COPYRIGHT IglO JWT HAKPrff
a
BYNOPSIB.
Cowboys of the Flying Heart ranch are
be*rthn»ken over the loss of their much
prtsed phonograph by the defeat of their
champion in a foot-race with the cook of
the Centipede ranch. A house party is
on at the Flying- Heart. J. Walllngford
Speed, cheer leader at Tale, and Culver
CV>vlngton. Inter-collegiate champion run
ner. are expected. Helen Blake. Speed's
sweetheart, suggests to Jean Chapin. sis
ter of the owner of the ranch, that she
Induce Covington, her lover, to win back
the phonograph. Helen declares that If
Covington won't run. Bpeed wlll> The
cowboys are hilarious t over the prospect.
Speed and hts valet. Larry Glass, trainer
at Yale, arrive. Helen Blake asks Speed,
who has posed to her as an athlete, to
race against the Centipede man. ' The
cowboys loin tn the appeal to Wally, and
fearing that Helen will find him out. he
consents. He Insist, however, that he
shall be entered as an unknown, figuring
that Coylngton will arrive In time to take
his place. Fresno, glee club singer from
Btanford university and in love with
Helen, tries to discredit Speed with the
ladles and the cowboys. Speed and Glass
put tn the time they are supposed to be
training playing cards In a secluded spot.
The cowboy* tell Glass It Is up to him to
see that Speed wins the race. Willie, .the '
gunman, declares 'he trainer will go back
•ast packed In Ice, If Bpeed falls. A tele
gram comes from Covington saying he Is
in jail at Omaha for tep days. Glass tn
a panic forces Speed to'begin training In
earneit. The cowboys force Bpeed to eat
In the training .quarters and prepare him
a diet of very rare meat. Miss Blake
bakes a cake for Speed and is offended
when refuses to allow him to eat
It. Covington arrives on crutches. He
■ays he broke his toe In Omaha. Mrs.
Keap, engaged to Covington and tn love
With Jack Chapin, exposes Speed to
Helen, because speed had failed to pre
vent Covington from joining the party.
Bpeed decides to cripple himself, but
Skinner, the Centipede runner, appears
with a proposition to throw the race.
Olass attempts to escape a', nlgtit, but Is
captured. Fresno glvei Gallagher, the
Centtpedo foreman. SCOO to bet 'against
Bpeed Xor him. Helen Blake hears of It
and bets WOO on Speed. Glass recognizes
Skinner as a professional runner.
.. • —• —: . "»»,
CHAPTER XVll.—Continued.
Instantly A full-lunged roar went up
that rolled away to the foot-hills, and
the runners sped out of the pandemon
ium, their legs twinkling against the
dust-colored -prairie. Down to the
turn they raced. Speed waa leading.
Fright had acted upon him as an elec
tric charge; hla terror lent hfm winga;
he was obsessed by a propelling force
outaide of hlmaelf. Naturally strong,
lithe, and active, he likewise pos
sessed within him the white-hot flame
of youth, and now, with a nameleaa
fear to spur him on, he ran as any
healthy, frightened young animal
would run, At jthe aecond turn Skin
ner had not paaaed him, but the thud
of his feet was close behind.
This unparalleled phenomenon sur
prised Lawrence Qlaas perhaps most
of all. Was this a miracle? He
turned to Covington, to flnd him danc
ing madly, his crutches waving over
his head, in his eyes the stare of a
maniac. His mouth was distended,
and Glass reasoned that he must be
shouting violently, but could not be
sure. Suddenly Covington dashed to
the turn whence the runners would
be revealed as they covered the laßt
half lap, for nothing was distinguish
able through the fence, burdened by
human forms, and Larry lumbered aft
er him, ploughing his way throilgh the
crowd and colliding with the box upon
which stood the Echo Phonograph, of
New York and Paris. He' hurled
Mariedettiymit of his path with brutal
disregard/ but even before he could
Skinner Had Fallen I
reach hla point of vantage the sprint
ers burst into the homestretch. Larry
Olaav-tsaw it all at a glance—Speed
was weakening, while Skinner waa
running easily. Nature had done her
utmost; she could not work the Im
possible. As they tore past. Skinner
lillilead.
The air above the corral became
blackened with hats m if a flock of
* vultures had wheeled suddenly; the
•hriek of triumph that rose from the
Centipede ranks warned tfce trainer
that he had- tarried too long. Heavily
he Bet off across the prairie for New
York. .
The memory of that race awakened
Speed from hla slumbers many tlmea
In later years.' When he found the
hrown shoulder of his rival drawing
- past he realized that for him the end
ct all things was at hand. And yet,
be It" said to his credit, he held dog
gedly to bis task, and began to fight;
' . ttfs waning Strength with renewed de-
termination. Down through the noisy
crowd he pounded at the heels of his
antagonist, then out upon the second
lap. But now his fatigue Increased
rapidly, and as It Increased, so did
Skinner's lead. At the second turn
Wally was hopelessly outdistanced,
and began to sob with fury, In an
ticipation of the last, long,
stretch. Back toward the final turn
they came, the college man desper
ately laboring, the cook striding on
like a machine. Wally Raw the rows
of forms standing upon the fence, but
of the shouting he heard nothing.
Bkinner was twenty yards ahead now,
and flung a look back over his shoul
der. As he turned into the last
straightaway he looked back again
and grinned triumphantly.
Then—J. Wallingford Speed gasped,
and calling upon his uttermost atom of
strength, quickened the strides of his
leaden legs. Skinner had fallen!
A shriek of exultation came from
the Flying Heart followers; it died as
the unfortunate man struggled to his
feet, and was off again before his op
ponent had overtaken him. Down the
alley of human forms the two came;
then as their man drew ahead tor an
instant or two, such a bedlam broke
forth from Gallagher's crew that Law
rence Glass, well Btarted on his over
land trip, judged that the end hnd
come. 4
Hut Skinner wavered. His ankle
turned for a second time; he seemed
about to fall once more. Then he
righted himself, but he came on hob
bling. 7 . *
The last thirty yards contained the
tortures of a lifetime to Wally Speed.
His lungs were bursting, his head was
rolling, every step required a separate
and concentrated effort of will. He
knew he was wobbling, and felt his
knees ready to buckle beneath htm.
but he saw the blue tight-stretched
ribbon Just ahead, and continued to
lessen the gap between himself and
Skinner until he felt he must reach
out wildly and graap at the other
man's clothing. Helen's face stood out
from the blur, and her lips cried to
him- He plunged forward, his out
flung arm tore the ribbon from Its
fastening, and he fell. But Skinner
was behind him.
CHAPTER XVIII.
f HE only thing in the world
that the victorious ..Speed
wanted was to lie down and
stretch put and allow those
glowing coals in his chest
to v cool off. Hut rough
hands seized falm, and
he found himself astride
of Stover's Bhoulders and
gyrating about the Echo phonograph
in the midst of a war-dance. He
kicked violently with hiß spiked shoes,
whereat the foreman bucked like a
wild horse under the spur and dropped
him, and he staggered out of the
crowd, where a girl flew to him.
"Oh, Wally," she cried, "I knew you
could!" He sank to the ground, and
she knelt beside him.
Skinner was propped against the
corral fence opposite, his face distort
ed with suffering, and Gallagher wan
rubbing his ankle.
'Taint broke, I reckon," said Qal
lagber, rising. "I wish to hell It
was!" He stared disgustedly at his
fallen champion, and added: "We
don't want jr'all for a cook no more,
Skinner. Yon never was no good no
how. He turned to Helen and banded
her a double handful of bank notes, as
Berkeley Fresno burled his hands In
his pockets and walked away. -Here's
your coin, mlas. If ever you get an
other bunch, let me know. An' here's
yours, Mr. Speed; it's a weddln'-prea
ent from the Centipede." He fetched
a deep sigh. "Thank the Lord we'll
git somethln' fit to eat from now on!"
Speed staggered to Sklnnpr, who
was still nursing his Injury, tad held
out his hand, whereat the cook winked
his left eye gravely.
• "The best man won," Mid Skinner,
"and there's a parson at Albu
querque." Then he groaned loudly,'
and fell to massaging his foot.
There came a fluttering by his side,
and Miss Blake's voice said to him,
with sweetneaa and with pitj::
"I'm so sorry you lost your posi
tion, Mr. Skinner. You're a splendid
runner!"
"Kever mind the lob, mi»«, I've got
something to remember it by." He
pointed to a sash which lay beside
him. "The loser gets the ribbon,
mias," he explained gallantly.
Off to the right there came a new
outcry, and tar across the level prairie
a strange sight was revealed to the
beholders. A fat'man in white flan
nels was doubling and dodging ahead
of two horsemen, and evsn from a
considerable distance it could plainly
be seen that he was behaving with re
markable agility for one so heavy.
"Repeatedly his pursuers headed him
off, but he rushed past them, seeming-
THE ENTERPRISE, WILLIAMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA.
ly possessed by the blind sense of di
rection that guides the homing pigeon
or the salmon in Its springtime run.
He was headed toward the east.
"Why, It's Larry!" ejaculated Speed.
"And Cloudy and Carara."
"Wally, your man has lost his rea
son!" Chapin called.
▲t that instant the watchers saw
the Mexican thunder down upon
Olass, his lariat swinging about his
head. Lastly the rope uncoiled and
settled over the fleeing figure, then,
amid a cloud of dust, Carara's horse
set itself upon Its haunches and the
white-clad figure oame to the end of
its flight. There was a violent strug
gle, as If the cowbody had hooked a
leaping tuna, cactus plants and sage
brush wen vfprooted, then the pony
began to back away, always keeping
the lariat taut. Rut Glass was no
easy captive, as his threshing arms
and legs betrayed, and even when he
was dragged back to the scene of the
race, panting, grimy, dishevelled, the
rope still about his waist, he seemed
obsessed by that wild Insanity for
flight. He was drenched with perspi
ration, his cbDar was dangling, one
end of a suspender trailed behind him.
L- At sight of Speed he uttered a cry,
I then plunged through the crowd like a
bull, but the lariat loop slipped to the
neck and tightened like a hangman's
noose.
"Larry." cried his employer, sharply',
"have you lost your head?"
"Ain't they g-g-got you yet?" queried
the trainer In a strangling voice.
"You Uliot, I won!"
"What!"
"1 won—easy."
"Ypu won!" Larry'B eyes were
starting from his head
"He sure did," said Stover. Didn't
you think he could?"
Glaps apprehended that look of sua
"l'm 80 Borry You Lost Your Posi
tion, Mr. Bklnnsr."
picion. "Certainly!" said he. "Didn't
1 say so, all along? Now t&k'e that
clothes line off of me; I've got to run
some more."
• • • • e • e. • ••
That evening J. Walllngford Speed
and Helen Hlake sat together In the
hammock, and much of the time her
hand was in his. From the bunk
house across the court-yard floated
the voice of the beloved Echo Phono
graph, now sad, now gay; now shril
ling the peaceful air with Mme. Mel
ba's "Holy City," now waking tn«
echoes with the rasping reflections ot
"Silas on Fifth Avenue." To ths
spellbound audience gathered close
beside it, it was divine; but deep as
wan their satisfaction, It couli? not
compare with that of the tired
son of Ell. Ineffable peace and con
tentment were his; the whole wide
world was full of melody.
"And now that I've told you what
a miserable fraud I am, you won't
stop loving me?" he questioned.
Helen nestled closer and shook her
head. There was no need for words.
Jack Chapin came out upon the
porch "with the chaperon. "Well, Fres
no caught hlB train," he told them.
"And we have had such a glorious
drive coming back! The night Is
splendid!"
"Yes, so nice and moonlight!" WaV
ly agreed pleasantly, whereat Jack
Chapin laughed.
"It's as black at pitch."
"Why, so It is!" Then as a fresh
song burst forth from the very heart
of the machine, he murmured affeo
tionately: '"By Jove! there goes 'The
Baggage Coach Ahead' once morel
That makes ten times."
"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?"
Miss Blake sighed dreamily.
"I —I believe I'm learning to like tt
myself," her lover agreed. "Poor
Frez!"
•••«•• • »• • ' e
The bridesmaids Wore white orgaiv
die and carried violets.
THE END.
Down ths ScSle.
A certain bride is very much in love
with her husband and very willing to
admit it. She likes to sound his
praises to her mother and to her girl
friends. She has a number of original
expressions. When her husband la
good'she says he Is "chocolate cake,
three layers deep." When he Is very
good he is "chocolate cuke, four layers
deep," and so on up the scale. Occa
sionally, however, things take a turn.
The bride's mother dropped in tfie
other day. The bride was a trifle
peevish, but her mother pretended not
to notice this.
"And how was John today?" was
her inquiry. "Chocolate, four layers
deep?"
"No."
"Three layers deep?"
"No."
"Two layers deep?" . v .
"No." This with a pout
"Then what is he?"
1 "Dog biscuit!"— National Monthly.
Take This Advice! Read
' ■ .
"V t ' * « . r
f A Charming Love Romance v
of the Southland
agree (hat.it is one
of the best stories you have
ever read. A delightful combina
tion of love, adventure, mystery,
action and clever characterization.
One of the biggest successes ever
produced by this popular author.
Our Next Serial
First Installment Soon
Charming 1
J Rives
Romance
/The Valiants
y of Virginia
C fS good a Story
vLJLas you have ever
read. A Story with a
universal appeal—
wholesome, inspiring,
engrossing. A Story for
old and young alike.
A Story for the home.
•I Be sure to get
the issue with the
first installment!
Wnat Newspapers
Say of
The Valiants
of Virginia
A very charming love story
full of the tenderness and
pride of the Southland.— New
York Sun.
The
If ever there was a pure ro
mance, Miss Rives gives It to
us In THE VALIANTS OP VIR
OINIA. — Boston Globe. „
Best Selling
THE VALIANTS OF VIRGINIA Is
undoubtedly the author'smost
significant work ,-Des Moines
Register and Leader.
* MoveO
A story dramatic, ardent and .
sympathetic, one to be fol
lowed with unf lagging Interest.
—Detroit Free Press.
In America
It begins well and ends better,
while between Is no page or mo
ment that dragsor "lets down."
—Chicago Record-Herald.
We will run this story as our
next serial. Don't you think
you would enjoy reading it?
First Installment Soon
IMMIGRATE SOUTH
1 -- ; A'' ' '
SEVERAL HUNDRED FOREIGNER*
ARK IMPORTED INTO EAST
CAROLINA
-
" \ . . .
DEVELOPED EASt CAROLINA
•
Judging from ths Arlval of Hundred®
»# Italians, Poles and Southern Euro
pean* Tho Tlda of lo
Turning Southward.
: Klnston. —The arrival In thin section
during the paßt fortnight of several
hundred foreigners confirms the be
lief of a middle western capitalist who
three months ago expressed the opin
ion that son the tide of immigration
wuold bo turned southward In Teality
and that It would be a sign of the
material development of Sast Caro
lina by outside capital.
Fifteen Italians have arrived at Ay
den, a few miles from here. A score
of Italians and Poles are at Pink Hill,
20 miles from Klnston. A number of -
Austrian* were recently taken to
Beaufort county. From 100, to /HQ
southern Europeans are to be em
ployed In a development scheme near
Jacksonville, liv Onslow county. »
Nearly all of the men brought to
this section are to labor on railroads
In the logging camps and on drain
age work. Their introduction here
is necessitated, say promoters, by the
scarcity of labor, and the shlftless
noKs cf tho negioes. 11. Tull, chair
man of the Lenoir county commission
oft say that men cannot be secured
to work the roads of the county for
hardly any price, and planters have
been Incommoded in the past two sea
sons by the lack of farm labor. In the
tobacco towns the employment of a
large percentage of the black popula
tion In the stemmeries and other
plants Is partly responsible for the
shortage of labor In other lines, but
tlila does ilot apply to other localities.
Local circles are viewing the com
ing of Italians, Austrians and Poles
with some apprehension, although ifce
men brought so far are selected and of
a superior type to those which have
flooded the coal mining section of the
country. They came, in nearly every
instance, from the Fast Side of New
York. Those in this Immediate vicin
ity are large, Intelligent men.
Experiments with them In the for
ests during tho past 10 days are said
to have been thoroughly satisfactory.
They acoompllsh as much In a work
day as th* average negro, and are bet
ter morally.
Big Good Road* Era.
Hendersonvllie.—With approximate
ly SIOO,OOO available for good roada
purposes, Henderson county la enjoy
ing tho greatest good-roads era in its
history, aa a result of which the prin
cipal highways of this community are
receiving attention after neglect for
many yeara.
The fundi for road purposes are to
be distributed In various sections of
the county, 120,000 going to the
Fletcher section in Hooper's Creek
Township, and $25,000 for surfacing
purposes In various sections of tho
I county. In addition to this, the chaln
| gang force Is doing splendid work oq,
| some of tho thoroughfares.
Open Southern Branch.
Ashevllle. —That Ashevllle will be
tho Southern headquaVtera of the
| Woodbury-Foster Company, effective
j within a
I W. H. Woodbury, secretary and treas
urer of the concern, and one of West
ern North Carolina's leading lumber
men, The concern recently was char
tered In the state of New York with
an authorized capital of $50,000, of
which amount $40,000 Is paid In, It Is
stated, The president Is E. H. Foster
- of New York city.
_ Another Hospital For Raleigh.
Raleigh.—A new hospital will be
opened In Raleigh within a few weeks
now, the building being about finish
ed and the equipment, which is to be
especially complete for medical, oste
opathic and surgical treatment, being
In process of Installation. It will be
known as the Mary Elizabeth Hos
pital. Drs. Harold Masscock and A.
8. Tucker being in charge.
Lettuce Acreage Large.
Wilmington—Truckers In New Han
over County are especially active In
getting their Spring crops planted and
full advantage has been taken of the
balmy weather of the past few days.
The land has never been prepared
for a crop better than this year and
the. outlook for a good yfleld is very
promising, unless there should be
very severe weather later. The acre
age In lettuce this Spring will be un
usually large and the growers are los
ing no time in setting out the lettuce
plants.
* V ,
For Cleaner Cities.
Ashevllle.—The Civic Betterment
League of Ashevllle has started a
. movement looking to the holding of
rallies throughout the state in thte in
terest of cleaner cities and has Writ
ten to the organizations of Charlotte,
Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem
and Wilmington asking tbejr co-opera- *
tlon In the movement. It is planned to
hold public meetings which will be
featured by the addresses of promin
ent citizens who are interested in
in the work of making cleaner cities
and towns.