Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-01-10
ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY TO-

they've got machines now that they
can repair with an old AK In ten min
utes it's big gain. I guess there's
some buttermilk from the churning
this morning, and if"
"Thanks-thanks, but must be 60
ing. Very kind Of you, indeed"
If the old pensioners eyes had not
been so dim he might have seen a
young man blushlng like girl as he
walked towards the gate, but he
didn't see, and in his hospitality he
called out:
"Call again any time you break
down. If amt out here, take the ak
and use 1t as long as you want to-"
"Father, how could you speak that
way to him2" exclaimed the daughter
Mt his elbow as soon as the latch Of
the gate had clicked.
'Tordy, but what have done nowf
A young feller's auto breaks down In
front of the house and we lend him
an Ak and tell him he can have 1t
again any time. You are always ready
to give buttermilk to tramps, and I
wondered why you didn't come out
and offer him a glass. don't want
folks to think I've turned stingy IN my
old age"
During the next month Molly
Thatcher heard from the gossips Of
the village that the young man was
connected with the big new factory
five miles away. She got sight Of him
and his auto at least every other day,
but he peered in vain for her. She
had maids curiosity, but she also
had q maids tlmidlty. At nine o'clock
one moonlight night, as the village
lights were going out and q strange
silence was creeping over the land,
she walked down to the gate and
leaned upon 1t. She had not been
standing there ten minutes when the
hum of an auto came to her ears from
the crest of the hill quarter Of a
mile away. She had heard that the
dark-halred man sometimes rode about
at night. She would wait until the
machine came nearer and then step
behind a rose bush.
puff. Puff. Chug." And then the
girl heard sharp snap, and some
thing told her that the auto was COM
ing down the hill uncontrolled. She
sprang through the gate and saw 1t
coming. There was only one person
In the vehicle, and intuition and the
moonlight identified him. The course
was fairly straight but the brake was
not working. Second by second the
speed increased, and as the machine
came whlzzing past she raised her
hand above her head and screamed
to the man:
Jump for your lifei You will be
killed at the brldgep
For the fraction OF second he
looked into her eyes and smiled, and
she had to turn and seize hold Of the
gate while she waited for what must
happen at the foot OF the hill and the
narrow bridge. And when the crash
came she screamed TO her father, doz-
Ing on the porch, and ran screaming
down the path the Wild auto had fol-
lowed. When nelghbOr aroused neigh
Dor and half dozen men gathered at
the wreck they found the girl under
the hill seated on the grass and the
head of the unconscious young man in
her lap.
"He is deadp some Of them whIs-
pered after look.
"Noi mol It can't be SOP she al
most fiercely replied.
ale must be taken to the inn and q
doctor called"
mo, take him to our house. Run
for mattress. Lift him carefully. II
he hadn't been coming down the hill
In hopes--in hopes to see-tO see"
"Cut and bruised and suffering from
the shock, but no bones broken" re-
ported the doctor to young Marshall's
friends next morning. "Leave him
right here and don't worry about
him."
Two weeks later, as the young man
was able to ride away in the auto Of
friend he said to the old pensioner
before departing:
II may not want to borrow your AK,
but should like your permission to
call again"
"Why, Of course, Of course. I tell
Molly we must be neighbOrIy."
"And will you be neighborlyT was
quietly asked Of the girl as the gate
was reached.
He must have read the answer in
her eyes, for he came again.