Show r the 1 Milan hum v 9 by MARGARET TURNBULL 1 Illustrations by IRWIN MYERS l I I-ht I t by Jar ret TurnbulL W. W N N. N U. U I CHAPTER XII 21 21 rb he Se terrace Robert MacBeth sat fat at atay lt ay y Browne Anything wrong I ou u Ray Itay he asked In his most il Ij y manner Youve ou e been bucked me up tremendously j not a hog Now that the girls t I Q come tape tale an hour bou r or or so off Hive ave Ve the old man to his pipe and andI I t kf Kok 1 k You have baYe earned a rest j i very much for the leave e of ot otIe Ie- Ie Boss but Im I'm not taking any y girl that rd Fd care to spend an anso j so with Hh has Just gone up the 1 r oad road leather for with a ag ayoung y young g man 91 11 1 take your car and go after Advised Robert nobert MacBeth smiling It des de's s 's your adventurous spirit U n Booked looked at him a little thought thought- 3 J before fore he spoke Its Roberta noberta lid fd finally tilt If If Roberta showed t she didn't want you hanging It t I dont don't think you'd run er her er father answered thought- thought I should say not Then after pause he asked the Frith Ith her q t know and In spite of him him- j r ownes owne's voice yolee sounded a 0 little He lie stole a side glance at his I fir Another nother reason why Im I'm lowing Allowing is that Sir George Is them p lem going for fo- all he Is worth J I hear car MacBeth laughed Took ar ar did he Well who'd have Molt I would have hae gambled on he first to toll follow ow gain again regarded MacBeth sol- sol v Bo much did the old man mane be e wondered Well anyway It ot t his place to alarm or enot en- en Roberta had made that thata thatto to him a day or so ago She had I with the feeling eeling that truth d i i kindest thing that she was V But he must reassure the J I I dont don't know When It comes the actual reckless Johnny Johnny- e I g spot did you ever see the beat beaty uty y Sandison 1 MacBeth nodded with en en- jm 1 m. m Its the way with the old Cant Can't turn them away j ri riYe eye Ye ve made up their mind to tots ts rg Robertas Roberta's been hitting Sir Siri i over ver the head hend every time his ed above the long grass Yet s 's s. s t- t v he be comes back He paused iy i and as abruptly said to tot r t Think I 1 can leave him to toJ J jit it Ray i started Handle what j and the strange young ti Robert obert MacBeth asked It a Anxiously I Surely surely Ray nay told him with confidence than he felt It Itt t to him very black that Roberta ae e oft off this way without consult- consult j tk Oz father ather OT Tt tol i Let me get you Indoors sir e. as s though one of the best 7 r nd In the history of try t-try I try ry was about to break oung ng people driven Indoors by sl fining storm at once missed tand 1 and as promptly discovered George was also absent h t 1 out out with Sir George Ray Hobert x bert MacBeth explain was still terrified by g t den storms that swept devas up over o the rl river yer and the If I 1 I do hope the lad will not labout about Roberta one of or the ed mischievously Arent you youa t a bout about her me Fine Roberta knows how v rafter latter after herself Hat fiat was just what Roberta was wasIng rIng fing Ing she did not know With boasted Independence she could ed aloud for tor the safety of or her house as she sped up the river r rk Eck and without her bag Jack used to wait walt until she went r It have hoes enough h money haven't I e asked We can buy what r id d when we get to town You tit fot ot to have haye left the Hie bay bag ba behind S 'S not very ery diplomatic but he 11 tJ mendo Irritated and he J jj so accustomed to laying down Iv fg to elderly widows and andr of who admired his masculine r y 7 that r he forgot Roberta was d' d d t to such a n tone from him r not not making l yourself she told him shortly 11 L hinder I to my getting out and 63 ien ack if I di Mack want to said sail Jack and aud he put his 51 l ut her his cheek a against hers ry lS l d tithe the car ahead ohead at six sixty ty miles Cf 1 l gorge orge far behind them saw 1 Cr disappearing from his d view r i tle machine would could i never out out- 1 tt ft t and he must stop for tor fore torb b 3 t the e next station lIe He put on onh i h SI speed eed as was safe on the HO road oad and with this storm corn corn- l ld thatched the car ahead of or his brt bW raw away Ue lie must stop them i s l E e of ot the next bridge If It pos pos- tore they crossed over to Jerild Jer- Jer Jerrould rould ild be too easy for tor Jack to tm far behind once he had hadstate hadstate h state line and the bridge sortie eorge wondered even us as he 1 his car and gained a little whether Jack weld weald ne next neit t brid bridge e e- It Jt wu wei an old old- f c r fashioned wooden covered bridge one of ot the few left In the countryside He lie also wondered If Roberta had any suspicion that he was following her Sweat broke out on his brow browns as ns he thought of ot that possibility An open and public clash between Roberta noberta and himself was something he quite frankly dreaded and yet If It must come It must Of or course Jack must moan mean to marry her he thought with a sick Ick feeling of disgust The Idea Iden of ot Roberta noberta tied for life to that trIck tricky mon mongrel rel was more than Sir George could bear hear Then the storm broke The rain came down In torrents Cars ran hastily Into public gara garages es and Indeed Into any kind of shelter the they could get et Travel Tm vel was Impossible for most people but he I kept t e steadily on thou though h necessarily slowly Just as he lie was thinking that now surely he would lose the blue car cur he suddenly caught a n glimpse l of It In the procession ahead It was making toward the covered bridge bridges lie Ile lost the car again aln and edged his way gingerly out of the procession He lIe at once discovered why he had not seen seen It IL Roberta and Jack were the center of an on excited and Jabbering crowd Jack had crushed the thc mudguards mudguards mud mud- guards of ot a n dilapidated machine he- he longing to a family of or voluble Polish Polish- Americans out for their Sunday ex ex- Jack Jacle was hurriedly taking their names and addresses and giving them his own From Florn the thc expression on Robertas Roberta's face tace Sir George wondered wondered wondered won won- I dered whether the name Jack had Just given ghen was the one with which Roberta was familiar They rhey were so deeply en engrossed In Inthe Inthe Inthe the accident that no one paid any attention attention attention at at- to him as he worked his way around on the outside of the group and made for the covered bridge He lie did not go at once to the bridge en en- trance He drew up where he be could watch the crowd about Jack without attracting Jacks Jack's attention The storm raged Fortunately Ray flay Brownes Browne's car was not an open car carand and In comparative comfort Sir George settled himself and lit a cigarette cigarette cigarette ciga ciga- rette waiting wafting for the moment when Jack would move At present he felt he be could do nothing that would make Robertas Roberta's escapade public property Jacks Jack's temper was growing edgy he could tell by his Insolent attitude and his snarling voice which occasionally carried above the roar of the storm The rain saved him for the Polish Polish- Americans hastily piled Into their car and the spectators scattered to seek seele shelter Suddenly Jacks Jack's car shot past Sir George It was raining too hard to go at that rate of ot speed he be decided an anywhere where except on the covered bridge Evidently E Jack had this Idea too for he swung around narrowly missing Sir George Jack was paying no heed whatever to the bridge e rules and regulations which called for tor a speed of ot only ten miles mites an hour Jacks Jack's Infringement of the rules annoyed an any noyed Sir George who had planned to stop him In the middle of ot the bridge and have It out In comparative seclusion Roberta was having her first active misgivIngs Surely Jack had conducted conducted con con- ducted the negotiations with the owner of the dilapidated car In an unnecessarily unnecessarily unnecessarily harsh manner She simply could not Imagine her father or even arrogant arrogant arrogant ar ar- ar- ar Sir George speaking to those people In the way Jack had spoken or giving them his name In such a fashion as to make It almost Impossible for them to get It correctly Then his sudden and abrupt way of ot giving In to all they asked with a snarl and dashIng dashIng dashIng dash- dash Ing away She had not time to wonder any more for she caught a glimpse of ot Sir George as she looked back Jack Jackl I she screamed out so that he might hear her above the roar of ot the thunder the reverberation of their swift progress along the loosely fitted boards of the old bridge the rain ruin and ami the to her almost audible crack of ot lightning Were being followed Jack sw swore rc It was a simply disgusting oath Roberta told herself She might be too modern to be shocked at nt a little profanity but he simply should not say such things She would see that he never ne said that again But nut Sir George I What earthly right had he to follow Sir George only too anxious to answer answer answer an an- that qu question was following follO as ae closely behind them as Jacks Jack's speed permitted The old bridge e one of the few ancient ancient an an- dent wooden covered bridges left lett thereabouts was along bridge crossIng crossing cross cross- Ing the river at Its widest The quaint wagon structure had windows at nt equal distances all the way across These old covered bridges were delightful delightful de de- delightful places In which to cool off In summer time with their narrow windows windows windows win win- dows showing every now and then the beautiful river and ond the equally beautiful beau benu- I shores In a rain such as today's the bridge was a long dim dark tunnel tunnel tun tun- nel net lit by occasional flashes of ot lightning The noise of or the rain on the wO llen roof root was terrific Sir George with a sinking heart remembered hered his small supply of petrol as he lie Increased his speed slightly so that he might not lose sI sight ht of Jack He would save for the last spurt and stop Jack Tack at nt the other side of ot the bridge Just before he lie reached the highway Jacks Jack's plan was of ot course directly opposite He meant to drive beyond the required regulations while he was wa wason wason on the bridge and when he lie reached the entrance he Intended to go flying at top speed up the hill to the broad highway that led to the New York Fork road He lead had forgotten what his pursuer suddenly remembered with a relieved sigh that there was a toll tollgate tollgate gate and a toll man at the other end endot of ot the bridge and there the cars would have to stop while toll was paid Sir George remembering this re re- relaxed lie He could surely stop them at atthe atthe atthe the gate for Roberta would hardly care to stage a public scene She might even be e glad to come back with him If It she was not then It was a n athing athing thing to be settled between Jack and himself Sir George rather hoped Roberta noberta would n not t want to come with him at ot once so that he might have that excuse to give Jack the beating that he richly deserved Then It happened Suddenly as It seemed Instantly after atter a long and terrible peal of thunder came a tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- blinding flash and a sound as though something had been ripped A rolling ball of ot fire flew before his eyes eves a queer sulphurous smell filled the air and Immediately It seemed to him the bridge between his car and Jacks Jack's burst Into flames Sir Georges George's car some distance behind behind be bey hind Jacks Jack's stopped then went forward forward for for- ward as flame and smoke e rolled up He felt a moment of ot horror Roberta Was IVas Roberta hurt Forgetting his own peril for the flames Hames were tanning running along the roof root and sides of ot the bridge and would soon reach him he called aloud In his terrible anxiety and fear as he drove forward He did not realize that he was using the pet name the girls girl's father had given berand her ber herand herand and that he secretly thought charmingly charmIn charmingly charm charm- In ly fitted her boyish red-gold red head hend Bobble 1 I Bobble Bobbie I Are you all allright allright right 1 Be He continued to shout as he leaped from his car and ran toward the fire which was now like a flaming screen between them Bobbie Bobble 1 I Bobbie Bobble Bob Bob- ble bie 1 l Where are you Beyond the smoke and flames after atter her first swift collapse a against the shaking Jack Jacl Roberta noberta MacBeth lifted her head and listened The shock had stunned them theta both and automatically automatically automat automat- Jack had stopped the car What she heard made her turn to the flaming part of the bridge Just behind them Jack Jacl stretched out his hand rand to start the car again Again that agonized shout This time It was plain to Roberta noberta and Jack too Bobble Dobbie I Bobble Bobbie I Walt Im I'm coming Jack grinned an ugly grin Hell never g get t his car through that he lie said with a frightened look belling be- be lung hm But Robertas Roberta's hand was on his arm Dont start up Jack she begged begge Walt Wait until he comes Like Le h II I II Let that Englishman gum gurn things up Youre You're crazy Ho lie put nis foot toot on the self starter F oberta Roberta promptly struck him across the Ue face and pulled on the emergency brake rake Before Jack could recover himself she was out of ot the car and running toward the fire Through h It I staggering she could see a tall LaU form TO DE BE CONTINUED |