"
Now Roy was averse, as are most boys, to being thought a "'fraid cat," and
the almost openly taunting air with which the girl looked at him angered
him almost to desperation.
"Very well," he said, "we'll race you when we get to that bit of road."
"Oh, Roy, what are you saying," pleaded Peggy, "it's all a trick to
humiliate us. The Blue Bird can't possibly keep up with their car,
and----." But Roy checked her impatiently.
"You don't think I'm going to allow Fanning Harding to scare me out of
anything, do you?" he demanded in as near to a rough tone of voice as he
had ever used to his sister.
Poor Peggy felt the stinging tears rise. But she said nothing. The next
moment the cars began to glide off, running side by side on the broad
country road. Faster and faster they went. The speed got into Roy's head.
He began to let the Blue Bird out, and then Fanning Harding, for the first
time seemingly, realized what a formidable opponent he was placed in
contact with.
As they reached the bit of road previously agreed upon as a race course,
the banker's son stopped his machine and hailed Roy to do the same.
"Tell you what we'll do to make this interesting," he said, "we'll change
machines. Or are you afraid to drive mine?"
"I'll drive it," said Roy recklessly, in spite of Peggy's quavered: "Say
no.
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