Tish | Page 8

Letitia Carberry and her Cousin Angeline's legacy."
But I was too late. Tish and Mr. Ellis whirled up to the door at half-past
eight and Tish did not even notice that Bettina was absent. She took off
her veil and said something about Mr. Ellis's having heard a grinding in
the differential of her car that afternoon and that he suspected a chip of
steel in the gears. They went out together to the garage, leaving Aggie
and me staring at each other. Mr. Ellis was carrying a box of tools.
Jasper and Bettina returned shortly after, and even in the dusk I knew
things had gone badly for him. He sat on the steps, looking out across
the dark lawn, and spoke in monosyllables. Bettina, however, was very
gay.
It was evident that Bettina had decided not to take her Presbyterianism
into the Episcopal fold. And although I am a Presbyterian myself I felt
sorry.
Tish and Mr. Ellis came round to the porch about ten o'clock and he
was presented to Bettina. From that moment there was no question in
my mind as to how affairs were going, or in Jasper's either. He refused
to move and sat doggedly on the steps, but he took little part in the
conversation.
Mr. Ellis was a good talker, especially about himself.
"You'll be glad to know," he said to me, "that I've got this race matter
fixed up finally. In two weeks from now we'll have a little excitement
here."
I looked toward Tish, but she said nothing.

"Excitement is where I live," said Mr. Ellis. "If I don't find any waiting
I make it."
"If you are looking for excitement, we'll have to find you some," Jasper
said pointedly.
Mr. Ellis only laughed. "Don't put yourself out, dear boy," he said. "I
have enough for present necessities. If you think an automobile race is
an easy thing to manage, try it. Every man who drives a racing-car has
a coloratura soprano beaten to death for temperament. Then every
racing-car has quirky spells; there's the local committee to propitiate;
the track to look after; and if that isn't enough, there's the promotion
itself, the advertising. That's my stunt--the advertising."
"It's a wonderful business, isn't it?" asked Bettina. "To take a mile or so
of dirt track and turn it into a sort of stage, with drama every minute
and sometimes tragedy!"
"Wait a moment," said Mr. Ellis; "I want to put that down. I'll use it
somewhere in the advertising." He wrote by the light of a match, while
we all sat rather stunned by both his personality and his alertness.
"Everything's grist that comes to my mill. I suppose you all remember
when I completed the speedway at Indianapolis and had the Governor
of Indiana lay a gold brick at the entrance? Great stunt that! But the
best part of that story never reached the public."
Bettina was leaning forward, all ears and thrills. "What was that?" she
asked.
"I had the gold brick stolen that night--did it myself and carried the
brick away in my pocket--only gold-plated, you know. Cost eight or
nine dollars, all told, and brought a million dollars in advertising. But
the papers were sore about some passes and wouldn't use the story. Too
bad we can't use the brick here. Still have it kicking about somewhere."
It was then, I think, that Jasper yawned loudly, apologized, said
good-night and lounged away across the lawn. Bettina hardly knew he
was going. She was bending forward, her chin in her palms, listening to

Mr. Ellis tell about a driver in a motor race breaking his wrist cranking
a car, and how he--Ellis--had jumped into the car and driven it to
victory. Even Aggie was enthralled. It seemed as if, in the last hour, the
great world of stress and keen wits and endeavor and mad speed had sat
down on our door-step.
As Tish said when we were going up to bed, why shouldn't Mr. Ellis
brag? He had something to brag about.

IV
Although I felt quite sure that Tish had put up the prize money for Mr.
Ellis, I could not be certain. And Tish's attitude at that time did not
invite inquiry. She took long rides daily with the Ellis man in his gray
car, and I have reason to believe that their objective point was always
the same--the race-track.
Mr. Ellis was the busiest man in Morris Valley. In the daytime he was
superintending putting the track in condition, writing what he called
"promotion stuff," securing entries and forming the center of excited
groups at the drug store and one or other of the two public garages. In
the evenings he was generally to be found at Bettina's feet.
Jasper did not come