25
III. The Household of Roses 42
IV. Isabel 73
V. The Vase of Al-Mansor 91
VI. Wreck 117
VII. "The Greatest of These" 137
VIII. Aftermath 152
IX. The House at the Turn 162
X. Sentence of Error 171
XI. Gerard's Man 188
XII. The Making Good 201
XIII. The Titan's Driver 212
XIV. Val de Rosas 233
XV. The Strength of Ten 250
XVI. The White Road of Honor 267
XVII. The End of the Road 300

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
The People Burst Out Over the Course and Overwhelmed
the Victors _Frontispiece_

Giddy, She Willingly Suffered His Support, then
Drew Back, Her Color Returning Vividly 14

"Wipe It Off," She Requested Resignedly, "Wipe
It Off and Never Tell" 78

I

THE KID AMATEUR

Gerard paused on the steps of the cement plateau overlooking the
racetrack, his eyebrows lifting in the wave of humor glinting across his
face like sunlight over quiet water.

"What?" he wondered. "Who----"

The grinning mechanician who had just come across from the row of
training-camps opposite supplied the information.

"Oh, that's Rose's rose. Ain't he awful tweet?" he mocked.

Gerard continued to smile, but his clear amber eyes grew keenly
appraising as they followed the flight of the rose-colored racing car
around the circular track.

"He can drive," he gave laconic verdict.

"Sure," assented the mechanician. "But he'll be the last rose of summer,
all right, when the race comes off. He'll not last twenty-four hours--a
kid amateur. If you ain't coming over, I'll lead myself back to my
job."

"You never can tell," warned Gerard, tolerantly. "No, I'm not
coming over, Rupert; run along."

He moved over to one of the grand-stand seats, as he spoke, and sat
down, leaning on t