The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Scarlet Car, by Richard Harding Davis

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Title: The Scarlet Car

Author: Richard Harding Davis

Release Date: March 19, 2008 [EBook #358]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SCARLET CAR ***

THE SCARLET CAR

BY

RICHARD HARDING DAVIS

TO

NED STONE

CONTENTS

THE JAIL-BREAKERS
THE TRESPASSERS
THE KIDNAPPERS

THE SCARLET CAR

I

THE JAIL-BREAKERS

For a long time it had been arranged they all should go to the Harvard
and Yale game in Winthrop's car. It was perfectly well understood.
Even Peabody, who pictured himself and Miss Forbes in the back of the
car, with her brother and Winthrop in front, condescended to approve.
It was necessary to invite Peabody because it was his great good
fortune to be engaged to Miss Forbes. Her brother Sam had been
invited, not only because he could act as chaperon for his sister, but
because since they were at St. Paul's, Winthrop and he, either as
participants or spectators, had never missed going together to the
Yale-Harvard game. And Beatrice Forbes herself had been invited
because she was herself.

When at nine o'clock on the morning of the game, Winthrop stopped the
car in front of her door, he was in love with all the world. In the
November air there was a sting like frost-bitten cider, in the sky
there was a brilliant, beautiful sun, in the wind was the tingling
touch of three ice-chilled rivers. And in the big house facing Central
Park, outside of which his prancing steed of brass and scarlet chugged
and protested and trembled with impatience, was the most wonderful girl
in all the world. It was true she was engaged to be married, and not
to him. But she was not yet married. And to-day it would be his
privilege to carry her through the State of New York and the State of
Connecticut, and he would snatch glimpses of her profile rising from
the rough fur collar, of her wind-blown hair, of the long, lovely
lashes under the gray veil.

"'Shall be together, breathe and ride, so, one day more am I deified;'"
whispered the young man in the Scarlet Car; "'who