- 'Vii'
8YN0P8I3.
At the beginning of great automobile
the mechanician of the Mercury.
Stanton's machine, dropi dead. Strange
youth, Jesse Floyd, volunteera, and la ac
cepted. In the rest during the twenty
four hour race Stanton meets a stranger.
Miss Carlisle, who Introduces herself. The
Mercury wins race. Stanton receives
flowers from Miss Carlisle, which he Ig
nores. Stanton meets Mis Carlisle on a
train. They alight to take walk, and
train leaves. Stanton and Miss Carlisle
follow In auto. Accident by which Stan
ton Is hurt Is mysterious. Floyd, at lunch
With Stanton, tells of his boyhood. Stan
ton again meets Miss Carlisle and they
dine together. Stanton comes to track
sick, but makes race. They have acci
dent. Floyd hurt, but not seriously. At
dinner Floyd tells Stanton of his twin
sister, Jessica. Stanton becomes very HI
and loses consciousness. On recovery, at
his hotel Stanton receives Invitation and
visits Jessica. They go to theater togeth
er, and meet Miss Carlisle. Stanton and
flnyd meet again and talk business,
hey agree to operate automobile factory
as partners. Floyd becomes suspicious of
Miss Carlisle. Stanton again visits Jes
sica, and they become fast friends. Stan
ton becomes suspicious of Miss Carlisle.
Just before Important race tires needed
for Stanton's care are delayed. Floyd
traces the tires and brings them to camp.
During race Stanton deliberately wrecks
his car to save machine In track. Stan
ton and Floyd thrown out and lose con
sciousness. Two weeks later Stanton
awakes, and believes Floyd dead.
CHAPTER XII (Continued.)
"There ia nothing at all singular In
my being here, Mr. Stanton," she stat
ed, In her cool. Indolent voice. "Be
eause I ascertained by telephone when
you Intended to leave the hospital, and
so arranged to meet you on the train.
Tomorrow I start for Europe, to re
main for a long time, and It was nec
essary for me to speak with you first
I am sorry to see that you have been
frightfully 111."
"You are too good," he answered,
the old antagonism stirring him strong
ly. "As you observe, I was not for
tunate enough to finish myself com
pletely In the late wreck." ,
"One sometimes feels like that,"
he coincided, passing one small gloved
hand across the 'soft fur of her muff.
1 have wished for the finish, here
lately, for my part Tou probably did
not know that I was engaged to marry
Archer Ross, of the Atalanta Automo
bile Company?"
Stanton sat erect. All Floyd's sus
picions of this girl rushed back to his
mind.
"Yes," she confirmed the thought In
bis expression. "What you are imagin
ing Is quite correct I tried very hard
to Induce you to drive for the Atalanta
Company instead of for the Mercury.
The Atalanta absolutely required a
good racing record. But I failed. You
were more than firm In your decision."
So that had been what she wanted
of him. That had lain behind her
polished surface of gracious admira
tion and had been the core of her in
sincerity. "And when I would not drive for
your company, you tried to prevent
me from driving for my wn?" He
wondered incredulously.
She looked at him, and looked away
again.
"I fancy you would scarcely credit
me, Mr. Stanton, If I denied the fact
now. I have been very clumsy; a so
ciety woman Is not trained to practical
melodrama. You are unbelievably dif
ficult to lead."
Her flawless self-possession gave an
effect of unreality to the whole affair.
Stanton felt a vertigo of the mind.
''You had that purpose in view
when you first spoke to me at the
Beach twenty-four hour race?" . he
questioned. "You hoped to Induce
me to wreck my car by fast driving, In
order to leave the Atalanta a better
ehance of winning?"
"Oh, no!" she deprecated. "I never
tried to cause your wreck what can
you think me? No, that was merely
an Impulsive experiment; I wanted to
see if you would do as I wished. Some
men have done so."
"Are you going to tell me that you
drugged me at Lowell, on the eve of
the road race?"
"Drugged you? That Is a harsher
description than I ever gave the inci
dent in my own mind. But I poured
into your coffee what Archer Robs had
given me for that purpose. He said it
would not harm you, only prevent you
from driving next morning; he had
been betting heavily on his car. But
you raced, after all, ill as you must
have been. I never imagined you would
take such a risk, or I should have re
fused the responsibility. -1 disliked the
task, anyhow. To be frank, I was hor
ribly frightened when 1 saw you on
the course, and when the report of
your accident came in, I felt guilty of
assassination."
He looked at her, at her lvory-and-gold
beauty, her composed ease, his
.own face boldly emotionless. It did
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not matter, nothing mattered, now.
But yet he read that behind that ap
parent ease of hers heaved a sea of
tormy thoughts; as always, her speech
was no guide to her mind.
"I suppose.- then, that you wonld
not have been distressed if I had
broken my arm when I cranked your
car after driving you home from New
York," he commented.
Her color changed for the first time,
her eyes flashed to his.
"You angered me,", she retorted.
"You brutally told me that you had
not raced at the Beach, to please me,
nor would you do so. H You were super
cilious, no man had ever treated me
tliat way before. For one Instant I did
hate and long to hurt you; I pushed
up the spark as you cranked. The
next moment 1 would have undone it
if 1 could."
There was a pause, as the train halt
ed at a station, and the usual flurry of
egress and ingress ensued. When the
start was made:
"Why are you telling me this?"
Stanton asked. "I am not considered
especially amiable and forgiving, as a
rule; why chance unnecessary con
fession?"
"No," her Hp bent in a faint smile
that was not mirthful. "But you are
too masculine to retaliate upon a
woman. I am not much afraid, al
though ! find myself forced to depend
upon your indulgence. A net was
spread for the feet of the wicked by
some one more acute, or less Indiffer
ent, than the Mercury's driver. Your
mechanician set a private detective
at the task of fallowing and guarding
you until after the Cup race; fearing
treachery, I suppose, would be used to
prevent your driving. You are sur
prised?" He saw the crowded railway station,
on the morning of the return from In
dianapolis, and Floyd's vivid, anxious
face turned to him in the artificial
light He heard the fresh young
voice: "ir you won't take care of
yourself, Stanton"
"There was no need, Mr. Stanton. I
had no idea of lnterfe..-0 with you
personally. But the thing was done,
and overdone. The man hired to play
detective was not honest; he exceed
ed his mission of protection and went
on to investigation for his own profit
If I am telling you this, it is because
you would soon hear the story from
him, anyhow, and because I want you
to silence him. He has offered me his
silence for a price, but I do not
choose to yield to a blackmail which,
once commenced, would never end. I
prefer to ask shelter of your chivalry."
"I will silence him," he gave cold as
surance. 1
"You are very good. It is not the
least of my humiliations to know that
you could, deal me nothing more con
temptuous than your forbearance."
She hesitated. "There Is one thing
more; I would like to ask whether
your recent accident was In any way
"God," Breathed Stanton, and 8ank
Into a Chain
caused by the late arrival of the tires
for your machine."
"You did that?"
"Yes, I did that I bad the express
car misdirected before it left my fa
ther's factory in Chicago. ' I knew
your car. could not race on bare rims."
. Stanton turned to the window. So
she was responsible for the last harsh
ness he had shown Floyd; since their
misunderstanding could never have
arisen if the mechanician bad not
been absent on' the trip to Coney Is
land. His sudden nausea of loathing
for her made calm reply difficult
The lost tires bad nothrsf to do
with the accident" he explained care
fully. ."If you have quite finished,
Miss Carlisle, I will change to another
seat" -
"It Is I who am going. I am glad
that the wreck and alteration in you
are not my fault It may Interest you
to learn that Archer Ross broke his
engagement to me last week, to marry
I chorus girl."
He looked at her, then.
"Yes." she agreed. "Dramatic pun
ishment, is it not? You can regale
Miss Floyd with the tale. You are on
your way to her, of course."
"Miss Carlisle!"
She rose, drawing around her the
heavy olds of velvet He saw now
the faint lines about her delicate
mouth and the new hardness of her
tawny eyes. She bad suffered, was
suffering also. .
"Congratulate her from me. Mr.
Stanton. At least she has known a
man, whatever it has cost her."
Yes, Floyd had played a man's part.
Whatever the anguish of losing him,
it was a matter of congratulation to
have known him. It never occurred to
Stanton that Valerie Carlisle might
have meant him, himself.
It was afternoon when Stapton ar
rived in New York, among the snow
sprinkled, hilarious crowds that
thronged the streets. And then he
first realized that this was the day be
fore Christmas. Christmas? Holiday?
With a vague impulse to escape it all,
he hailed a taxicab. A girl with her
arms full of holly brushed past him as
he reached the curb, a man in uniform
stopped him with a hastily recited
plea. for aid to the hungry poor. At
him Stanton looked, and put a yellow
bill in the outstretched hand. ,
"Sir!" the man cried, pursuing him
with ready book and pencil. "What
name? So generous "
"Floyd," Stanton answered, and
stepped Into the vehicle.
The address he gave to the chauf
feur was that of the quiet uptown
apartment house.
The little old Irishwoman clad in
black silk opened the door. He fan
cied she had aged, but on seeing him
she broke into beaming smiles and
ushered him In with eager welcome. ,
The girl who was like Floyd was
standing in the flrellt room. As Stan
ton paused on the threshold, she re
treated against the window opposite,
her fingers winding themselves hard
into the draperies, her marvelous gray
eyes wide and fevered. So they gazed
at each other, dumb.
"You can not bear to see me?" Stan
ton first found voice. "I have no right
to blame you God knows I under
stand. Yet Floyd would tell you that
it was not my fault I did not throw
away his life by recklessness."
' She gazed at him still, yet it seemed
to him . that during a brief second
consciousness had left her and return
ed, that now she looked at him differ
ently, almost wildly.
"I have been near death, alBO ," he
resumed. "I have seen no newspa
pers, I do not know what they have
told you. But the accident was pure
accident; If he could have been here,
Floyd would have borne me ' out in
that I have wantonly risked bis life
with mine at other times, then, no."
Her sensitive face had changed, she,
too, found speech.
"I never thought of blame," she
CiThrift o Ozark Couple
Sample of Extent to Which Red Tape
. Methods Prevail In Ger
many, i j
Germany, declares Mr. 8. Baring
Gould in his book, "The Land of
Teck," is absolutely swathed in red
tape. In illustration, be tells an ex
perience of his own while. Journeying
by rail from Ober-Lenningen to Owen.
I asked at Ober-Lenningen for a
third-class ticket to Owen, and sup
posing that I had got what I asked
for, stepped into a third-class carriage.
On these branch lines nearly everyone
travels fourth. Before reaching the
next station only a mile from Ober
Lenningen, in fact the' Inspector ap
peared. "Hah!" be said. "You have
a fourth-class ticket, and are in a
third-class compartment The fine Is
six marks."
I explained, and offered at once to
pass Into a fourth-class carriage or
pay the difference In the price of
tickets.
"That will not do. You have In
fringed the law, and must pay six
marks," the man insisted.
"I get out at Owen, and will explain
matters to the station master," I said.
I did so.
"The fine Is six marks," said the
official, peremptorily.
"But said I; "I demanded a third
class ticket, and was given one for
which I bad not asked. This was an
oversight on the part of the clerk."
"You shou'd have examined your
ticket," the station master insisted.
The train was delayed five minutes
while we threshed out the question on
the platform In great detail, and the
other passengers craned their necks
out of the windows of the carriages
and listened with lively Interest At
last, reluctantly, the station master
protested unsteadily. "Never. Tn
arove straignt and best You look so
ill "
He drew near ber. lone cast conven
tionalities.
"I have been ill. 1 have now i(ttis
strength to waste aside from my pur
pose. Jessica, i nave come for you, as
he once gave ma leave to do. Vnn
have no one left nor L Will you mar
ry me7'
Her fingers wound harder Into thai
curtain, he saw the pulse beating ia
her round throat as she flung back
ner bead with Floyd's own boyish
movement ; '.
"You love me?" she Questioned lust
audibly, grave eyes on his.
"I thought you knew.. Yes."
She shook her head, her smile sad.
"Me. Ralph Stanton, or Jet Floyd's
twin?" t
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
WALTON ON BIRDS' SONGS
Famous Author of "The Compleat
Angler" Appreciated Music of
His Feathered Friends.
At first the lark, when she means to
rejoice, to cheer herself, and thrum
that hear her, she then quits the earth
and sings as she ascends higher Into
the air; and having ended her heaven
ly employment, grows then mute and
sad, to think she must descend to the
dull earth, which she would not touch
but for necessity. Now do the black
bird and the throssel, with their melo
dious voices, bid welcome to the cheer
ful spring and in their fixed mouths
warble forth such ditties as no art or
instrument can reach to. Nay, the
smaller birds do the like in their par
ticular seasons; as, namely, the
laverock, the titlark, the little linnet
and the honest robin, that loves man-
Kind, both alive and dead. But thA
nightingale, another of mv fiirv p.rnn.
tures. breathes such sweet, loud music
out or her little instrumental throat
that it might make ' mankind thlnlr
miracles are not ceased. He that at
midnight, when the very laborer Bleep's
securely, should hear--as I h avn vorr
often the clear alrsj ' the sweet
descants, the natural rising and full
ine. the doubling and redonhlinir nf
her voice, might well be lifted above
earth and say:
"Lord' What music hast thnn nrn.
vided for the saints in heaven, when
tnou anordest to bad) men such music
upon earth!" Izaak Walton's "The)
uompieat Angler." i
Bishop Blames His Hair.
Father William J. Dalton of the
Annunciation church tells this story
of a Catholic bishop well known in
this locality, but at Father Dalton's re
quest, nameless here:
"The bishop Is a large man with
bushy back hair," the priest relates,
"He often on his tours through Kan
sas wears a silk hat His crosier he
carried in a large leather case.
"Recently in a Jerkwater Kansas
town where silk bats are scarce ex
cept on the heads of traveling musi
cians, the bishop was Just alighting
from his train when the negro porter
appeared at the car door waving his
crosier case.
"Hey, boss!' the porter called. 1
reckon you all had better take yo fid
dle wlf you. De company is not
'sponsible fo' packages left in ds
seats.' "Kansas City Journal.
yielded; but I must pay the difference.
"What is It?" I aBked.
"One penny."
ITT.
" r,i "
w i.j
Hope Not Realized.
Dean Sumner of the Cathedral 83.
Peter and Paul related the following
story at the recent banquet of the
Chicago Association of Commerce at
the Hotel Sherman. "A little Jewish
boy went to bis father on Christmas
day and asked him for a quarter.
Upon receiving it be sauntered out
Into the city streets and didn't return
until evening. His father called him
as be came in and inquired what ho
did with the quarter he had been giv
en. 'I went to the candy shop next
door and changed it into nickels,' said
the boy. 'Then I went to the news
stand on the corner and .changed the
nickels into pennies. After that
went back to the candy shop and got
five nickels for my pennies, and then
I went to the delicatessen and got a
quarter for my five nickels.'
"'But why did you do all thatr"de
manded the father.
"1 hoped that somebody might
make a mistake and give me too
much," replied the boy."
The Real Grievance.
Friend
I You've got to admit there's
nothing
in Tripoli worth fighting for.
Italian
Diplomat Certainly.
' Friend
I Then why do you want to
keep on
fighting?
Italian
Diplomat We've got to nun.
lsh the
presslon
Turks for giving us the lm
that there was. Satire.
Self-Depreciation Too Prevalent
For one man who thinks too much
of himself there are a hundred who
think too little. Exchange,
in
AMUSING TRICK FOR PARLOR
Common Hen's Egg Made to Come to
Life and Revolve Around
Like Boy's Top.
Here Is a trick which requires somt
skill and practice, but which causes
more than enough wonder to pay for
the trouble. You take a hard-boiled
egg, place it on a plate or platter,
give the plate a horizontal revolving
movement increasing the motion
gradually, and soon the egg will come
to life, raise Itself till it stands on
end, and then go revolving like I
top and moving all round the plate.
Life Into Egg.
' r
Naturally you have to make a few
attempts before you can succeed in
getting the egg to obey instructions,
but keep at it and you will succeed,
and the effect is impressive. It is
best in boiling the egg to hold It in
an upright position with a spoon so
that the air Inside will all collect
round the central axis of the egg and
keep it from being unbalanced.
PUZZLE WITHOUT ANY TRICK
Figure Shown In Illustration May Be
Drawn Without Taking Pencil
Away From Paper.
Here's a puzzle which Is solvable
without any trick. You can actually
Pencil Puzzle.
draw this figure without taking your
pencil from the paper, crossing a line
or going back over a line already
drawn.
Ages of Fish.
Fishes and animals that live in the
water in many Instances attain to a
great ago.
The carp has been known to live
200 years.
Common river trout have been con
fined in a well for BO years and were
still frisky when taken from the
water.
The age of the whale is ascertained
by the size and number of whalebones
In its mouth. Records show, that thw.
sea animal has retained life for 400
years.
In 1497 an enormous pike was
caught in a lake near Halllerum, In
Suabla, with a brass ring attached to
it, engraved on which was a state
ment that the flsh was put in the lake
In the year 1230, thus indicating that
it must have lived at least 267 years.
Too Many Places.
"Wbat'B the matter?" asked the po
liceman, "haven't you any place to
go?" "Any place to go?" repeated
Tired Timothy, with supreme con
tempt "You chump, I've got the
whole United States an' a big part o'
Canady before me. I've got so many
places to go dat it's worryin' me dizzy
to make up my mind which way to
start Lemme alone a couple weeks
till I kin git a line on what It's best
to do."
Lola Was Skeptical.
"I saw the Catsklll mountains last
summer,". said small Sadie, who was
inclined to boast of her travels. "Did
you ever see them?"
"No; replied little Lola, "and 1 .
don't believe they , can, either. But
I've seen cats kill mice."
Something Lacking.
Alma, aged four, had often observed
her mamma, when taking nasty medi
cine,' shiver and say "Ugh!" after
swallowing it. One day she did not
make the usual exclamation and Alma
said, "Mamma, you forgot to make a
face out loud." '