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Show I Dramatized and Produced by the Vitagraph Company From the Popular Novel of the same name by C. N. and A. M. Williamson Everything You Read Here Today You Can See This Week At Leading Motion Picture Theatres in Vivid Motion Pictures with 1 MR. EARLE WILLIAMS as CHRISTOPHER RACE MISS EDITH STOREY as DOROTHY HERBERT Do not miss these wonderful adventures Copyright, 1916, by the Star Company. All Foreign Rights reserved. I CHAPTER XIL THE CAR AJWD THE GIRL. CHRISTOPHER and his uncle had Just been I to look at the cars that were to start w next day In the great "freak race," as the coming event was popularly called, and for which Scarlet Runner was already entered en-tered at the Important relative's request. The Royal Automobile Club, under whose auspices the race was to be run, had taken temporarily a big new garage to house the competitors, and ever since early morning. IWieil LUC LUI MilU WVHWII w U iii . . . to put themselves on view, devotees of motoring mo-toring had been pouring In and out. Everyone Every-one was Interested, for not only was a well-known well-known millionaire offering a ten-thousand pound prize and several cups for the encouragement en-couragement of originality among Inventors, hut most of the motors themselves were worth seeing. As for the old man who held Christopher Race's destiny In his hand, as the driver of a car hold his steering-wheel, ho was interested for several reasons, though hia interest had como as a surprise to Christopher. Chris-topher. Now he was talking excitedly as they walked together Into the big white and red and gold restaurant near the garage, which f..i the last day or two had been practically given over to the motoring world, and where ho was to bo his nephew's guest at luncheon. "Well, Chris" he said, as they Bat down at the table Christopher had engaged, you B win that first prize and there's nothing of mme vou can't have now or In future." Christopher laughed. "Aren't you giving yourself away a bit. uncle? Tou werep t going to let mo know my fate until next month, when the year of probation will be "It was you who set the limit and made the stipulation," the elder man reminded the younger, watching the champagne as it bubbled into his glass. "You've been pretty pluckv this last year, and shown ihat you've good stuff in you better stuff than 1 thought when vou were fooling your time away and 1 i uniting into debt. Win this prize, my boy, 1 -win It, and I shall say, 'Here's my successor a voung man who's done something for the World to talk of. and done it alone.'" I "First prize it must bo? Second or third won't do?" Christopher wanted to know. "Decidedlv not. Worse than nothing!" protected pro-tected his uncle. "Think of your name. Race.' A man with that name, if he does go in for a thing, must win the best there is. .1 ... i i'i. .t i.iiik iiinv . i.ulil make on II you if you failed!" 1 The table was near the entrance, therefore Christopher had to take only a few steps to see his uncle as far as the door. As Mr. Race went out, two ladies came In. passing by the old man and tho young one apparently apparent-ly without a glance. 3ut If they did not r"av tho smallest attention to him Mr. Race was seized with the most lively and compcll-1 compcll-1 ing interest in one or both of them. lie utarted. stared, and peered through his gold-rimmed gold-rimmed eye-fclasaea, his lips, just parted for a last word with Christopher, remaining open. . . Even when the two ladles had passed and their backs wore turned to him the old man Btood lost In admiration or emotion of some sort, while Christopher looked at him in surprise sur-prise His uncle, during his knowledge of him. had always posed as more or less of a woman-hater. , . "What's tho matter. uncleT asked tho young man, with rather a humorous light in his eyes. "You seem rather struck." "Lord bless my soul" exclaimed the old 1 man And with no other answer, and not so 1 much as a glance for his nephew, whose H very existence ho seemed to have forgotten, H Mr Race marched out of the restaurant, look- H Ing llko one who has seen a ghost. H Sir John Maverick.-now at the table, smiled H as Christopher came back. He had caught 1 the expression In his old friend's face and In I the eyes mat peeren ;u i women from behind their glass windows. "I didn't know Mr Race was a ladies' man In these days." he said. "But that couple are attractive enough to make a lon Juan out of a Diogenes." "I shouldn't have thought even they would have that effect on such a hardened old cynic as my uncle." said Christopher. "I remember my f other saying that Mr Raco had had a groat disappointment in love as a young, or a fairly young, man, remarked Sir John, "and that it was quite a romance." 'I've heard of It," returned Christopher. "Tho lady Jilted him. I'm afraid, and married oomeono else. Uncle James and I nearly H ceased to bo friends because ho had an idea H of sending me on a wild-goose chaso after H the family, to find and marry the daughter. H I kicked at the proposition and never learned H the voung woman's name. Anyhow, neither H of these ladles is nearly old enough to havo H been the heroine of Uncle James' lovo story. H One Is a girl, and the other can't be much H "The girl I never saw before," said Sir H John "but tho woman 1 know by sight, and H I suppose you do. No? Why. It's Madamo H du Ouesclln. the famous French sports- H woman. She can drive a racing motor like H llfce a demon or an angel. A very hi-ndsome 1 k,, nT.'t miitn cr into tho same class H with tho girl, eh?" "They're Just sitting down at the tablo H behind you," murmured Christopher, In a H low, warning tone. "Madame has probably run over to eee the H I freaks.' and the start to-morrow." said Sir H John, dropping his voice, "but I thought the H girl looked English. I suppose they have H friend who are competing By the way. If H It isn't indiscreet to ask, what particularly H novel features has your car? Of course. I'vo H heard of some of your exploits with her, but H I got the Idea that she was neither moro nor H less than an exceptionally good touring car; H and she must be a year old. Isn't she? Or aro H you coming in with something newor?" fl "No, It's my Scarlet Runner," answered H Christopher. BLH m '? Tncan to tr' anfl touch your money " ho H finished, laughing. "I'vo had a look "round H among the 'freaks In that Zoo arrosi tho H way this morning, and though Scarlet Run- H nor Isn't, perhaps. In her first vouth and H can't flatter herself that she's a monstrosity. H she's as sweet a 'runner as she Is scarlet. H and the proportion of engine power sho man- H ages to transmit to tho road wheelB Is so H enormous that I have tho highest hopes for "Well, 1 wish you luck, Tm rare," said Sir John Maverick; "but if I wore a competitor, competi-tor, I think I should be a bit shy of the freak that, from all accounts, outfreaks everything else." "What, tho gyroscopic freak?" Inquired Christopher, a suspicion of a sneer In his v olee. As he asked this question tho two ladles who had lately como In turned quickly, as Jf on Impulse and looked round for the first . n "The gyroscoplo freak," echoed Maverick. "It's Just on tho cards that that particular freak Is going to revolutionize automoblllsm. I would not caro to bet high against It." "I wouldn't care to bet high on It," laughed Christopher. "Vou think old Dick Herbert won't run his car?" "I should think it's premature to call it a car My idea Is that It's proved a big disappointment." dis-appointment." "I wonder. Poor old chap! It won't be the first he's had. "His Is a mere name to mo." answered Christopher, "associated only with the failure of the compressed-air business; so, naturally. natural-ly. I don't expect much now. And If he's old, ho may well funk to-morrow." There was a sudden brisk movement at tho next table, so brisk that it attracted Christopher's attention. The younger of tho two ladies had twisted round in her chair, sitting with her arm Hung over tho back, her Hushed face turned upon her surprised neighbor. "Ho funks nothing." she said. In a low but Intensely angry tone. "It's sheer jealousv which makes you talk llko that. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. It's disgusting. To call your sneers at a brilliant inventor and hi invention bad taste would bo too mild." "Dorothv"' protested handsome Madame du Ouesclln, with her charming French accent. ac-cent. But the girl, flaming in beauty and rage, like a wind-blown poppy, would not listen. "Bewaro of the monstrosity to-morrow," She went on, her voice quivering. "Llko a monster, it may devour you and all your self-conceit. self-conceit. When you're swallowed up, when juuio juai aiiMn v iiunui.'u.', JJenwiIJH II bo sorry for speaking as you have of a man like Richard Herbert behind hla back." Christopher was overwhelmed by the torrent tor-rent of her wrath, and, vexed as he was at having inadvertently given offense to such a beautiful young creature, he was half-Inclined to laugh In the rnldst of his astonishment. astonish-ment. .' extraordinary, so almost childish was her tirade. "T am Indeed sorry," he ventured, "to have unintentionally distressed you." "You havo not 'distressed' me," broke In the girl. "You wouldn't havo the power to do that. You have annoyed me, for I hate jealousy and Injustice, and I felt bound to protest that's all." Her companion asked the waiter for the bill, and three minutes later both ladles had trailed their graceful frocks out of the restaurant. The great freak race was to start from Regent's Re-gent's Park, and finish, after a roundabout thousand-mile run, at Edinburgh. It was not to be a speed test, nevertheless elaborate preparations had been taken to protect the public, and there was a tacit understanding that for this occasion there would bo no police traps. Scouts told off by tho Automobile Auto-mobile Club and other organizations were to bo stationed at all dangerous spots to warn cars to go slowly, and any chauffeur driving to the public danger would at once be struck off tho list of competitors. Early on tho morning fixed for the start tho automobiles began to move out of the big garage and take up their allotted places An enormous crowd assembled to criticize or admlro them. Never before" had been seen such a collection of fearful and wonderful cars. Scarlet Runner looked strictly conventional among all her queerly-shaped rivals, as all arrangements for tho oll-drlve were, of course, under her body, and to the ordinary eye Christopher Race's car proclaimed no special feature entitling her to rank among the freaks Tho place. Immediately In front of Scarlet Runner was vacant. No freak had vet come to tak It; and otllcials organizing the raco nltted nervously by, now and then, to glare at the untidy gap caused by somebody's tardiness. tardi-ness. Christopher was sitting in his car rcadv to move up when his turn should come, when an O-o-o-h!' of astonishment from the crowd, sounding like the sudden lndrawlng or a breath, made him turn his head to glancb curiously about for the cause of tho excitement. excite-ment. An amazing vehicle If vehicle it could bo called was gliding, silent and snako-llke towards tho empty place In front of Scarlet Itunner. In ulumA it km . -,-.. .i , cigar; In color It was black; and its joint-less joint-less metal casing glittered in the wintry sunlight. Halfway down its length the great cigar was cut out into a nick, and In tho nick sat. very upright and alert, tho slender nguro of a woman. She wore a leather Jacket; Jack-et; her hair was covered by a kind of curtain descending from her leather cap, and fastening fasten-ing under her chin;, and her eyes looked through goggles In an elfin mask, which protected pro-tected and concealed the whole upper part of her face. The thing had no sldo wheels, but from under the metal casing two central wheels Id be seen revolving, one placed behind the other in a straight line. RutTning as It did upon these two central wheels alone the marvel was that tho vehicle could keep up-rlpltw, up-rlpltw, ,nl" wh,,c U was moving rould It possibly do so. after the manner of a bicycle thought tho interested spectators, most of whom had heard of this new invention without with-out real y( believing In It. But when tho gyroscopic car had slid into its place directlv tn front of Scarlet Runner, and had come Silently to a standstill, it still remained up! right on Its two central wheols. Thoso who were completely Ignorant of the real nature of the lnventton regarded It as a kind of motor miracle; but Christopher and. others i Who had read with Intelligent Interest of tho ma- hlno which was being made, understood more or less what was happening They knew that the cigar-shaped vehicle was kept on lt;i feet, so to speak, by the two small gyroscopes gy-roscopes spinning In sealed chambers, one on each side of the car. and driven by tho current cur-rent from a small electric battery. The freaks woro busily getting away. The girl had hopped up Into the gyroscopic gyro-scopic car onco more, an ofllclal observer from tho club by her side, and then, with scarcely a sound from the engines, tho black, clgar-shapcd car shot ahead llko a shark chasing its prey. Two minutes later came Christopher's turn, his own "observer" having by this time mounted to the seat be-sido be-sido him. They were off to cover the first mile of the thousand which would complete the test. And not one man but was his own chauffeur. Through London and the streets of suburbia subur-bia that lies between town and country the long lino of strange-looking automobiles many built for the running of this race ran slowly enough, serpentining In and out of traffic The order bad been given that no competitor must pass another until open spaces had been reached, therefore Christopher Christo-pher was compelled to keep at the enemy's hack. He had but too many opportunities for observing tho big car and Its chauffeuse, . f -r-eing the ease with which tho car wormed in and out among big vehicles, how neatly It could whisk round a corner, swinging outwards, out-wards, not Inwards as other motors must, how sturdily It kept upright on Its almost hidden wheels, and how the stares of peoplo In tho street followed It as if it were a magic thing. U hatovor the result of the race might b It began to look as If the gyroscoplo car was a success, and had como to stay Of ftn paco Christopher had been able to form no estimate until open country was reached, but then It shot forward with the speed of a ncwly-dlscovered comet. Opening Open-ing Scarlet Runner's throttle he also leaped ahead, keeping cose on the enemy's heols; ho realized wlHT delight that, even without acceleration, he was holding his own In the race which seemed now to bo beginning. Soon the gyroscope, with Scarlet Runner close behind, gained upon the otner cars that had started before them. And always tho clgar-shapcd car gained upon those that, had started In advance, passing them one by one Always, too, Scarlet Runner gavo chase, nevep outdistancing the gyroscope, but never getting far outdistanced herself Sometimes Christopher had the queer black thing well In sight, sometimes he lagged a few miles behind, according to the road surface; for tho gyroscope had the great advantage of running on a 3lnglo track, inequalities of the road mattering little; besides, less surface was presented to the wind. Tho Cigar (as Christopher began to call the Herbert Invention) and Scarlet Runner had started in tho raco fifteenth and sixteenth respectively; at the end of the first day the former was already ninth, the lattor tenth. But Christopher was beginning to doubt his power to keep continually close to tho enemy, much less to pass ahead, and he tried to con-solo con-solo himself by thinking that his dangerous rival ought not to havo been admitted as a competitor in this race. The thing was too much llko a racing car. Tho raco was to last five days, the competitors com-petitors zigzagging about England to fill up tho allotted distance before finishing at Edinburgh; Ed-inburgh; and for tho Cigar and Scarlet Runner Run-ner the second day was almost a. repetition of tho first. Both passed other cars, but Christopher could not pass Miss Herbert, try as ho might. '1 he morning fled Christopher came to the next control without having had another glimpse of the gyroscope. There he learned that the enemy must be at least five miles In advance of him an easy victory at last within reach, as it must seem to everyone. "Protty and young as she Is, that girl seems to have not one feminine graco which Isn't of the body." he said venomotisly. "What bad (orm to wave her hand as she Assuredly Christopher was gaining on his rival, and gaining rapidly. He could see the outline of Miss Herbert's slim figure, with tho broad back of tho solid official obsorver by her sldo. Scarlet Runner was at her vory best, but, until now, that best had not been enough to defeat this coti'iuerlng enemy. Christopher felt like patting tho car as If she had been a mare, and chirruping words of encouragement. 'You've got a chance yet," said M Eellan; and Race's heart leaped. He was hot on his rival's trail now so near that to his surprise and almost horror ho could see that the snaky gyroscope was slowing, and rocking strangely from side to side So far he and Miss Herbert were tho two drivers who had not had to make Involuntary Involun-tary stops. Others had had two or three Bach, Now, he alono had had none; for even as he thought It became clear that the gyroscope gy-roscope was In trouble. It stood sturdily upright, but helpless, on Its little metal legs, and as Christopher came up the girl had just gone down, utter dejection dejec-tion in every line of her figure and the droop of her onco proud head Something In himself, him-self, which ho did not understand and could not account for, made him disconnect the oil force-pump and put on the brake Scarlet Runner stopped, pulsing, by tho sldo of tho sad Cigar. 'What on earth are you about?" growled M'Lcllan "Don't you know you're giving away your race?" "Can't help It. Think something's wrong with mo," Christopher muttered, a misleading answer. For If something was wrong with him, there was nothing wrong with his car. He got down from his car and walked towards to-wards her. "Can I do anything for you, Miss Herbert?" he asked correctly, raising his cap, as if he had come across a stranded motor on an ordinary or-dinary road excursion. The girl was gazing at him In astonishment astonish-ment Her mask was off and her charming face, white to the lips, was bathed In dusty will become of mT wnlled the girl, in a very small, heart-broken voice. ' I have a sparo one," Christopher said. "You're very welcome to it." ".N'o," sho cried, "I wouldn't take It from you. I couldn't possibly. Oh, you don't know how you're making me fool, offering me the chance to win tho raco from you, when already It was a3 good as yours. And you of all people' I " "Don't say any more," cut In Christopher. "I want you to have tho accumulator Thon we can stast fair again, when you have your chance. I shouldn't enjoy a win now unless you had that chanco. No - red it to me, you see if we linger here some of the others' will be on us, and neither of us will win. What? It won t take a minute to lit." The temptation was too preat for her. Sho let him run back to his car (which she couldn't help remembering that she hnd called a ' poor, old uninteresting red thing") and take from under the scat that spare accumulator ac-cumulator which might mean salvation for her and defeat for him. Then he began working with quick, deft fingers at the rignr, while tho two official observers, who had seized the opportunity for cigarettes, looked at their stop-watches and mado a hasty Jotting or two in their note-books. 'There! exclaimed Christopher. "You've plenty of power for your gyroscopes again See, theyro spinning round like mad. Now you can get off." As he spoke the girl sprang to her seat, the observer following her example, as MLellan climbed expectantly back Into Scarlet Scar-let Runner. "I can never thank you enough for for the coals of fire," Miss Herbert said, her hand on the steering-wheel. "But I'm going to let you start first. Oh, why don't you go? We musn't wait I almost think I see a ear coming In the distance behind." "No, you mustn't wait," echoed Christopher Christo-pher laconically. Ho was standing against one of his own driving-wheels, looking up at her with an odd expression in his eyes, as If ho were suddenly very tired. She was no longer white. A bright color stained her cheeks, bAit it was Christopher who was pale under f The flenrlet Rnnner flnlahed In n burnt of speed. passed me! But you can't make a woman understand how to play the game." "I think you do her injustice." returned the observer, whose name was M'Uellan. "I believe be-lieve she's a very nice girl, reallv, but her father is her Idol. She'd do anything for him, peoplo who know her sav. It nearly broke her heart that other Invention of his proving prov-ing a failure a few years ago, when she was fifteen or sixteen. Old Dick Herbert practically practi-cally brought hor up by hand, lb was middle-aged when he married her mother, who died at tho girl's birth, and the two havo been everything to each other since. She learned motor-driving and something of mechanics to please her father, because she knew ho was inventing this gyroscopic car, and she thought, as he was old. a little practical chauffourlng might come In handy in the family. A friend of theirs told mo the other day that this girl Dorothy, I think hor ramo is has nearly used up a legacy left her by some relatives as a dot In having this car built. It must have cost a good bit of money, and they have next to nothing to live on If the car wins the first prize a big syndicate has promised to take up tho invon-i invon-i understand and will manufacture for the market. That'll mean fortune as well as fame for Dick Herbert, so you see It lsn t exactly unfetrflnino In the girl to want to win the race." "I see," said Christopher; and he did see several things Having an almost uncomfortably uncom-fortably strong sense of Justice, he understood under-stood In this flash of enlightenment exactly how Dorothy Herbert, tho father-worshipper, must have felt when she heard him freely discussing her idol and his Inventions with the organizer of tho race Well, at least sho was going to have her revenge' It was hard on him; but suddenly he realized that he did not grudge It to her as ho had done five minutes ago. "Look!" exclaimed M'Eellan. abruptly breaking a long silence. "What's that we've just come In sight of down there, under tho third hill?" "By Jove! it's the rigar" cried Christopher. There it was, a mere flying spe k. Been far away across broken and undulating land, as Scarlet Runner, with heated pneus, topped a commanding hill. At first there was doubt In Christopher's mind. It might bo tho Cigar; it might be some automobile not connected with tho raco at all. But curiously soon doubt merged Into certainty. Thero was no mistake about that queer, long shape, therefore, since he was going at hln top speed, tho gyroscopic car must have slowed down. Something waa wrong; clearly something was wrong. tears Oh no. there was nothing mannish about her now' But Christopher had forgotten forgot-ten that he had ever accused her, In his mind. She looked so young, so forlorn, so broken-hearted, that her bravo attempt to rally and Ignore her tears at sight of him seemed doubly pathetic to Christopher. "Do anything for mc'" she echoed. In astonishment as-tonishment so profound as to reveal how entirely en-tirely she had regarded him as the Implacable Implac-able enemy. "I dqn't understand. I'm en panne You've beaten me Please go on. I I can't start again, that's all." Hor voice waered and choked She turned away her face to hide tears that would begin be-gin to fall again to water the dead ashes of her hopes "T should like to help you If T can." said Christopher "But but why?" asked the girl, almost suspiciously. "I've been most horribly rtitie to you not that jou didn't deserve it. But anyhow. I don't deserve anything of you now, except except hatred " "You haven't exactly put vourself out to Please me," returned Christopher dryly. ''But why should ou? And I'm not doing this to please vou. It's because I can't do anything else What do you thlnk's the matter"'" ho Inquired. h, short-circuit somewhere, and the gyroscopes gy-roscopes won't spin," she answered despcr-atelj despcr-atelj If they don't turn, the car can't keep upright when In motion You're awfully kind quite incredibly kind, heaping coals of fire on my head. But you can't do anything for me, except to go on and leave me to my fate" "Let me see If I can't do something," tho young man patiently persisted. "Dog can't eat dog, you know." Thero was nothing concerning mechanism, or accumulators, batteries, and wires that Christopher Race had not studied and learned bv heart From remote days of early Benzcs and original Leon Bollees ho had wrestled with these things by the roadside until knowledge of their myriad eccentricities had oaten into his very being. Now It needed no very profound research to discover what had happened to the r-.frar. One accumulator was exhausted, as Miss Herbert would soon have found out when she had had a chance to examine tho inner workings of her car. Thero had been short-clrcultlngs through a badly-Insulated wire. "Accumulator used up." announced Christopher. Christo-pher. "I was afraid so. Oh, poor father! What "You won the race. Dorothy, hnt Christopher wins you," dust and tan. He felt rather dejected for he was In the act of doing a hideous thing wounding his best friend. Also he was throwing away ten thousand pounds, and a fortune from his uncle, just becauso a girl had cried and looked forlorn a young girl brave and loyal, who had Impoverished herself her-self for her father and was fighting for him now against all odds Christopher had quietly, stealthily taken a penknifo from hi. po ket and, with his hand behind him. had driven tho little blade leej, Into Scarlet Runner's tire. Poor, faithful faith-ful Scarlet Runner, who had served him so well, and whose heart was throbbing still with tho desire and power to hear him on to victory! Yet he couldn't take that victory, vic-tory, and see tho girl lose. He had hated her, but he didn't hate her now. He simply couldn't be the cause of making her fight in vain. "I said wo mustn't wait And you must go first. " she repeated. "Sorry," said Christopher dully, with a lump :n his throat, as he hoped that Scarlet Runner would forgive him. Till afraid I cant obey. I appear to bo hung un tor. i ire clow n, I see Dorothy Herbert stared at tho flattening rubber and M'Lellan whistled faint! v mak ing a sound rather like the escaping air tube eusnod from tne t,r?'s wounded Inner "It would be quixotic of vou to wait for w.n0W...W?nV0n, 'topher. "Fortune of v.ar. But I don't give up yet It won't take mo long to replace this tire, and I ha-o s fighting chance still But there's no fun for cither of us If you don't start at once I beg of you to go on." Hesitating, half-reluctant, half-eager the girl let herself be hypnotized bv the command com-mand u. her late enemy's eyes. Almost mo-chanlcally mo-chanlcally her foot pr. , ,, clutch lever" a touch on another lever drew up the sup-nnr'ln8 sup-nnr'ln8 mJctaI lJW- T" car moved forward. Onco tho driver looked back, maskless a few ofanhll r 8h J''0,'ped over th0 br,5w "I suppose I shall have to record this er stop against you." said MLellan. as Chris topher renewed the Inner tube and forced on tho cover by means of the new American tool which had served him bravely not lona ago on a certain eventful journey" to Barnet "It's my duty to do that. All the same t -well. I think It's about the finest Ihini baVtf: m7 d?-Jolly lot fine? hadn't done it ' "av maao ,r V Uro ""I71 thlnS9 you must do vou don t know why." grumbled Christopher onco moro taking his seat. pncr' Far beyond the outskirts of Edinburgh crowds i began to line the roadway ? t fc side-cheering, enthusiastic crowds, prepared to give the winners a heartv Scotch welcome. wel-come. Then, thicker and thicker grew the Press In the southern suburbs. It seemed J," th;?tbTls and V1'1'"1" had bal ded together to form one huge, shouting throng "Put on a spurt, master!" roared a tall soldier in kilts. "Tho lassie's no far ahead o ye the noo! Christopher smiled, but not very eallv He was beating down tho temptation to lessen les-sen the distance between the cars, and ho mlleCOnQUOrCd U JUSt onoueh to KlV9 that At last ho struck the superb line of Princes Street, and far away at tho other end ho could fee a crimson banner, which marked the winning-post. Speeding towards that flutter of red (yet not so fast as it might 6!L0nJ! ,f th0 hau"us had chosen) was the gyrOSCOPC Tho air rang with applause as the sn"ke-like sn"ke-like car. with the pale girl driving, passed oenearn tne naj;; nra vnnoiopner, hearl could not have analyzed tho feelings surged in his breast " wn'ch i He had timed his own arrival as he fni 1 lowed, and he came In at the finish r clscly as he had started, exactly two rntr" utos behind tho car which set out befo him. ' Those who did not knew doubtless thouii ho ought to be glad and proud to win t? socond prize, an exceedingly handsome Eom cup; but Christopher knew and if he hjj not known ho would havo become unpl antly certain when ho saw hlB uncle s far, Tho old man had come by train to Ed. . burgh to meet tho winner of the first prlu who, from telegraphic accounts, he had lit tl" doubt would bo his nephow. He had taken a sulto cf rooms at tfs hotel which he considered best, and had or dred the most elaborate dinner the Ch could produce, to bo accompanied by plontt t of tho most expensive champagne. And, b hold, his Joyous preparations were wasted! This was bad enough, but a few wordi I from M'Lellan ("to whom he had been Intro, duced on tho day of tho start) mado matters worse. Tho two met In the hall of the ho'..t where Mr. Race was all but dancing with raco as he waited to berate the Failure who putting up Scarlet Runner in the garage, t A few words, well meant on M'Lellan's pan and spoken in praise of Christopher's chlvaj. roufl generosity, gavo the old man some idei of the true state of the case- Unable to trust himself longer In the. clety of his fellow-man, he stumbled upstain to the prlvnto dining room, where the flowe? decorated table completely maddened hlrj, Ho had loft word for his nophow to follow and when Christopher arrived he was la th act of throwing a largo bunch of hothouw roses into the fire. "Don't do that, uncle. It's murder," ti' the young man, whose mother had taujhl him to respect the rights of flowers. "I I want to commit murder." stammr4 Mr Race, too furious to be coherent. "I'd I I'd like to murder you, and smash up your beastly car." "Come. Isn't that rather hitting a nun when he's down?" suggested Christopher "J didn't enjoy getting beaten, you know" "Oh, didn't you, Indeed? Then why dl4 vnii IaI vr,nr3plf hA heaten"' emttAj v. i uncle ' You needn't think to deceive me I know what you did. You'd play Quixote, would you? Well, you'll find it an expensive part to keep up Perhaps you didn't think I meant what I said; but I did, every word of it. You've chucked away ten thousand pounds of good money you might have had for the taking, and a hundred thousand befr sides which I'm not going to leave to i love-sick fool." "Love-sick fool!" echoed Christopher eur prised. "What do you mean?" "Perhaps you didn't know that M'Lellan Saw you stick a knlfo into your tire because you'd fallen in love with some baby-faced girl, who " "Oh, did you stick a knife Into If" crl4 a horrified voice at the door. Neither man had heard a knock, or seen the door which had not been closed g?nUT I pushed upen, Dorothy Herbert had lain In wait valnlr outside for someono who had deliberatoly but from the best Intentions) avoided meet-Ing meet-Ing her. Then she had Inquired, and learned j that Mr. Raco had a private sitting-room I No. 1! on the first floor. She has asked to bo taken there, not knowing that there waj more than one Mr. liace; and, hearing th angry voice, hnd been seized with a terrlbli idea. The man who had made a great sacrifice sac-rifice for her was being reproached. sh thought, by some official connected with the race for giving It away. Sho must defend him! . . . But though sho had suspected something, she had not known what effectual means he had taken to glvo her a long start at the end. As both men turned to look at her, and she saw the elder's fierce old face, dark red with anger, her spirit rose. "You shall not talk to him like that. I don't care who you are'" she exclaimed "It'll 'vt.ouiie iu amy no carea aooui my oaoT face,' for I'm the girl he allowed to beat I hlni Why. he hates me and I deserve IL I He did the noblo, chivalrous thing you'r I scolding him for. simply because I was a I woman, crying there In the road, and per- I haps because he knew how much It meant I for me to win. M father Is Richard Her- f hert " "I don't caro who your father Is, child I but, for Heaven's sake, who was your mother7'' faltered Mr. Race, In a changed I voice, staring with eager eyes at the glrL "I saw ou in London the day beforo the start You were in a restaurant I you are the Image of someone I once knev someono I once loved who went out of ray f life and disappeared." "They say I'm llko my mother who ll dead," said the girl, her face softening. Her name was Dorothy Llndell." "I thought so'" exclaimed the old maa "You are Dorothy Llndell over again. Sh was the only woman I ever cared for, though she was almost young enough to be my daughter. She promised to be my wife, but before the time came she ran away, and lefl a noto saying sho couldn't make up bef I mind to have me. she d only consented tfl please an aunt of hers who'd brought her up consented because I was rich. I never saw her again, and 1 hated her for awhile; but she wasn't the kind a man could hate long. no matter what sho did to him. or how hard I ho was. I forgave her in time so thor- 4 OUghly that luu year when an old fnflfc told me Dorothy had died b-.i-. ing a daufti T ter and a husband somewhere on the ("onU" nent. I wanted mv nephew here to look uP the child. So you're the girl Chrlstopn" Race risked ruining himself for'" "I'm the girl to whom he's behaved like knight of King Arthur's table." Dorotny Herbert answered. "Then I wish ho would be a love-sick fool. Anyhow. I forgive him now. 1 wouldn't havo had him do anything different I Do you hear that. Chris? Shake hands" Christopher shook hands And even as h did so he began to realize that. perha.--all, he was what his uncle called him. had often been In love, but never wholly love until could it bo possible he was. I now. But then he had never known ucn ' girl, and If he did not regret refusing nH tender request of last vear, It was beca" by granting It he might never Ie Dorothy Lindell's daughter. After all, they ate the elaborate dinner ' drank the expensive champagne, 3"d V Race sent down for more roses manv more lose... he, auso Dorothv Herbert, t'1" w'inn'' of the race, and her friend Madame du Gucsc-lln Gucsc-lln were his guests. isy the tlmo tho evening was over ' I topher did not wonder any more about in matter, but was quite sure, and once for that he was a lovo-slck fool. When n. Uncle accused him of it again in a different tone ho confessed No scoiain followed, however. . "She'll get a rich husband If she tsgj ! you." the old man said. "But I "'Jl Ueve she ll be marrying you for your rnonr ioU have certain attractions, and Iv' itC'-Idea itC'-Idea she's aware of them already. 11 8 "'h F fair you should get a prlxe of some so r and I expect she'll sec that. -She , j wonderfully fair-minded for a worn -. not conceited, either; so whether she'll w I She's good enough to make UP to ou (0 j the ten thousand pounds vou flung n:;o! I say nothing of the hundred thousand y I havo lost If she hadn't had her mothers i who can telir , I Xobody could toll. But Christopher asK that question, or something equivalent. Dorothy answered that she would do . best. It is easy for a girl to "do her for the man she loves; and the chaun" , of the gyroscope thought the chaufff" Sca-rlet Runner the onlv man In the won except old Dick Herbert. THE BND. j |
