasty glance at the car
was "who sent you to me?"
told him and he asked his Sec
retary to note it down. Then after
a gray clad attendant had lifted
the hood covers, he glanced at the
carburetor and into one of the
apertures from which the attend
ant had removed spark plug.
"Quite a severe case" he said.
81 should recommend drastic treat
ment, and Immediately"
'Not-not an operation?" l fal-
tered
Possibly not at once / shall
write down what is necessary to be
done, and you can have Bilkins, the
fabrication man, do the work for
YOU
rs Bilkins around here any
where?" / inquired.
No, he has laboratory over in
Tuckahoe, some 20 miles distant.
After he has made an examination
and given me his report, l shall be
4 able to come to more definite
! conclusion. .
Well, there seemed nothing else
to do, so /, had the towing man
take the machine to Tuckahoe. We
i found that Bilkins, too, only saw
Icars by appointment, but fortunate
lily he had an open hour that aft
ernoon. One of the cars that was
on the way to him had lost shoe,
and .was delayed.
Bilkins, too, was brisk and bus
mess, his first question being:
I"Who sent you to me?"
He seemed impressed when
told him, and at once took samples
of scrapings from the inside of the
lcylinders, and from the interior of
4 the gas tank. These he said he
would have analysed, and send me
a report in a day or two.
'But can't you fix the carr"
asked him.
He looked at me pityingly.
L am not so sure that anybody
/ can fix it," he said, "but if it can
be done it will be done. You
went to the eight man in the first
place."
When the analyses arrived by
mail in lcouple of days, took
that car back to the carbon man,
making another appointment. He
s,eXamined the analyses, muttered
lsoftly to himself few minutes,
and said:
ut is just as I supposed in the
first place. There is nothing the
matter with your car that is with
in my province to treat. I am not
at all sure what is the matter. with
it, but it is something which must
not be neglected. I suggest that
you go to piston ring man who
Il will recommend. But be sure
i to go to him and not to anyone
else. I know very little about pis-
ton rings yet, and there are many
quacks who deal with them in a
livery dangerous fashion. If he has
no remedy. to suggest, come back
to me and I shall perhaps have
some other suggestion to make.''
The piston ring man didn't have
any garage at all, but an elegant
lsuite of offices in the city-hours,
of course, by appointment. l took
the piston rings to him in my pock-
ct. He said:
'fAnd who sent you to me?"
told him, and he seemed satis-
fled. But instead of examining the
rings Immediately, he slipped them
into a little compartment in his
desk, having previously labelled
carefully, and told me to telephone
him the day after tomorrow
When / telephoned he said:
Il have good news for you, The
rings appear to be iall right
''But the car won't CO." l said.