The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-04-16

driven BY q girl No, not driven. be.
cause the driver had lost the lines and
they were squirming under the pony's
feet. while che was clinging to the
seat like grim death.
No screaming with terror! No calls
for help! Just pale-faced girl. with
tight-shut teeth-just Nina Gilbert!
There was time for the doctor to
turn cut and leave the runaway .
clear road. but there was the bridge
he had just crossed. II the pony
swerved 80 much as q foot when he
struck the bridge there must be .
smash. To sprin. from the sulky and
poise to Jump out on the runaway for
a bridle-hold meant taking . hundred
chances to one. The doctor threw up
. hand to tell the girl to brace her.
self. and then wheeled his rig square
across the road. He hadn't five sec.
onds % spare before the crash came.
The poay never raised . foot to leap
the obstruction. but struck the horse
Ake . cannon ball. and there was .
grand smash. Seen in . moving pic'
ture show. II surely would have cap
tured the kids.
When Doctor Preston at up and
wondered where he was ct. both
horses and vehicles were mixed up.
His horse was dead. and the other
had broken leg. His sulky was kind
ling wood. and the pony cart needed
hundreds Of repairs. It. slowly dawned
on the doctor that there was some.
thing else. He had no broken bones.
though he had been badly jolted. He
got to his feet. staggered around to
see Miss Nina Gilbert lying uncon.
scious In the road The sight aroused
him and gave him strength. After a
brief examination he said to himself:
LEFT arm broken: scalp wound;
right cheek gashed; probably half q
dozen bad bruises; unconscious. but
not so badly hurt"
A farmer came driving along In q
buggy.
1--WE got to borrow your ris to get
this patient home" said the doctor.
Runaway" was queried.
AS YOU see."
"Who ia tn, gall"
"Miss Gilbert CT the village"
Then you don't borrow no rig Of
mine! She's a high.hyer. She drives
around the country crowding humble
folks like ne into The ditch"
Doctor Preston had to thrash the
farmer TO gain his point, but It was
we'll and cheerfully done. Then he
threatened to do It over again unless
he lent hand to lift the patient up.
Miss Nina regained consciousness
barely i've minutes before reaching
home. Her first words after recognis'
Ing the doctor were:
IL thought you'd surely -
kisled!"
"0nly . few bruisea Yos got the
worst Of IT,"
Am I badly hurt!"
"A broken arm 10 the worst. You
will want to send to the city for .
doctor, I SUPPOSED"
mo. cir, I WON'T" was the spirited
reply. ITS your case. and you'll tend
to It.
But"
That's all. please" and then to her
father and mother. who came rushing
out Of the house:
Don't make such q fuss over It.
please. Poor Billy Jaw tramp asleep
by the roadside and bolted with me.
I lost the lines the very first thing"
Il will telephone at once to-" be.
gan the father but he was halted by:
Il have already arranged with Doc.
tor Preston to attend my case"
II was while the doctor was at his
Office to get the things needed to work
with that Miss Nina. despite her sui.
ferings. told the brief but thrilling
story. That was why the young med.
leo found two hands stretched out to
him on his return.
The broken arm was set, the scalp
wound sewed up. and next day when
old Doctor Bliss accompanied the
young doctor to inspect the work, hs
said to the parents:
~Couldn't have been done better b
any city surgeon"
The villagers diA not hear Of Doctor
Pssston's quick Wit and heroish from
bic own lips. but when II was Known
10 was kept very busy shaking hands.
IN Q day or two another horse and
sulky wefe driven around to replace
bic loss. and the old doctor shook
hands with him and said:
"My boy. you are beginning far bet.
ten than where l left OF. Will you do
something for me-"
Anything can"
"Then marry Nina Gilbert"
Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure News.
paper Syndicate.D
Didn't Like the Signature.
A Chicago woman whose husband
gave her a checking account decided,
the other day. to save two cent
stamp by persuading the grocer's boy