Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-12-26

~. maven dnylnI0g TO offer him "
Il suppose not" Kinney returned
th0ughtfully. as he vent on. 81 don't
know that would myself. Wen. wen
probably see his name in the PAPERS
some day if he stays with that job"
However. the nitro-glycerin
expert OF whom they spoke did not get
into the papers as a consequence of
being blown up. although his daily life
was certainly continuous exposure to
that risk. Destiny has a constant pas
sion for the incongruous. and it was
Georges lot to manipulate wholesale
quantities Of terrific and volatile ex-
plosiyes in safety, and to be laid low
by an accident so commonplace and in
consequent that it was a comedy.
Fate had reserved for him the final in
suit OF riding him down under the
wheels of one Of those juggernauts at
which he had once shouted "Git
hoss J" Nevertheless, Fate's ironic
choice for Georges undoing was not a
big and swift and momentous car. such
as Eugene manufactured; it was spe-
clmen of the hustling little type that
was flooding the country, the cheapest,
commonest, hardest little car ever
made.
The accident took place upon a Sun
day morning. on downtown crossing,
with the streets almost empty, and no
reason in the world for such a thing
to happen. He had gone out for his
Sunday morning walk, and he was
thinking of an automobile at the very
moment when the little car struck
him; he was thinking of a shiny lam
daulet and a charming figure stepping
into it. and of the quick gesture of a
white glove toward the chauffeur. mo-
tioning him to go ON. George heard
shout, but did not look up, for he could
not imagine anybody's shouting at him,
and he was too engrossed in the cues
ton was it LucyY' He could not de-
eide, and his lack of decision In this
matter probably superinduced a lack
OF decision in another, mor9 pressingly
vital. At the second and .ouder shout
he did look up; and the car was almost
! mind If the charming little figure he
had seen was Lucy's and he could not
make up his mind whether to go back
ward or forward; these questions be-
came entangled In his mind. Then,
still not being able to decide which OF
two ways to so. he tried to go both
and the little car ran him down. It
was not moving very rapidly. but it
went all the way over George.
He was conscious of gigantic vio-
lence ), of roaring and jolting and con-
cussion: Of choking clouds of dust.
shot with lightning, about his head:
he heard swapping sounds as loud as
sh0ts from small pistol, and was
stabbed by excruciating pains in his
legs. Then he became aware that the
machine was being lifted off of him.
People were gathering in circle
round him. Cabling.
His forehead was believed with the
sweat of anguish, and he tried to wipe
off this dampness, but failed. He could
not get his arm that far.
"Nev' minds policeman said; and
George could see above mis- eyes the
skirts of the blue coat, covered with
dust and sunshine. Ambulance here in
minute. New mind tryin' to move
any. You want en- to send for some
special doetor?"
'NO." Georges lips formed the word
"Or to take you to some private
hospital?"
"Tel them to take me-" he said
family, ito the City hospital"
"a right"
A smallish young man in a duster
fdgeted among the crowd, explaining
and protesting and stridentvoiced
girl, his companion, supported his ar
gument, declaring to everyone her
Willingness to offer testimony in any
court of law that every blessed word
he said was the Gods truth.
"It's the fella that hit YOU" the po-
liceman said. looking down on George.
81 guess he's right; you must of ben
thinkin about somep'n' or other. It's
wunnerful the damage them little ma
chimes can do-you'd never think it,
but l guess they amt much case agin
this fella that was drivin' II"
"You bet your life they amt no cAse
on mel" the young man in the buster
agreed, with great bitterness. He came
and stood at Georges feet. addressing
him heatedly: "y'm sorry fer you all
right, and 1 don't say l amt. | hold
nothin' against you, but it wasn't any
more my fault than the statehouseI
Wasn't goin' a step over eight miles
an hourl I'm perfectly willing to say
I'm sorry for you though, and SOS the
lady with me. We're both willing to
say that much, but that's all. under
stand I"
Georges drawn eyelids twitched;
/ his misted glance rested ffeetingly up
on the two protesting motorists, and
the old imperious spirit within him
fickered up in single word. Lying
on his back in the middle of the street.
where he was regarded by an increas-
Ing public as an unpleasant curiosity,