From the Car Behind. Eleanor M. Ingram

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СКАЧАТЬ "And speculating upon how the average chauffeur would like to try your feats. I shall appreciate the honor of riding into town with Mr. Rose and his rose."

      The driver colored and laughed together, as his guest took the seat beside him.

      "They're always ragging me—I mean the professional racers and motor men," he avowed, in a burst of resentful confidence. "They called me kid amateur, and rosebud, and girlie, until I just had my car painted pink and bought these pink suits and told them to go ahead getting all the fun they could. I'll get my turn to-morrow night." He twisted his car through the curved gateway, viciously expert.

      "You are planning to win?"

      There was no trace of mockery in the level intonation of the inquiry, yet Rose flushed again.

      "I want to, and I mean to try," he answered frankly and soberly. "Of course one can't count on that sort of thing. I've got a splendid French machine here. But Allan Gerard is going to race; I'm afraid of him. Why, he hasn't even been out to practice! He says he knows the track, they tell me, and he'll not come down until a couple of hours before the start. That kind of talk rattles me—I wish he'd act like other people and not as if he just meant to drop into the motordrome and win another cup."

      "I don't believe Gerard intends to pose as confident," deprecated his companion. "You see, he has his automobile factory to manage as well as his racing work; I rather fancy that he didn't come out to practice because he was busy."

      "Oh, I suppose so. It just gets on my nerves; I shouldn't wonder if they were a bit raw from so much chaffing by the professional pilots. We're the quickest tempered family that ever happened, anyhow. I'll go off the handle, I know I will, if those grinning drivers get to gibing at me to-morrow night——" he broke off, slamming savagely into a lower gear as he caught a mounted policeman's eye and endeavored to choke his racing car's speed down to a reasonable approach to the legal limit.

      When the desired result was somewhat attained, Gerard spoke with quiet seriousness.

      "I've seen considerable motor racing, and I've been watching you this afternoon. With some really steady training and practice you could undoubtedly become one of our few fine drivers. You have the gift."

      Rose caught his breath, his blue eyes flashed to meet the other man's with dazzled and dazzling ardor.

      "But—you must not 'go off the handle.' Never. You must keep your nerve or quit the track."

      "It isn't nerve, it's temper," amended Rose honestly.

      Gerard's firm lip bent amusedly, his bronze-brown eyes glinted a fun as purely boyish as could the other's.

      "That's quite different," he conceded. "Temper doesn't interfere with driving; on the contrary, some of the best drivers and most amiable men I know are very demons when they are racing."

      "Gerard isn't. They say he is the quietest ever. Of course he's almost twenty-eight and used to it all."

      The gentleman in question carefully unfastened his glove.

      "Gerard seems to worry you," he commented.

      "He does. I don't know just why, but he does."

      "Well, don't let him. This is where you leave your machine?"

      "Yes. I can't offer to take you wherever you are going, because I couldn't get back alone. I'm awfully obliged to you for coming in with me."

      "Thanks for the ride." Gerard stepped out and offered his hand with a glance deliberately friendly. "Good-by; good luck for to-morrow and next day."

      Rose dragged off his gauntlet and eagerly bent to give the clasp.

      "Wait—you're not going like that?" he protested. "I'd like to see you again. You haven't told me your name."

      "We will see each other again. That's a safe prediction, I assure you." He withdrew his hand, laughing a denial of explanation as he retreated. "I will tell you my name next time, if you ask me."

      Already half a dozen people had collected around the pink racing car. Others were flocking from every direction, the group forming with a suddenness truly New Yorkese. Indifferent to all, Rose sprang out of his seat and ran through the curious men in pursuit of his late companion.

      "Wait," he urged, overtaking him. "I want to ask—did you mean that? About my driving well, some day? I know I'll never get a chance to do it, but do you mean that I could?"

      "I meant," confirmed Gerard, "just what I said. I usually do. Good-by."

      The boy remained perfectly still in the midst of the crowd, standing in his rose-colored costume and looking after the straight, slender figure swinging down the street. When Gerard glanced back in turning the corner, Rose was still watching him.

      It was some forty-five hours later that Gerard's prediction was verified, in the glare-streaked darkness of the Beach racetrack amid the medley of sounds from excited crowds, roaring cars, and noisily busy training camps. Under the swinging electric light before the hospital tent, the two drivers came face to face.

      "Nothing wrong, I hope?" Gerard greeted, keen eyes sweeping the other.

      A sparkle of animation lit Rose's exhaustion-drawn face to boyishness.

      "I'm not hurt. I want to tell you that if I'd known who you were, yesterday, I'd never have asked you to ride with me," he answered, warmly impulsive.

      "You'd have let me walk?"

      "I'd have got into the mechanician's seat and let you drive. Do you suppose I'd have kept the wheel with you in the car? But what you said about my driving made it so no one could rattle me, Mr. Gerard; I am not going out of the race because of that, anyhow."

      "Going out of the race? Why, you're running in third place!"

      Rose shook his head, his mouth set, holding out two blistered hands and linen-wound arms.

      "I've given out," he acknowledged bitterly. "There'll be no finish for my car. I can't hold my wheel without an hour to rest and get these into shape. Kid amateur, all right."

      "Where's your alternate driver?"

      "He slipped on a greasy bit of grass, ten minutes ago, and sprained his ankle. We're out of it, with third place ours and a perfect car to run."

      Gerard looked down the row of illuminated tents to where the pink car stood, palpitating in an aura of its own light, and brought his eyes back to the other man.

      "My machine went out of the race, two hours ago, with a broken crankshaft. If you like, I'll be your alternate," he offered.

      Incredulous, breathless, Rose stared at him.

      "You—you mean——"

      "I will drive your car until you are ready to take it again for the finish. I've nothing else to do, to-night."

      It was a time and a scene where over-tense nerves not infrequently snapped. But if Gerard was not surprised to see it, Rose certainly was both amazed and humiliated to feel his own eyes suddenly stinging СКАЧАТЬ