es," she gasped. "Don't stop----"

Her soul had risen at last to the ecstasy of the mania for speed that
fired the man's spirit and nerved his hand. It was inconceivable
until experienced--this awful joy! Her spirit sank with childish
disappointment as he slowly lowered the power.

"Got to take a sharp curve down there," he explained. "We turn to the
right for the meadows and the Beach--how was that?"

"Wonderful," she cried, with dancing eyes. "Let her go again if you want
to--I'm game--now."

Jim laughed.

"A little rattled at first?"

"Yes----"

"Well, we can't let her out on this road. It's too narrow--have to take
a ditch sometimes to pass. That wouldn't do for an eighty-mile clip, you
know--now would it?"

"Hardly."

"I might risk it alone--but my first name's `Old Man Caution' today--you
get me?"

Mary nodded and turned her head away again.

"I got you the first time, sir," she answered playfully taking his tone.

He ran the car into the garage at the Beach, sprang out and lifted Mary
to the ground with quick, firm hand. They threw off their heavy coats
and left them.

"Look out for this junk now, sonny," he cried to the attendant, tossing
him a half dollar.

"Sure, Mike!"

"Fill her up to the chin by the time we get back."

"Righto!"

Quickly they walked to the hotel and in five minutes were seated beside
a window in the dining-room, watching the lazy roll of the sea sweep in
on the sands at low tide.

"I'm hungry as a wolf!" he whispered.

"So am I----"

"We'll eat everything in sight--start at the top and come down."

He handed her the menu card and watched her from the depths beneath the
drooping eyelids.

Conscious of his gaze and rejoicing in its frank admiration, she ordered
the dinner with instinctive good taste. No effort at conversation was
made by either. They were both too hungry. As Jim lighted his cigarette
when the coffee was served, he leaned back in his chair and watched the
breakers in silence.

"That's the best dinner I ever had in my life," he said slowly.

"It was good. We were hungry."

"I've been hungry before, many a time. It was something else, too." He
paused and rose abruptly. "Let's walk up the Beach."

"I'd love to," she answered, slowly rising.

CHAPTER VI. BESIDE THE SEA

They strolled leisurely along the board-walk, found the sand, walked in
the firm, dry line of the high-water mark for a mile to the east, and
sat down on a clump of sea-g