Page:Frank Owen - The Actress.djvu/116

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100
THE DOORMAT

ing point. Inadvertently she could not help comparing him to the chauffeur, whose back rose up before her. To all appearances, he was no more ruffled than if he were driving at a moderate speed through a city street. With a shudder, she realized that Roger Patterson was a coward. In that moment, she felt as though she detested him.

Again a great hill with a perilous cliff road loomed up ominously before them. Roger Patterson noticed it and shuddered.

"This is our last opportunity!" he entreated wildly. "For God's sake, jump!"

"No," she replied coldly. "I am not going to jump."

She slipped the engagement ring from her finger and forced it into his hand. "Quick, you coward!" she cried, her eyes flashing, "jump before it is too late!"

Roger Patterson gave one agonizing glance toward the hill, a glance in which was blended fear and terror almost to frenzy. Then he jumped, and the car sped onward up the hill without him. And now a strange thing happened. The break-neck speed lessened considerably, until as the car came down the hill it was going at little more than a moderate rate of speed. Marion Maxwell was greatly surprised at this, but her curiosity was not gratified until they had gone another mile. Then the chauffeur abruptly stopped the car and removed his hat and goggles.

"Barney Creighton!" she cried breathlessly.

"Yes," said he. "Will you marry me? If you had