Show rid e G M M 0 C U my br eleanor M ingram author of the garne game and the candle J illustrations WALTERS byry ibio by br co continued from last issue CHAPTER IV mr ffrench and his niece were at breakfast on the sunday when the first erst account ot of the georgia race reached Efrench Ffrench wood you will take fresh coffee emily was saying the little silver pot poised in n her hand when the door burst open and dick hurried actually hurried into inco the room vies iles won iles hes got it he cried brandIs brandishing bing the morning newspaper the first time for an american car with an american driver and how he be won it ile he distanced every car on the track except the two big italian and french machines those hel he get ot of course but the frenchman went out in fit the fourth bour with a broi broken valve then he was vas set down for second place second place emily with every other big scar car in the country entered they say he be drove like like ilke I 1 dont know hundred and some miles an siona on the straight stretches oh emily faltered setting down the coffeepot coffee collee pot in her plate ue lie stopped slopped her eagerly half turning inward mr IT Ff reach who had bad put on ibis spince nez to contemplate his in stupefaction not at his I 1 abatement but at his condition walt in the last hour the italian car lost its chain and went over tbt a a ditch on a back stretch three miles crom a doctor people around kicked the men out of the wreck and Ze lestrange strange came up to find that the driver was likely to die from a sev tred ared artery before help got there emily he stopped stopped with vic dory in his hands bad the italian lifts d into the mechanic ians a seat and aai tahT pert held him in while they dashed around the course to the hospital he got him there fifteen minutes before could have reached him and the man will get well but le strang obad bad lost six minutes he had straight to the doctors given athern the man and gone right on but he had lost six minutes when peo sia realized what hed done they went every one thought hed lost the race but they cheered him until they shout and he kept on driving its all here he waved the gaudy sheet the papers full of it he bad halt half an hour to make up six minutes and he did it he came in nabin teen seconds ahead of the nearest car the crowd swarmed out on the course and tell fell all over him old doleys nearly crazy ao 10 to see bick dick excited would have abeen marvel enough to hold his andl mute it if the story itself had not possessed a quality to stir even 1 blood emily could only sit mad gare at the headlines of the ex xi newspaper her dark eyes wide and Bb shining ining her soft lips apart he telegraphed to bailey dick raced a added in the pause ten words first across line in r orgia race car in fine shape I 1 ange that was in all mr ffrench irately era tely passed hla hii coffee caffe coffeepot pot to E iila you had ach r take your break cast he advie adv lE 1 it is unusual to see aeo you business affairs dick dich I 1 might ray CY unprecedented I 1 ant glad it balle bailers bailees Bai lees s new man Is capable ot at hla his work at least I 1 suppose tor HOT the rest that he could scarcely do leastman less least than ban take an injured person to the hospital why are you putting sugar in my cup emily 1 I dont know she acknowledged 01 1 I mean to disturb any one said dick sulky and resentful be a big thing though for or our cars bailey says I 1 know you disliked lestrange mr ffrench stiffened in his chair 1 I nave have not lelent interest in the mian man to dislike him was the cold rebuke we will change the subject emily bent her head re her mistake with the coffee she compre bended that her uncle had conceived one of 0 his strong silent antipathies antipa thies tor for the young manager and she was sorry sorry although remembering baileys unfortunate speech the night Lc Le engagement was proposed she was not surprised dut but she looked across to dick sympathetically so sympathetically that alter after breakfast he followed her into the library the colored journals in his hand band the matter with the old gentleman this morning he complained pla ined he wants the business to succeed he if he does he flight lit to like what lestrange is d doing ding tor for it the matter with him emily shook back her yellow curls turning her gaze on him you might guess dickie he Is I onely 1 Lone lyt he ahe all the feminine impulse to defend bared up why riot she exclaimed with pa pan slon blon who has he be got who stands with him in his house no wonder ho be can not bear the man who la is hired to do what a ffrench should be doing it Is not the racing driver he dislikes ikes but the manager and do not you blame him dick ffrench rench Ft quite aghast ho he stared after her as aa she turned away to the nearest window but presently he followed her over still holding the papers dont you want to read about the race he ventured smiling though her lashes were damp emily accepted the peace offering yes please youre not angry you know I 1 im m a stupid chump sometimes I 1 dont mean it 1 this time she laughed outright no I 1 am sorry I 1 was wag cross it la Is I 1 who like to shirk my work never mind me let us read they did read seated opposite each other in the broad window seat geat and aad T e it 4 49 WIN never mind me let Us read A passing the sheets across as they fin dished them dick had not exaggerated on the contrary he had not said enough lestrange Lc strange and his car were the focus of the hours attention the daring the reckless courage that risked life for victory the generosity which could throw that victory away to aid a comrade and lastly the determination mi and skill which had won the conquest after all the whole formed a feat too spectacular to escape public hysteria it was very doubtful indeed whether lestrange liked his idolizing but there was no escape the two who read were young it was a splendid fight sighed dick when they dropped the last page yes emily assented ass anted when he cornes comes back when you seo see him give him blin my congratulations when I 1 see him why dont you tell him yourself something like a white shadow wiped the scarlet of excitement from her cheeks as she a averted her face 1 I shall not no t see him I 1 shall not go to the factory any more it will be better I 1 am sure vaguely puzzled and dismayed dick sat looking at her not daring to question emily kept her word during the weeks that followed through dick slid and bailey she heard beard of factory affairs of the sudden increase of orders for the mercury automobiles the added prestige gained and the public favor avor bestowed on the car but she saw nothing of the man who was responsible for all this instead she went out more than ever before their social circle was too painfully exclusive to be large or gay three times a week it was mr Ffrench a stately custom to visit the factory and inspect it with balley bailey at other times bailey came up to the house where affairs were conducted but in nel neither ither place did mr ffrench ever come in contact with his manager during all the months while winter waxed and waned again to spring baileys doing chuckled dick when emily finally wondered aloud at the circumstance he going to risk losing lestrange because our high and mighty uncle falls out with him and it would be pretty likely to happen it if they met lestrange has haa a temper you know even it if it stick out all over him like a hedgehog and a dozen other companies would give money to get him emily nodded gravely it was a sun nv morning in the tha first ot of march and the cousins were at the end of 0 the old park surrounding Ffrench wood where they had strolled before breakfast mr bailey likes mr lestrange she commented likes him he loves him you know lestrange lives with him a bachelor household cozy as aa grigs just past here ran iran the road beyond a high cedar hedge while he was speaking the irregular explosive reports of a motor bad sounded down the valley unmistakable to those familiar with the testing of the stripped cars and rapidly approaching now as emily would have answered the roar suddenly changed in character an appalling series of explosions mingled with the grind ot of outraged machinery suddenly braked and some one shouted above the din the next instant a huge mass masa shot past the other side 0 the hedge and there followed a dull crash one ona of our men gasped dick and plunged headlong through the shrubbery dazed momentarily emily stood I 1 then caught up her skirts and ran aft or er him she knew well enough what the testers of the cars cara risked dick she appealed dick but it was not the wreck sho she anticipated that met her eyes as she came through the hedge on the opposite side of the road a long low skeleton car was standing one side lurched drunkenly down with two wheels in the gutter still in his seat the driver was leaning over the steering wheel out of 0 breath but laughing a greeting to the astonished dick 1 r A break in the steering gear he declared by way ot of explanation 1 I 1 told bailey it was a weak point now perhaps hell believe me and strength strengthen it youre not hurt dick inferred 1 I think ashes not a tire gone R find anything wrong rupert 5 two tires off said the lacon laconic le two funerals 4 postponed that was a pretty stop darling 1 very coolly agreed lestrange rising and removing his joggles goggles bitts the matter ffrench efrench you frightened us out of 0 our r five sense genso all do you usually practise tor for races out here t Us repeated lestrange and turning saw the girl at the edge of the park miss ffrench I 1 beg your pardon R the swift change in his tone the ease case of deference farence de with which he bared his head and motor caps nota not being readily donned or doffed coffed so remained bareheaded in the bright sunlight savored of tho the continent 4 it Is too commonplace to say good rn morning orning emily replied her caloris color rising with her smile 1 I am very glad you escaped but that Is commonplace too im afraid 1 every one Is commonplace before breakfast reassured her cousin honestly lestrange do you practice racing hero here hardly im trying out the car every car has to go through that before it Is used dont you know that weve recently secured from the local authorities a permit to run at any speed over this road between tour four and eight in the morning I 1 thought alt alf the countryside knew that but we have a regiment of 0 men to I 1 test cars lestrange passed a caressing glance over the dingy gray machine in its state of bareness that suggested indecorum this Is my car the one ill race this spring and summer no one drives it but me besides I 1 have to have some diversion he stepped to the ground with the last word and went around to where rupert was on his knees beside the machine can you fix it here he demanded not precisely was the drawled reply back to camp tor for it with a horse in front all right have ito walk flown down and get a car irom from sir mr bailey I 1 to tow it home rupert got up his daria darls malign little face twisted if id broken a leg havo have sent a cart for or me ile he mourned mord now ill il have to walks and I 1 aint abt used to it hard lucki luck it if you go around holthe to the stables they will give you my pony cart emily offered impulsively Impulsive li you her dimpling smile gleamed out you once put a tire on tor for me youl know please ret let me return return the service TO BE CONTINUED |