"There! there! That will do!" snapped the inventor, standing stiffly erect
and throwing away his cigar. "This is not the first time that that
mistaken humor of yours has prevented your absorbing new ideas, Griggs.
Incidentally, I may mention that I was referring to the body of an
automobile. Good-evening!"

Whereupon Hawkins stalked up the road in the direction of his summer home,
and I wondered for a minute if his words might not be prophetic of future
trouble.

Now, where any aspersion is cast upon his inventive genius, Hawkins is
quick to anger, but usually he is equally ready to forgive and forget.
Hence it astonished me that two whole weeks passed Without the appearance
of his genial countenance on my premises.

They were really two weeks of peace unbroken, but I had begun to think
that it might be better for me to stroll over and beg pardon for my levity
when one bright morning Hawkins came chug-chugging up the drive in a huge,
new, red automobile.

It was of the type so constructed that the two rear seats of the car may
be dropped off at will, converting it into a carriage for two, and the
only peculiar detail I noted was the odd-looking top or canopy.

"Well, what do you think of her?" demanded Hawkins with some pride.

"She's all right," I said, admiringly.

"Body's built of aluminum," continued the inventor. "Jump in and feel