From the Car Behind

ovial wind-eddies, came up to a knoll beside the field, and stopped. The driver turned in his sea

pitcher of our home team. There, just c

Corrie," observed Mr. Thomas Rose, setting his own goggles on hi

small head in its crimson hood and

y-first, papa,

ame, but the pitcher," the boy protested. "He

hy

I want

aze toward the players, and upon th

ed under her brea

tue he stood during a full moment, then slowly raised his arms above his head in a gesture of supple grace and ease. The afternoon sun struck across his wind-ruffled brown hair and smiling face, as he

udly, standing up in the car. "That's

ting his arms in the pose his physical beauty made classic. There was repeated the

two!" wa

ouragement, Flavia laid her small,

is he? Tell

see her mo

ed third? Do you remember how I told you about the big driver, Allan Gerard,

cour

e umpire's announcement; again the

hen, tha

terrogated Mr. Rose, incredulous.

Corrie sho

and because no one else can do it so well. No; practice for the Cup race opens to-morrow, and he's here on Long Island for that. But the pitcher of our home team put his arm out of business y

r a flying ball, as a sharp c

going in to the city e

ing in Jam

l wreck his machine from weakness brought on by starvation," pronounced Mr. Rose

his face swept

to have Gerard, Gerard, like

and lunch to-day, he'll come," his father assured. "Now b

st, b

e but, Corwin

s attention was engaged he slipped down from his

r her ears alone. "Don't you want him, too

understanding of all their lives. Flavia dropped a caressing arm a

look," s

ly a perceptible turn of his brown head, yet as the two in the car watched, the impromptu pitcher's glance flashed from behind his uplifted arm and he whirled in a half-cir

th the gay uproar of local triumph Mr. Rose mingled his approvin

nking?" Corrie repeated. "

quietly, "and of you. If you take Mr. Ger

a moment he again looked toward the

can get her, I'd better know it now. Of course he'll want her, she's just the kind of girl he'd like, such a

r. Gerard stay with us, dear; don't y

do, Other

their cordial glances together,

un get your friend," he notified,

ous, Corrie lingered on

a," he avowed. "I believe, a

hy; and I've been trying ever since he was born-without succeeding-to t

ap

it so

h him, mutinous

him. Flushed with vigorous exercise and recent conquest, his smiling eyes warming to recognition as they fe

n? Come meet my father and sister, wo

ion he had planned as he ran across the field, but Gerard had

hand. "And I should be delighted to meet your father and Mis

coat. We want you to come home to dinner, now, and stay with us over the race. Y

alicized speech w

your car, anyway," Gerard acce

ly. "I'd feel bad to find you'd brought out your pajama

not c

salute, and directed his sardonic black eyes to Gerard's ri

is part of the racing equipment you like to have with yo

shrug Gerard slipp

know Jack Rupert, who's sheer nerve when we

ode with Mr. Gerard at the Beach when he drove

chanician contemplated him, unsmil

Gerard," he

tory of service in the face of death

his circle of affairs, was not easy to gainsay. And he chose to assume

and we'll talk about keeping you after we've had dinner. W

Neither had spoken of their former meeting, indeed they had been given no

d," she said now, in her fresh, soft tones

car door carried the vivid flash of jewels. Somehow he divined that her father exacted this, that in his pride of self-made millionaire he would insist upon extravagance as other men might upon economy. And sh

h me and that I cannot desert him at the hotel. It does not matter at all about relative social position; we are down here together. Mo

n architect said my house had ninety-five rooms. There's standing room

button of the electric signal, and a r

ike your sticking to him, Gerard. Here

, who laughingly drew her ve

pping," she doubted. "Is it quite safe, I wonder? Sha

aven't any case," he returned as seriously. "I don't bel

ntemplated th

ke a tramp, I know, but I

; we are a frivolous f

other, and their e

d the steering-wheel, an impatien

blithely invited, when

of corroboration, and lifting his cap to Fla

Allan Gerard's little mechanician almost as much as he did Allan Gerard, knowing his reputatio

ainst the floor, as the car wrenche

ssured. "Any place that ain't N

elonged out west

dson, except when there's a race on. Since Darling French got married, I've raced with Gerard. Were you a

deftly. "Tell me about the first part of the ball game,

erent game. I guess, if you listen to what's being said behind us, you'll ge

ically. "You get so little of it.

t was being discussed in the tonneau, with Mr. Rose as chief speak

the hotel where Gera

before the large, pink stone house of many columns. Mr. Rose had a passion for columns. Across the rug-strewn veranda a girl a

ed, imperiously aggrieved. "I hate waiting. And

e man beside Flavia, her gray ey

presented Mr. Rose. "And now you hav

here was almost a boyishness in her air of assurance and athletic vigor. But in the studied coquetry of her glance at Gerard, the instant

, in her high-pitched, clear-cut speech, "if I h

Miss Rose--" Gerard

he rest of them are just always here,"

eeable child. "Then, all thanks for the welcome. I shall

ut I s

I had better r

irst. Don't you t

gly suggested from the threshold. "We c

B.," his father

ing curiously at his cousin and Gerard. Nor did he follow the group into

upstairs to make ready for dinner, Isa

erard who races cars?" the examination com

ia stated. "Did you have a

ction was

eft the runabout at the club. Did you ever meet Mr. Ge

d eyes bent upon her own, as they stood on the stairs of the grand-stand. Truthfulness was the atmosphere of the household, the truthf

e slowly. "You remember that race when he helped Corrie, last summe

there. But I did not know Allan Gerard was-wel

d him to stay until t

ed her own vigorously handsome image, then turned her head and regarded Fl

t," she an

mmering mass of her fair hair. Suddenly she was afraid, quiveringly afraid of herself, of Gerard an