The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 61: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

GETTING AWAY FROM THOMPSON. With rather fevered eyes Mr. Farnham followed the grimy, pointing finger—and it - was all quite clear, painfully clear, indeed. There, at the back of the garage, was an open door, leading to a yard well cluttered with mechanical odds and ends. At one side rose perhaps two feet of neat, new con- crete wall, the extension above ground of the railroad cut’s smooth side. By hanging over that visible two feet and dropping an- other ten, one would have been upon the railroad tracks — quite as Mr. Cragg had been! Mr. Farnham looked blankly at Jane Fayre; Jane, having spent some seconds in returning a stare equally blank, laughed suddenly. “T was awfully sorry for that young fel- ler,” the boy remarked. “He says to me—” ‘“‘Never mind what he said to you!”’ Mr. Farnham snapped. “Where do we get an- other driver?” “Why—I dunno!” the boy answered vaguely. “We've got to find another man, and quick, too!” Farnham rapped it out so forcefully that the boy started and grew almost intelligent of expression. ‘‘The man who owns this place; he can drive? We'll take him until we can find somebody else. Where is he?” “Up to the county fair,” the child re- plied. ‘He took to-day and to-morrow off.” “Then hustle around and find me some one else who can drive this make of car, kid, and I'll give you five dollars if he’s here in five minutes!” The boy smiled sadly. “There ain’t anybody else in Drayton can drive a car,” said he. “There ain’t many cars right in this neighborhood; Dick makes his money offen the road business, y know, and—” ‘ ‘Well, where can I get a man then?” Mr, Farnham cried. “Why—tell y’ the truth, I dunno!” the boy said blandly. ‘‘There was a gent here couple o’ weeks ago trying to get a man— he busted his wrist and couldn’t drive no further. I suppose he was telephoning here all one day and most of the next before he got anybody; and then he had to take a feller they. sent on from Albany an’ he had to pay for his time comin’ and the rent 0’ the car that brought him—here an’ back, that is—an’ the time o’ the man that drove him here—here an’ back, too—an’ he had to pay—” Mr. Farnham stayed him gently. ‘“T understand,” said he, “‘but how long did it take the man to get here, once he had been engaged?” ‘Why, from around noontime till around eight in the evening, boss. That was pretty good time.” Gazing at his lovely hostess, Mr. Farn- ham shook his head. “That means that we’d have hardly a chance of starting before to-morrow morn- ing—and that would mean the loss of a whole day. We can’t do it!” “Of course not,” Jane said placidly. “We needn’t.”’ oat SH 9 toed “You drive, Wilbur!’’ Jane commanded sweetly, quite ignoring his sudden start. “Well, my automobile driving has been limited to about ten miles, and those ten were not exactly a howling success,” said Mr. Farnham—and stopped. The astonishment, the reproach in Jane’s eyes indicated that she had expected more of him! “Of course, I know the theory of the thing from one end to the other,” Mr. Farn- ham added. “Yes, and I’m sure that you know what every little button and lever on this car is for, because I saw you watching Cragg.” “Tf it comes down to that, you’re right,” Mr. Farnham smiled dubiously. “It struck me on the way here that the little rat might make his escape and leave us flat. In fact, when we came down that last hill I was wondering if I could send her along as he did and—” “Well, of course you can!” Jane said, all comfortable assurance once more. “There is really nothing at all to it, and what if you do wabble around a little at first? I don’t believe that it will take you more than five minutes to learn to drive better than Cragg.” Utter faith shone in her eyes. Looking into them, young Mr. Farnham expanded his chest and squared his shoulders. ‘“‘All morning,” said he, “I’ve been wish- ing for an emergency to rise to—a sort of exhibition emergency, Jane. I guess this is it. What will the rest say?” “What should they say?” smiled the hostess. ‘““They’ll be glad, of course. I'll get them down here and in now, unless you’d rather go up for them with the car.” Mr. Farnham shuddered. ‘““No, the car’s pointed the right way now, COMMICLOOOKS 243 (C@