The Flying Mercury

awn, the Ffrench limousine c

n't park the car front by the fence; Mr. David might see you an

assisted Emily to descend; a pale a

she suggested faintly. "They sai

a blue and gold

en all righ

ng," was the prompt response.

this hour. Pearly, unsubstantial in the young light, lay the huge oval meadow and the track edging it. Of

r two. "He's been here, and he can tell what's doing. F

en streamers and wipe the dust from the driver's goggles in preparation for the "death turn" ahead. There was a series of rapid explosions as the driver shut off his motor, the machine

and a mighty pretty turn he makes, too. He's been doing it for about five ye

and heard nothing; she was following Lestrange around the far sides of the course, arou

re Dick came hurrying toward them; cross,

he's driving alone; Frank went out an hour ago, on the second relief, when he went through the paddock fence and broke his leg. It didn't hurt the

" Bailey q

a peevish re

gear-cutter yesterday, and he's had three hours' rest out of the last eleven. See that heap of junk over there; that's where the Alan car burned up last night

ly cried

clutch

go off; Lestrange swears he feels fine and g

h his most absolute finality. "This has continued long enough. If we had not been arrested in

s nephew st

thd

d desire David

to rub it into Lestrange that way, send

cha

hrust his hands in his pocket

an car went off the track for good, last night, with its chain tangled up with everything underneath, its driver sat do

h, you can do it without me," slowly added Bailey. "But it w

ooked from one rebel to the other,

ed with asperity. "Not because I wish to mortify him, naturally. Is that

ered Dick. "He wants to be let alon

ithout speech. It had not been his life's habit to let

ast. "But there is one person who has the right to decide whether David sh

asp from the

claimed, amazed. "I ca

them with an audacity that provoked rounds of applause from the spectators. To call him in from that, t

d passed twice again before she raised her head, and in that s

" she said. "Uncle

ck, in a passion of relief

him with eyes

pe I die too," she answered, and

. "I guess Miss Emily is right, Mr. Ffrench; we've got nothing to do b

when she disappointed his wish. Nor did he reply to Bailey's reminder of who had sent David Ff

nd gasolene, near eight o'clock, Dick seize

ced. "Send her a word, old man; and

ncil. No, I can't take off my gauntlet; it's glued fast. I'll manage

e back of the machine to appropriate a sandwich from the basket a man was c

ed on the steering-wheel, Lestr

track when Dick brough

cousin," he whispered at her ear

e read. "It's the right place for my girl. I'll giv

av

eyes laughed at her out of a mist. The sky was blue, the sunshine gold

ntly," supplemented Dick, "and not to insult his veter

and, he raised his hand in salute as he passed, to the one he knew

gratefully. "Dickie, I ca

went

s and temporary withdrawals for repairs. Twice Mr. Ffrench sent his partner and Emily to the restaurant below, tolerating no

g bareheaded, with only the narrow goggles crossing his face. The change left visible the drawn pallor of exhaustion under stains of dust and oil, his rolled-back sleeves

ing up to his party through the excited crowd. "Two hour

t was being done before them. The word passed that Lestrange was in his twentieth hour; people climbed on seats to cheer him as he went by. When one of his tires blew out, in the openi

upert left his seat whi

ered around them agitatedly. "If I'd thought Darling's mechanician would

an h

atch us

the last moments, their eyes on the bulletin board where the reeled-off miles were being registered. Two of the othe

one suddenly call

ns, cheers, and the clashing music of the band. Frantic, the people hailed Lestrange as the bl

dangerous, deeply furrowed turn for the last time, his car poised for the curving flight under his guidance-then the watching hundreds saw the driver's hands slip from the steering-wheel

he place burst into uproar around them. "The

, one's up and one's under." "Who's cau

mbulance, Dick Ffrench reached the marred thing that had been the Mercury car. It was Lestrang

t Dick's cry of relief on seeing him. "

med with eager aid. The ambulance came up and a

anded generally. "Are you tryi

esture from Lestrange, who leaned o

there, to

fir

N

s, the surgeon paused the necessary moment. A moment only; t

a small figure uncoiled, lizardli

ciously across the silence. "Gee, you're a

ll it was Lestrange who was put in the surgeon's care, while Ru

at," was the message Lestrange gave Dick. "And when you go ba

repeating the first part to Emily with all affectionate solici

tching him up at the hospital tent; they put every one out except Rupert. He hasn't a scratch, after having a ninety Mer

d. An official, recognizing in him Lestrange's manager, cleared a way for the party through the noisy

ordrome and the electric lamps had been lit in the tents,

wet," cautioned a voice

s, his right arm in a sling, his left wound with linen from wrist to elbow, and bearing a heavy purple bru

ss of all things except that he stood within touch once mo

ble arm about her, she hid h

explained breathlessl

rought you? Bailey?" catching sight of the man beside Dick. "Good, I wanted some

scarlet with returning recollection, but Les

, for her ears alone. "I'm goin

hand cordially to the speechless Bailey, and

hotels. We have not understood each other, but you have the right

wages for it; if I have won honors for your car, I also won the prize-money given to the driver. I never meant so to establish a

ughter and warmth from the younger man's face. However coldly phrased and dictatorially spoken, it was an apology which

onceded, "which gives you the

flushing thro

ot put it that way,

been wrong and I have no contro

t could have succeeded, and the three wh

ch," David rebelled in the final

d we will not speak in passion; t

red Dick coaxingly. "We can

ng your eye on them. And you love the plac

setting of yellow-bronze curls. Full and straight her dark eyes answered his, the convent-

," she reminded, her soft accents j

avid turned t

hings by halves," he sai

nderstood, and firs

-chair outside the tent, a few minutes

his awakener informed him.

an rose cauti

el better," he admitted grimly. "But I'm still running.

ld get Lestrange home w

osing you cou

ere already in the big

as he stood in the dark paddock. "We'r

glance over th

The Mercury factory sounds pretty good to me, Darling. And I guess we

d Ffrench. "Get in opposite Em

E