Show CX c WL jahr THE C 0 ETC dramatized DRAMATIZE I AND in PICTURES ly by THE ph COMPANY COPYRIGHT 1316 TWELFTH EPISODE christopher and the Chauff euse christopher and ills his uncle had just been to look at tile the cars that cereto were to start next lay day in ill the great freak race as the coming event was popularly called and for which scarlet runner wits was already entered at the important relatives request the royal automobile club under whose auspices the race was to be run had taken temporarily a big now garage to house the competitors and ever since 0 early morning when the cars lind had begun to assemble and to put them thenis themselves selve elvel on view devotees of motoring had been pouring in and out everyone was interested for not only was waa a well known millionaire offering a ten thousand pound prize and several cups for the encouragement of originality among inventors but most of the motors themselves were worth seeing As for the old man who held christopher races destiny in his hand lie he was interested for several reasons though his interest had come as a surprise to christopher now lie he was talking excitedly as they walked boget together her into the big white and red and gold restaurant near near the garage well chris lie he sald said as they sat down at the table christopher lad engaged you win that first prize and theres nothing of mine you cant have now or in the future though there was one of my wishes which you refused to carry out it so much the prize money im keen on for you though it would be a tidy little sum to add to the allowance I 1 mean to make you again until im gone and you come into the lot youve been pretty plucky this last year and shown that youve good stuff in you better stuff than I 1 thought when you were fooling your time away and running into debt ive been pleased with you I 1 dont mind saying ive been proud of you yon once or twice but I 1 want you to show the world that youre more than a good chauffeur and the owner of a handsome red car or a second rate amateur detective I 1 want bouto you to show that youre the best there is and that scarlet runners the same kind win this prize boy win it and I 1 shall say heres my iny successor a young man chos done something for the world to talk of and done it alone just then a man who lind had been about to pass the table turned at sound of the excited voice stopped abruptly and came back a step or two now how do you dov do he asked speaking to both men but putting out hla his hand to the elder it was sir john maverick ardent motorist millionaire proprietor of the man on alie car and ana the organizer of the freak race ile he knew christopher only slightly old mr race was delighted tit at the meeting as much lunch for ills his nephews sake as his own for he felt vaguely that it would be a good thing filing for christopher to know this important person sit down and have lave some lunch with us sugg suggested estef old mr race the millionaire accepted without demur saying that a friend whom lie he had asked had failed mm him and lie ho had thought himself doomed to eat alone sir jolla john spoke freely af ills his object which was to encourage inventors they had not got to any discussion of carthen car when the old man found that he was in danger of making himself late for an engagement ile he was obliged to excuse himself before the coffee and liqueurs lique urs but he insisted that luncheon must not bo be curtailed by bs the others and hurried away almost before the two he be had left behind could riso rise from the table the table was near the entrance therefore christopher had to take only a few steps to see his uncle its as far as the door As mr race went out two jades ladies came in passing by the old man and the young one apparently without a glance but it if they did not pay the smallest attention to him mr race was wae seized with the most lively and compelling interest in one or both of them ile he started stared and peered through ills his gold eyeglasses ills his lips parted tor for a last word with christopher remaining open chais the matter uncle asked the young man with rather a humorous light in its his eyes you seem rather struck lord bless my soul exclaimed tile he old man aud and with no other answer mr race marched out of the rant looking like one who had seen a ghost sir john mayerick maverick abt at the table stalled rolled ns christopher came hack back lie had caught the expression in ills his old friends face and in the eyes that eliat peered at the two iwo beautiful women from behind their glass windows 1 I know mr race ilace was a la lies dies man in those these days 11 lio lie said gilld but that couple tire are attractive enough to trial make e a don juan out of a Dlo diogenes genes 1 I have thought even th woul nave bave flint hat effect on such a lin hard enet ad d cynic as my iny uncle 11 said i 1 I remember my father saying that mr air itaco had had a grent great disappio disappointment tilt in love as a young or a fairly young man remarked sir jolla john and that it was quite a romance ive heard of it returned christopher tile the lady jilted him pm im afraid and married someone else anyhow neither of these ladles indies Is 18 near nearly I 1 y old enough to ha have V e been ta the le heroine of uncle james love story one ona Is a girl and the other cant be much over thirty the girl I 1 never taw saw before said sir john but the woman I 1 know by sight and I 1 suppose you do no why its madame du da the fa bious french sportswoman she can drive a racing ear car like ilke like a demon or an angel A very handsome woman but cant quite go into the same class with the girl ehr chill just sitting down at the tame table behind you murmured christopher in a low warning tone madame lins hag probably run over to see the freaks 1 and the start tomorrow said sir john dropping ills his voice but I 1 thought the girl looked english by the way if it indiscreet to ask what particularly novel features has your car are you coming in with something newer no its my scarlet runner answered christopher my aly uncle persuaded me to enter for the race I 1 have thought of it myself but lies hes tremendously keen rather to my surprise makes a great point of it then christopher went on to explain the originality of scarlet runners system of transmission 1 I mean to try and touch your money he finished laughing well I 1 wish you sou luck im sure said sir john maverick but if I 1 were a competitor I 1 think I 1 should be a bit shy of the freak that from all accounts outbreaks out freaks everything else what the gyroscopic break i reak inquired christopher a suspicion of a sneer in its his voice As lie he asked this question the two ladles who had lately come in turned quickly as it if on nn an impulse and looked round for the first time tho the gyroscopic freak echoed maverick its just on the cards that that particular freak Is going to revo revolutionize lutlo U automo bl 11 sill I 1 would not care to bet high against it 1 I caro care to lot bet high on it laughed christopher I 1 you t think hink old dick herbert erbert II wont run his car 1 I should think its premature to call it ita a car my idea la Is that its proved at a big disappointment 1 I wonder poor old chap I 1 it wont bo be the first hes had but do you know herbert I 1 never saw him myself hes lie 9 so much abroad but I 1 have friends dhove met him and say lies hes rather a fine old fellow ills is a mere name to me answered christopher associated only with M ath the failure of the compressed air business so naturally I 1 dont e expect x much lunch now and andia if hes old lie he may well funk tomorrow there wits was a sudden brisk movement nt the next table so brisk that it attracted ut attention the younger of the two ladles had twisted round in her chair sitting with I 1 her arm hung flung over the back her flus flushed lied face turned upon her surprised neighbor ile he funks bunks nothing the she said in a low but intensely angry tone its sheer jealousy which makes make s you talk like that you ought to bo be ashamed of yourself its disgusting to call your sneers at a brilliant inventor and hl his g invention bad taste would be too mild 11 dorothy I 1 protested handsome madame Ala darne du Gues clin beware oi of ahe the monstrosity tomorrow she went on her voice quivering like a monster it may devour you and all your self conceit when youre swallowed up when youre simply nowhere perhaps be sorry for speaking os as you have of a man like richard Ill chard herbert behrnd its his back christopher was overwhelmed by the torrent of her wrath 1 I am indeed sorry he ventured to have unintentionally distressed you you have hake not distressed me broke in the girl you have the power to do that you have annoyed rue me for I 1 late hate jealousy and injustice and I 1 felt bound to protest nil all three minutes later both indies had trailed their graceful focks flocks out of sir john joha maverick laughed and so did christopher the int latter was vas for far from happy mhd great freak race was to start from regent s park and finish after ft roundabout thousand mile run at edinburgh early on the morning fixed forthe for the start the automobiles began to move out of the big garage and take up their allotted places an enormous crowd assembled to criticize or admire them thein the place immediately in front of scarlet a I 1 t runner was vacant no freak ryot had yet como come to take it and officials organizing the race flirted flitted nervously by now and then to glare atthe nt the un uni tidy gap caused by tardiness christopher was sitting hi his car ready to move up when hla turn should come when an 0 o o lil h I 1 of astonishment from the crowd sounding like the sudden of a breath made lint turn ills his head to glance curiously about for the cause of the excitement cit ement an ail amazing vehicle if ve vehicle hicle it could bo be called was gliding silent and snakelike towards the empty place in front of scarlet runner in shape pe it suggested a gigantic cigar in color it was black and its metal casing glittered in tho the wintry sunlight halfway half way down its length the great cigar was cut out into a nick tina and in the nick sat very upright a and lid alert the slender figure of a woman her face masked by large cur goggles A woman was the whisper that went round found the crowd and christopher heard one hurrying official say to another only arranged last night for her to do it old dick herberts hurt its hla right land and so she race caught no more everything combined to focus tho the crowds attention upon the new arrival in no single feature did this car copy the usual automobile and nil all the assemblage sem seni blage of freaks suddenly looked quite commonplace compared with it the thing had no side wheels but from under the metal casing two central wheels could be seen revolving one placed behind the other in a straight line running as it did upon these two central wheels alone tile the marvel was that the vehicle could kee keep P upright bilut B ut when the gyroscopic car had slid into its place directly in front of scarlet runner and had come silently to a standstill it remained upright on its two central wheels A shout of applause rose in response to which the trim chaulT chauff cuse euse nodded gaily as if she took part of the trill ute for herself then doubtless with the feminine wish to show off 91 site she jumped lightly out to speak to an old mau man who came towards her slie she had touched a hidden spring and a step had dropped from the side of the carriage enabling her to alight with ease the old nian man lad ills his right light hand swathed in bandages and christopher was sure that lie he must be richard herbert the inventor the masked young woman raised her voice toa to a tone loud enough for him to licar hear 1 yes she said laughing we are the freakiest frea kiest freak of all and pin im 9 glad lad for this is a race for new inventions and the newest ought to win will I 1 really dont see what that poor old uninteresting red thing ls is doing in this dalere do you it was tile the voice of the girl who had attacked christopher in the restaurant the day before vicious little vixen lie he said to himself hlin turning a color to match 1 its ills car and instantly a furious desire bestre to beat the girl in tile the race swept over lulu As lie he thus resolved the freaks were busily getting away the girl hid had hopped up into the gyroscopic car once more boic an official observer from the club by her side and then with scarcely a aund sound from the engines the black cigar shaped car shot ahead like a shark chasing its prey two nit minutes later canie rs turn ills his own observer erver hiving having by this time mounted to the seat se it beside him through london and the stretch of suburbia ibia that lies between town and country the long line of strange look ing automobiles many built for the running of this race ran inn slowly ellough ello the order older hall had been given that no competitor must passa pass another until open spaces ind had been i reached cached therefore christopher was compelled to keep at the hick back ile he hid had but too many opportunities for foi observing fit the big car and its of its pace christopher chirstopher Chil stopher lad had been able to form no estimate until open country was reached but then it shot forward with tile the speed of a n newly its covered conict comet opening scarlet runne neis rs throttle lie he also leaped ahead keeping close on the heels soon the gyroscope with scarlet runner close behind gained upon the other cars that had started before them the cigar as christopher began to call tile the herbert invention and scarlet runner had started in the race fifteenth and sixteenth respectively at tile the end of the first day the former was already ninth the latter tenth tile the first night halt was in an important midland town where till all the automobiles were driven to garages and locked up christopher Chil stopher learned through a motoring acquaintance that i ills his rival rh al was richard herberts daughter and only child driving in her fa place lace because he be was disabled the race ace was to last five days the competitors tors zigzagging about england to fill up p the allotted distance before finishing at edinburgh on the fourth day the two were well la in front of all pursuers and they were breasting a steep till when the gyroscope seemed to lose power find and falter a little on the difficult incline christopher was quick to seize ills his ch chance ance with a few gay notes of his musical siren lie flashed past leaped to tile the summit of the hill and swooped scooped down on the other side ile he pressed scarlet runner for all she was worth and was happy in maintaining the lead throughout the rest of the day naturally it fell to him to start first firs it the next morning an ad advantage he expected to use to th the 0 utmost but its an old story that pride comes before a fall for once scarlet runner did not work loyally with her master she was nas listless and out of sorts her engine did not pull with its usual joyous energy ten miles beyond the last halting place lie he heard a horn blast in his ear pulled a little to his near side bide and saw the cigar dash by in an insulting cloud of dust As it if conscious of her wrongdoing no sooner had the cigar swept out of sight and the cloud subsided than scarlet runner picked up strength and energy leaping forward like a hound that strains at its leash tile the morning fled christopher came to the next control w without having had another glimpse of the gyroscope there he learned that the enemy must be at least five miles in advance of him in his first rage at the news which seemed to mean fallu failure rehe he blurted out something of what was in his mind to the official observer pretty and young as she is |