The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-08-20

/ 49, ~ a0A EC4I Ne sal
quietly. -Fn do what you ask me tC
morrow. ! VIII do what you ask /
yOu'n 60 now"
You come. Do you hearT' snarle,
Mortimer. turning on his wife. VIII
had already risen. IF you don't 1T
make row here that you'll never hea
the end Of as long as you live. An,
there'h be nothing to talk over II
Quarters Office II / do"
Leila looked at Plank, rose and NOV
ed swiftly toward the veranda steps
her head resolutely lowered, the burn
Ing shame flaming In her face. Morti
mer cast one triumphant glance al
Plank. then waddled unsteadily after
4 his wife.
I Hold on" he growled: 1--WE a car
here! III drive you back-wait! Here
| II is, Here we arer And to Omar
riers macninist ne said: You get into
the tonneau. l want to show Mrs
! Mortimer what night driving is. Do
you hear? l tell you I'm going 10
drive this machine and show yon
how"
Leila scarcely heard him. She obey
ed the impulse of his hand on her arm
and mounted to the seat, staring
straight ahead of her with dazed and
strairing eyes that saw nothing.
Then Mortimer clambered to his seat
and without an instant's warning
opened up and seized the wheel.
Unprepared. the machinist attempt
ed to swing aboard, missed his foot
Ing in the uncertain light and fell
sprawling on the gravel Plank saw
him from the veranda and instantly
vaulted the rail to the lawn below.
"You d-n foolp' yelled Mortimer.
looking around. What do you think
you'll doT And he clapped on full
speed as Plank made a leap for the
car and missed.
Mortimer laughed and turned his
head to look back. and the next in
slant something seemed to wrench the
steering wheel from Its roots. There
was binding glare of light, scream,
and the great machine bounded into
the air full length, turned completely
over and lay across a flower bed. part
ly on one side
Something was a6re too. Men were
rushing from the verandas, women !
and stood up wringing their /
hands. A mounted policeman came !
gallOping through the darkness. PEG /
pie shouted: Throw sand on it! Get
shovels. for Gods sake! Lift that ton
neau. There's woman under it,
But they were mistaken, for Leila
ay at the foot of the slope, one little
bloody hand cIutching the dead grass,
and Plank knelt beside her, giving his
orders quietly to those who came run
hing down the hill from the roadway
lbove. which was now fercely illu-
minated by burning gasoline. At last
hey got sand enough to quench the
ire and lien sufficient to lift the
weight from the dead mans neck and {
Irag what was left of him on to the
,rass. ,
Don't look" whispered Siward.
rawing Sylvia back.
He and she both had put their shout
ers to the tonneau along with the 9th
rs, and now they stood there together l
i the shifting lantern light. sickened. t
hivering under the summer stars, t
taring at the gathering crowd around i
hat shapeless lump on the grass. g
Plank passed them, walking beside 9
n improvised stretchcr calm. almost
milling. as Sylvia spraNs forward WITH
little sob of Inquiry. 0
There's the doctor over there. That d
ian is doctor. He knows" repeated
lank with studied deliberation, look :
lg down at Leila deathly face lie
lys it's all right. He says he'll get
lndle and that he can tell by the
ame's effect on the pupils Of the eyes
hat exactly is the matter. No." to
Siward, beside