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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I MISS BOLTWOOD OF BROOKLYN IS LOST IN THE MUD 3
II CLAIRE ESCAPES FROM RESPECTABILITY 10
III A YOUNG MAN IN A RAINCOAT 21
IV A ROOM WITHOUT 36
V RELEASE BRAKES--SHIFT TO THIRD 49
VI THE LAND OF BILLOWING CLOUDS 66
VII THE GREAT AMERICAN FRYING PAN 74
VIII THE DISCOVERY OF CANNED SHRIMPS AND HESPERIDES 85
IX THE MAN WITH AGATE EYES 101
X THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE HILLSIDE ROAD 112
XI SAGEBRUSH TOURISTS OF THE GREAT HIGHWAY 119
XII THE WONDERS OF NATURE WITH ALL MODERN IMPROVEMENTS 129
XIII ADVENTURERS BY FIRELIGHT 138
XIV THE BEAST OF THE CORRAL 149
XV THE BLACK DAY OF THE VOYAGE 154
XVI THE SPECTACLES OF AUTHORITY 165
XVII THE VAGABOND IN GREEN 176
XVIII THE FALLACY OF ROMANCE 188
XIX THE NIGHT OF ENDLESS PINES 194
XX THE FREE WOMAN 205
XXI THE MINE OF LOST SOULS 219
XXII ACROSS THE ROOF OF THE WORLD 228
XXIII THE GRAEL IN A BACK YARD IN YAKIMA 237
XXIV HER OWN PEOPLE 242
XXV THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE 254
XXVI A CLASS IN ENGINEERING AND OMELETS 270
XXVII THE VICIOUSNESS OF NICE THINGS 279
XXVIII THE MORNING COAT OF MR. HUDSON B. RIGGS 290
XXIX THE ENEMY LOVE 300
XXX THE VIRTUOUS PLOTTERS 307
XXXI THE KITCHEN INTIMATE 310
XXXII THE CORNFIELD ARISTOCRAT 331
XXXIII TOOTH-MUG TEA 345
XXXIV THE BEGINNING OF A STORY 361
FREE AIR
FREE AIR
CHAPTER I
MISS BOLTWOOD OF BROOKLYN IS LOST IN THE MUD
When the windshield was closed it became so filmed with rain that Claire
fancied she was piloting a drowned car in dim spaces under the sea. When
it was open, drops jabbed into her eyes and chilled her cheeks. She was
excited and thoroughly miserable. She realized that these Minnesota
country roads had no respect for her polite experience on Long Island
parkways. She felt like a woman, not like a driver.
But the Gomez-Dep roadster had seventy horsepower, and sang songs. Since
she had left Minneapolis nothing had passed her. Back yonder a truck had
tried to crowd her, and she had dropped into a ditch, climbed a bank,
returned to the road, and after that the truck was not. Now she was
regarding a view more splendid than mountains above a garden by the
sea--a stretch of good road. To her passenger, her father, Claire
chanted:
"Heavenly! There's some gravel. We can make time. We'll hustle on to the
next town and get dry."
"Yes. But don't mind me. You're doing very well," her father sighed.
Instantly, the dismay of it rushing at her, she saw the end of the patch
of gravel. The road ahead was a wet black smear, criss-crossed with
ruts. The car shot into a morass of prairie gumbo--which is mud mixed
with tar, fly-paper, fish glue, and well-chewed, chocolate-covered
caramels. When cattle get into gumbo, the farmers send for the
stump-dynamite and try blasting.
It was her first really bad stretch of road. She was frightened. Then
she was too appallingly busy to be frightened, or to be Miss Claire
Boltwood, or to comfort her uneasy father. She had to drive. Her frail
graceful arms put into it a vicious vigor that was genius.
When the wheels struck the slime, they slid, they wallowed. The car
skidded. It was terrifyingly out of control. It began majestically to
turn toward the ditch. She fought the steering wheel as though she were
shadow-boxing, but the car kept contemptuously staggering till it was
sideways, straight across the road. Somehow, it was back again, eating
into a rut, going ahead. She didn't know how she had done it, but she
h
CHAPTER PAGE
I MISS BOLTWOOD OF BROOKLYN IS LOST IN THE MUD 3
II CLAIRE ESCAPES FROM RESPECTABILITY 10
III A YOUNG MAN IN A RAINCOAT 21
IV A ROOM WITHOUT 36
V RELEASE BRAKES--SHIFT TO THIRD 49
VI THE LAND OF BILLOWING CLOUDS 66
VII THE GREAT AMERICAN FRYING PAN 74
VIII THE DISCOVERY OF CANNED SHRIMPS AND HESPERIDES 85
IX THE MAN WITH AGATE EYES 101
X THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE HILLSIDE ROAD 112
XI SAGEBRUSH TOURISTS OF THE GREAT HIGHWAY 119
XII THE WONDERS OF NATURE WITH ALL MODERN IMPROVEMENTS 129
XIII ADVENTURERS BY FIRELIGHT 138
XIV THE BEAST OF THE CORRAL 149
XV THE BLACK DAY OF THE VOYAGE 154
XVI THE SPECTACLES OF AUTHORITY 165
XVII THE VAGABOND IN GREEN 176
XVIII THE FALLACY OF ROMANCE 188
XIX THE NIGHT OF ENDLESS PINES 194
XX THE FREE WOMAN 205
XXI THE MINE OF LOST SOULS 219
XXII ACROSS THE ROOF OF THE WORLD 228
XXIII THE GRAEL IN A BACK YARD IN YAKIMA 237
XXIV HER OWN PEOPLE 242
XXV THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE 254
XXVI A CLASS IN ENGINEERING AND OMELETS 270
XXVII THE VICIOUSNESS OF NICE THINGS 279
XXVIII THE MORNING COAT OF MR. HUDSON B. RIGGS 290
XXIX THE ENEMY LOVE 300
XXX THE VIRTUOUS PLOTTERS 307
XXXI THE KITCHEN INTIMATE 310
XXXII THE CORNFIELD ARISTOCRAT 331
XXXIII TOOTH-MUG TEA 345
XXXIV THE BEGINNING OF A STORY 361
FREE AIR
FREE AIR
CHAPTER I
MISS BOLTWOOD OF BROOKLYN IS LOST IN THE MUD
When the windshield was closed it became so filmed with rain that Claire
fancied she was piloting a drowned car in dim spaces under the sea. When
it was open, drops jabbed into her eyes and chilled her cheeks. She was
excited and thoroughly miserable. She realized that these Minnesota
country roads had no respect for her polite experience on Long Island
parkways. She felt like a woman, not like a driver.
But the Gomez-Dep roadster had seventy horsepower, and sang songs. Since
she had left Minneapolis nothing had passed her. Back yonder a truck had
tried to crowd her, and she had dropped into a ditch, climbed a bank,
returned to the road, and after that the truck was not. Now she was
regarding a view more splendid than mountains above a garden by the
sea--a stretch of good road. To her passenger, her father, Claire
chanted:
"Heavenly! There's some gravel. We can make time. We'll hustle on to the
next town and get dry."
"Yes. But don't mind me. You're doing very well," her father sighed.
Instantly, the dismay of it rushing at her, she saw the end of the patch
of gravel. The road ahead was a wet black smear, criss-crossed with
ruts. The car shot into a morass of prairie gumbo--which is mud mixed
with tar, fly-paper, fish glue, and well-chewed, chocolate-covered
caramels. When cattle get into gumbo, the farmers send for the
stump-dynamite and try blasting.
It was her first really bad stretch of road. She was frightened. Then
she was too appallingly busy to be frightened, or to be Miss Claire
Boltwood, or to comfort her uneasy father. She had to drive. Her frail
graceful arms put into it a vicious vigor that was genius.
When the wheels struck the slime, they slid, they wallowed. The car
skidded. It was terrifyingly out of control. It began majestically to
turn toward the ditch. She fought the steering wheel as though she were
shadow-boxing, but the car kept contemptuously staggering till it was
sideways, straight across the road. Somehow, it was back again, eating
into a rut, going ahead. She didn't know how she had done it, but she
h
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