oughly aroused, and it would have taken an
extremely strong hold to quiet her. She simply flew, and Beth began to
be scared. The words of January flashed through her mind: "She'll go
so fast, you'll wish you hadn't got on her."

Nose to nose the horses sped over the hard shell road. The situation
grew critical for Beth.

She wondered what her mother would say if she were thrown and her
lifeless body were carried home.

"She will be so sorry that she scolded me yesterday. I wish I could
tell her that I know I deserved it. I don't want to die."

The world seemed more beautiful than ever now that death seemed near
her.

"Whoa, Dollie, whoa," she cried.

But Dollie paid not the slightest attention. With head curved well
down she sped as fast as in her palmiest racing days. Slowly but
surely she forged ahead of her fast rival.

"The horse is running away with the child. Stop her, stop her," cried
Cousin Lulu in alarm.

Her warning came too late.

They were now opposite the Fair grounds, which had a very high fence
surrounding them. There were two gates, one for pedestrians and the
other for carriages.

Dollie swerved in at the foot passageway and her helpless rider could
not stop her. People scattered in every direction before the runaway
horse. Even the gate-keeper stepped aside, dropping his tickets in his
fright.

"Oh, what shall we do? She'll surely be killed. She'll be dragged
from her horse. Her dress has caught on the gate," cried Cousin Lulu
with her heart in her mouth.

Beth let go the reins and held with one hand to the saddle pommel, and
with the other to Dollie's mane. This saved her. Her skirt tore loose
from the gate. Onward flew horse and child.

Cousin Lulu and her escort hastened after through the driveway. Far
ahead of them they saw Dollie and Beth flying towards the race track
with lightning speed.

Mr. Davenport chanced to come from the Fair building at this very
minute.

"Oh, Uncle James," screamed Lulu, "Dollie is running away with Beth."

He hardly understood, but saw the runaway horse now nearing the race
track and hastened after it.

With the long memory of a horse, Dollie recognized the track as a scene
of bygone triumphs, and made straight for it. No rider urged her on as
of old, no rivals were by her side; but Dollie of her own accord
started around that course at a breakneck speed with a little girl
clinging wildly to her mane.

People were already gat