Evening star., 1933-01-06

traffic Once they thought they saw |
Santini just ahead and in squirt OF
speed came within hundred yards Of
the car only to find that 1t was
Europa torpedo with an Italian license;
carrying a placid family of three all
neatly clad in white linen helmets and
busters.
Eventually. 1t was quite by accident
that they made sure their quarry had
continued south. At a little village
just before Lyons bright new gasoline
station stood by the road and Alscia,
noting the dashboard indicator, drew
"QueIie joiie voiture!" said the man
who waited on them. Ca gaz!'
You bet she goes fast!' Aacia
agreed proudly. %You won't see many
like her!"
"Mais outl" protested the man, "on
the contrary. there was one exactly the
same in here today. Santini, it was.
great racing driver. I've seen him drive
many times. A veritable bird, that
one He was on his way to Monte
Carlo to assist at the big race. You
know of it. perhaps?"
Eyes, yes," Armand put IN 1mpa-
tiently. How long ago was ne mere?
why, certainly not more than hal1
an hour!" the man assured him. Ala-
cia slid out of the drivers seat.
Armand, you take the wheel sne
suggested. But don't hurry. What's
the use?"
why the sudden change OF hearth
he asked. puzzled.
Don't YOU see?" she answered. Hes
going to drive the Prix de Monaco. For
some reason or other, he's going through
with it,"
We'll, he was anxious enough to
leave us we'll behind this morning, all
right" Armand protested. And. race
or no race, think we'd better have
look through that car of his before ne
arrives in MonacoP'
But in LYONS it became evident that
further pursuit was almost impossible,
for the traffic of the great industrial
city was incredibly congeSted. They
moved inch by inch through his confu-
sion and got lost twice in the crowded
maze of streets. Finally after dozen
inquiries they found the Palace Hotel,
a pretentious new structure near the
railroad station. The entrance hall was
ablaze with gilded cases containing
| bewildering display of brilliant silks,
and the place had smart, commercial
air which promised the prompt service
| of what, by now, was a badly needed
| MONDAY meal. At table Armand got
out the road map and studied it with
a puzzled frown.
| IF only one were clairvoyant!" he
said, "and could guess which route he
| has taken. See, the road branches
| here at Lyons, and there are two routes
| to the Cote dAZuri; one by Grenoble,
| through the Alps, which is the shorter,
the other across the plains to Avignon
and along the coast"
which Is the better2"
~ tyoOd af this time
| of the year." he said. Its a tossup!"
Then let's toss upr' said Alacia,
| taking small coin from her purse.
It's as good a way Of deciding as any,
since all we can do is to guess. Heads
for the mountains, eh?" The coin
turned up tails.
BY the time luncheon was over, the
telegram for which Alacia had been
hoping, arrived. Piron had wired char
acteristically:
But certainly it is stop Have in
| formed your maid that you will need
| evening clothes at Hotel de Paris
Monte Carlo and will not neglect Ar
mand's dress studs stop Col. Bradley
slightly injured auto accident and at
your mothers house at her insistence
stop New prints show Cabereo not our
man but Leparre has vanished stop
Why don't you get action or are you
already honeymooning Felicitations
PiFon."
Some telegraml" said Armand, who
was inclined to be proud of his Amer
icanisms. so it really was Bradley
Good for your mother, taking him int"
You bet it's good for my mother!"
/ exclaimed Alacia. Il only wish he'd stay
put right therel And I hope his injury
is Just serious enough to be interesting. y
There is only one line in that wire
can't make out!" Armand remarked.
THAT one, but certainly it Is What
on earth does the old boy mean by
that? I hope nothing important was
left out!"
"Oh, nothing was left outl" she as
sured him. Ill tell you about that
another time. Meanwhile. it looks as
If we're going to Monte Carlo, If only
to pick UP our clothes"
CO."
The toss of Alacia's two-franc bit had
been deceitful and misleading. All in
Quiries along the way were unfruitful,
for although they asked at every likely
spot, nobody had seen Santini pass.
| And when well after the dinner hour
they drove in under the shadow of the
old Papal Palace at Avignon, it was
with the realization that they were COM
pletely off the trail and could only hope
to catch up with the twin car on the
| Mediterranean coast. After dinner they
| walked about the quaint old town and
out to the beginning of the ancient
bridge which, built by studious monk
in the eleventh century, has become
| world famous In song. They leaned
shoulder to shoulder against the parapet
and gaZed down at the dark waters of
the river, while Armand hummed the
old nursery rhyme:
Surle pont
d'Avignon
On y danSe
On y danse!
DEAREST" the girl broke OF. sud-
denly Il want you to do something
for me-
Name it." said he, "as long as it
doesn't cost money!"
II want you to drive the Europa at
Monte Carlo"
ANY time!" said he. Anywhere! I
love that car, next to you, best Of any
thing in the world!"
I'm not joking" said she with
earnestness. II mean In the race!"
"What?" he said.
driving is every bit as good as Santini's,
and don't you see? It won't matter
then II he throws the race or not"
The Europa's honor will be up
held, he teased her. "I see your point.
But would it be allowed?"
There Is no limit" she told him, ION
the number of cars entered of any one
make. There will be half a dozen
Bugattis, and as many Sunrays and
a Sprinkling of German and English
and Italian makes. So far ours is the
only American car. Let's make it two!
Wire the International Sporting Club
people tomorrow and enter in your own