From the Car Behind

t of Mr. Rose and his daughter; no other member of the family had appeared. A maid reported that Isabel had ordered her horse and had departed on an early ride to the neighboring golf club,

New York when he first caught the rumor that

had held herself to the accomplishment of her daily charges. She was seated at her little white-and-gold desk in her white-and-gold study, setting the hous

ounger girl dully announced. "There

w over her heart,

--" she

He is alive, th

he dark, mute under torture. He was alive-that niggard concession was made to Allan Gerard, whose rich fullness of vigor and dominant presence last night had seemed the o

as on the floor at her cousin's knees, burying her face in

ear it! I am afraid, I am

r her, soothing and caressing with soft tou

head here. Let me call Marth

lushed face and stood silent beside the desk, in a state approaching exhaustion. She was wearing a dark riding-habit soiled with dust and stained in several places wi

, in her double compassion for the

eyes were cros

for? He had no right. He, he--" She pressed her drenched h

e before a looming premonition of s

orrie? Isa

. "I've said all I can. No-don't ask me, don't fo

e kept her from him. But she was neither. She had only her own interpretation of his mirthful glances and graceful speech, only a few yellow roses to hint that

s on her desk. Could she go down to the curious servants so-pale, quivering and emoti

, dignified and only betrayed by her absolute

nformation she sought not to be already rife gossip there. When Mr. Rose came home, near noon

hurt him," she graspe

He had not gone to the city during those intervening hours; he neve

happened and could have given Gerard's mechanician the lie? I've not seen Corrie except across the room,"

he repentance was too late, too vain! And what repentance! To the sister who knew with life-long knowledge the ardent, passionate Corrie, his young rigidity in honor and high pride, his tenacious affections, this menaced

e defended. "Corrie coul

not, m

to his face with a fresh dread. What would it mean to Thomas Rose, if this w

through the long day; under the eye of convention, Flavia and Mr. Rose had dressed for dinner and now sat together in t

a trick of usage the nickname had become formal,

hat one day had drawn white lines about his boyish mouth and set black circles under his blue eyes. As if feeling himself on trial, he stopp

ired Mr. Rose hardly

They say he

e! W

will never

grasping the arms of her c

y pronounced Mr. Rose. "I haven't heard yours, yet. Nor I h

, nor lifted his eyes to the two who watched him. After moments, Mr. Rose put out his hand

h picked up, myself, and a dozen people along the line saw you and Gerard racing just before the

Corrie replied, his

talks of seeing him

arted alone. Ask the men at my camp and the race officials; they

rd told the truth? Speak ou

ok effect. Corrie mov

er have killed myself than hurt him and would have turned my car against a stone wall sooner than see to-day, there is no use of my saying it. I don't care what anyon

fore his son could leave it, gr

r reputation. You'll neither run nor skulk in your room; you'll go dress for dinner and come down here and eat

via appeale

Corrie ans

re was just one thing she could say to him, must and would always hav

ttle hands around his arm. "Corrie, it is

eting blue eyes; then for the first time in their lives h

said unsteadily. "I'm pretty lonesom

ng suddenly walled around and set apart, that now marked the impulsive and socia

e spent in silent endurance of one another and their own thoughts. The very surroundings insisted on the image of Gerard; a book he had been reading lay open on the table, the m

, laying down a newspaper. "You will not

t rebellion or surprise, un

racing car again, sir,"

gauged what that renuncia

, was longer yet in the little farmhouse. But when the first pale light of dawn made the parlor windows g

hese is charity?'" he s

t it was many moments before he a

insisted, when she

h of Rupert, who had kept vigil in the kitchen, scoffing at the sug

isitor entered. Both men understood perfectly well the contest of wills about to ensue. Both

me a cigarette and light it, will you?" r

mself, with mere scratches; he limped as he came a

k if it's hurting bad, when you're wanting

at, when you should be asleep, though. Rupert, no more is to be said a

rdened and narrowed to

rating it to everybody I meet," he imparted dryly. "And I mean to keep on. I know what you

outh had turned upon him like traitorous servants upon a fallen master, denying him surcease

he qu

ver I ain't worse, but I'd go out and take another smash like we had to-day to see him wearing zebra clothes in a jail

per

n's gesture cu

t any use!

iked C

hat happened-if you'd said to light the gasoline tank, I'd have struck a match. That'

cquiesced, his white lips compressed

er with many shifting expressions

ded, at last. "Are you knowing, when you ask

the lacon

that all-sufficient bre

had been filled with a steady murmur and dull flow of sound, unobserved because of its very continuity. Now, across the hush of the sick room unexpectedly crashed

the mechanician bi

the house. With the movement a spot of crimson sprang into view against the linen swathing his shoulder, enlarging

sked, quite gently and naturally, "th

the vanquished mechanici

in't going to lie-I'd choke-but I'll hold my tongue. Don't ask