Show y S Sw w It mattered not not that the runabout i I was second hand band and purchased ataw at aw auction though at a ridiculously low low- I I. price It mattered not Dot that tbt I had but nine-horse nine power while Fred Wilson WIlso hi lit his fine new touring car had bad for tor- I ty I was as happy as a king for my new possession set aside aShle to some HOUle extent extent ex ex- tent at least Ered's Freds advantage over J me In the attack upon Miss 1 Steadman's Steadman's Stead Stead- mans man's heart He had bad been taking herx her x riding on the Beach Drive and I had ground my teeth with futile jealousy until along came my wonderful op op- I bought the machine though It was really beyond my means menns I 1 simply couldn't help It ft When a man is In love you know heis he fc is all kinds of a fool And didn't my breast swell with pride when I 1 whirled up to Alices Alice's 0 house that evening the second after i my purchase to to take her In the thes s t. t moonlight along that magnificent mile five-mile stretch of perfect road I J had bad made up my mind to tell her that nl night ht all that had been In my I heart for so many apprehensive apprehensive l hours hours that that t I loved loed her that tha t I 1 Ii i wanted her for my very ery own own own-in In fact fW that she was the only girl ghi In all the world for meI me Oh It Is glorious to sit by the girl you love and spin through the the- night in a silent smooth-running smooth machine I I drank in the full joy of it A dozen times I was on the point of speaking speak speak- ing I had been practicing steadily r.- r. at the steering endeavoring to bo be able to manage the machine with ones ones' one s' s f hand In order to have the other free for Alices Alice's waist I pictured it all out out how how she would listen in silence v then look at me with spa sparkling riding eyes M t and let her pretty head head- fall on my J shoulder and how bow I would then put my arm around her very tenderly t and draw her close dose and kiss her But It did not turn out that way at I was going to say ny precious head henel but my mouth became suddenly dry and my heart henrt made violent leaps I Iwas Iwas Iwas was stage struck struck love love I I had a sort of buck I 1 took took courage and found my tongue Alice 1 said gently placing my disengaged disengaged disengaged dis dis- engaged hand band on her own wn I want t to td tell you something that that has has that has been has been has been on my mind mindI for tor- torI forI I think she understood what was coming but I got ot no DO further In the darkness at the roadside a huge black bulk loomed like an enormous dog A sudden terror shot through I me The machine swerved sharply and I 1 was compelled to use both boHI I hands bands to steady it I turned up the I speed a n trifle and then Instinctively I looked behind A glance was enough The bulk had moved out into the road and was directly behind us What could It be A dog A Amy Amy Amy A- A my heart sank I thought of the chorus of unusual howls bowls and roars heard shortly before 1 I looked back again There was no doubt about it behind u us toping roping easily with tan tall switching in grace came a huge buge male lion I recognized the the- great shaggy head It had escaped from the tile Zoo and was probably mad with fright from the attempts of the keepers to capture capture- it A A. little faster and still sWI a little faster I did not want to turn on full speed full speed at once Alice might understand un un- Probably we could slip away from the pursuer and run into town without her knowing the risk But as I turned my head bead a SL few hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred yards further further- I saw that my speed was of no avail aall The The- The lion lion was just as close as before bounding like a giant cat as easily and as quietly as a phantom But you can not keep a secret from froma fromI a n woman Alice Alice- turned her eyes to t I r A Sri b a 4 r ry w t t i f-f f f 1 w y 9 v v I f ft lIE IL MADE A PRODIGIOUS LEAP all It seldom does docs turn out just as asi i- i you Jou plan it It We will go clear to the end of the tile Beach Drive I said sald as we slipped II away way down Main street and turned into the Boulevard Then we will come back by the Wood Road Hoad skirting skirt skirt- skirting ing the Zoo and ending up a at t Alphonses Alphonse's Alphonse's Alphonses Alphonses Alphonse's Al Al- phonse's for a little supper How lIow will And smiled you like that she up at me so appreciatively that I felt perfectly sure for full half a I minute that she was just as much In Inlove inlove love with me as I with her It was so open on the Drive Drie and there was such a stream of automobiles automobiles automo automo- biles and carriages that I deferred speaking to her har of my secret It would be better in the seclusion of the Wood head Hoad So we talked generally generally gen gen- and looked out over oye the water at nt the vessels in the Sound and admired admired admired ad ad- mired the beauty of the glorious moonlight on the dancing waves Then at the tile end of the beautiful path alon along the water we turned abruptly abruptly ab and entered the quiet and seclusion se se- Reclusion seclusion of the tile great pine woods The road rond was rather narrow here nud and wound intricately through the the- forest for tor several miles emerging upon a broad brond plaza at nt the front entrance entrance entrance en en- trance to the Zoo This road was not much frequented at night and I felt that I would have bae ample opportunity to express myself I trembled In In- The time was very near I 1 must speak soon It was very cry quiet in the woods At the the- Intervals Intel we could hear henr distantly baying and howling of the animals in the Zoo an elephant elephant elephant ele ele- trumpeted or a jaguar screamed We were used to these sounds but Alice Allee was just a little frightened when there came a 3 perfect perfect perfect per per- babel of sounds from the sur sure She drew closer to me and I f relying on my skin skill took my left lert lefthand lefthand hand from the steering bar and slipped slipped slip slip- ped pd it gently behind her though I dared not take the the- liberty of ot embracing em cm- bracing her She looked up at nt me In some alarm Suppose one of ot those terrible beasts should get out and come after us she asked timidly I laughed at nt her fears Why its it s 1 would be easy to run away with this machine I said And anyhow you i dont don't suppose I would let anything harm hair ball of a n single your your yourt your your- t t t- t the rear then witha with with- a a. piercing shriek threw both arms around me and clutched me in a most delicious embrace embrace embrace em em- brace though I 1 would willingly have foregone the tile occasion Yes my dear I said quietly I know all about it I think we can cnn run away from him though I touched the speed lever again This was the last notch We were at our limit with a good two miles ahead of us before before- any possibility of help The he machine machine- was now running- running steadily steadily steadily stead stead- ily with a n straight road for half amile a amile amile mile and r let my left arm steal around Alices Alice's waist and held her ber ina In Ina Ina a protecting clasp I 1 thought nomore no nomore nomore more more about love andl soft declara declara- I knew only only- ill that a t here was the sweetest girl im ha the world in imminent Imminent imminent Im im- danger of being torn to shreds by a ferocious lion Uon and that only a a- miracle including steady hand band and head on my part would given gl even een a ghost of n a chance I stole another glance behind Not twenty yards separated us from that relentless thirsty blood-thirsty powerful an an- imal Alice had sunk in a heap on my lap I leaned forward hoping hoping- toI to reduce tho the wind win t pressure pressure- and add to I our speed and prayed to heaven for tor 1 succor On and on on- we went What If we vre should burst a a. tire oc or blow blowout out a cylinder The thought was was- heartrending heartrending heart heart- rending Even nt at our speed the lion was gaining He lIe was only ten yards behind He lie had increased his bis speed with mine malting making twenty twenty- feet at a n. loop leap The The- uncanny uncanny- part oC ot It was that he lie did not make wale a sound except now and then then- thena thenn a n low grumbling grumbling ling growl as ns though resenting the trouble he lie was teas put to in obtaining a supper 1 Far nr ahead I saw three lights set in inthe inthe inthe the shape of a It triangle The top light was WIlS brilliant and threw its rays ras directly into my mJ eyes Thank God an automobile approaching approaching- from the opposite direction I opened my mouth and anti made ready to shout But nut what good would that be The other machine wo ld go whizzing by and we would be no better off oft than be be- fore Then I 1 flinched and almost fell Into the road rond for tor rl right ht in the air all behind me appeared the gleaming eyes the foam flecked jaws the mas mas- clawed sive-clawed feet teet of ot the lion He had 1 made a prodigious us leap and had we been a trifle less swift would have landed on OD top of us But ut we shot from under him and as lie be descended descend descend- ed one great paw swept over o the and wiped off orr half of ot the thelea lea leather ther covering God those claws ws and their power Another jump and we would be done for tor The automobile in front was now DOW almost upon us The toned deep-toned horn sounded a warning At that bat instant I decided on a new course We were approaching a road crossing Taking the handle firmly I swerved sharp across the track just grazing the big car in front and darted down the side road rond But ut I 1 had miscalculated or my hand was unsteady Th The next moment we crash Into the bushes at the side of the road and came to a short stop in the midst of ofa ofa a n dense clump of laureL I crouched and awaited the descent of the lion I 1 could feel him In the al air behind me I waited with a prayer on my lips Instead I heard beard confusion contusion out on the Wood Road noad There were loud voices The machine was at a stop top for I 1 could see the he lights through the trees Alice was in a dead faint and seeing that I 1 could not help h her r at nt that moment and that the beast had bad disappeared 1 I jumped out lU and aud ran run to the roadside There stood Fred Wilsons Wilson's WIlsons WIlson's Wilson's Wilsons Wil WIl- sons son's big touring car with the front smashed in there stood Fred nn and Ills his three companions and there then In the middle of the road lay the lion My lofy plan was successful Following us closely he be had no time to dod dodge e the the- heavy car He lie met it head on There could be only one result My runabout was not hurt and after af at- after atter ter a time with Alice Allce beside me re recovered recovered recovered re- re covered though tremulous we we- ro rote slowly home home- The supper was abandoned But in the quiet of A Al AI Alice's Alices ices ice's dainty parlor with no fear of pursuers pursuer or intruders I went on with my interrupted story And later with both arms around her and und her dear face very ery close close- to urine mine we planned our honeymoon |