Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-07-12


cars that drew up An Iengthening
queues ran to the scene of Wetherells
disaster.
At first they could not see Weth-
erell, but they saw Daphne and her
peril, and they set frantically to work
to drag her free. But she was so
caught that they could not release her
until they should remove the car. They
pulled and heayed but it was jammed
into the culvert and the ditch so tight
that they could not bulge it, though
they took risk enough and suffered
blistered hands and oharred clothes.
At last one chauffeur fastened q
chain to the rear axle of Wetherell's
car and to the front axle Of his, and,
by alternate backing and swerving,
dragged and hoisted Wetherell's car
upward and rearward while other men
snatched Daphne from beneath and
away from the flames just as they
were nibbling at her skirts.
At the same time they disclosed the
body of Wetherell and with huge diff
ficulty fetched it forth. Still others
found Leila in heap, toy with
broken joints.
The last thing Daphne had known
was the sensation of being shaken to
death, helpless mouse in a terriers
mouth. The next she knew was that
she was seated on the edge Of ditch
and leaning against the shoulder of a
kneeling woman in evening dress.
A number of shadowy men and
women wavered against the soaring
glare Of the gasoline.
They arrived at last at a hospital.
Daphne was lifted out and delivered
into the possession of two curt young
internes. She was stretched on a lit
ter, carried feet foremost into an ele-
vator, down a corridor to a room, and
rolled out on bed. Two nurses pro-
ceeded to undress her and battle her
Then an older doctor came in and ex-
amined her injuries. She blazed with
shame, one complete blush; but to
him she was hardly more than a car
brought to a garage. He nodded cheer
fully and said:
mot bone broken, young lady,
and no internal arrangements that 1
can discover. A few burns, that's all,
and a, big shock"
us Leila hurt much?" Daphne
mumbled.
'She is hurt trifie worse than you.
But she'll come round all right"
81 don't believe your said Daphne,
and sighed, "Poor Bayardw
''Who is BayardY'
'My brother-her husband"
"Ah, the young man who was The
other young man was not your hus-
band, thenP
Daphne shook her head. "He is no
relation-a friend"
Perhaps we'd better notify Bayard.
What's his last name? Has he tele-
phone?"
Daphne muttered his name and num-
Der. Then her head was lifted, cap
sule placed in her mouth, and glass
of water held to her lips. When she
was restoredsto her pillow a sedative
was within her to subdue the riot of
her thoughts.
She wondered what Duane would
think Of her now. She remembered
the money she had asked him to lend
her. 1t would be in the mornings
mail. But she would not be there to
open it. Mrs. Chivvis might not dare
to.
All her acquaintance began to march
past Daphne's brain in review.
Thoughts and half-thoughts and whim-
sizes danced through her mind in a car
nival of stupor and frenzy, while to
the eyes of the nurses she lay still and
slept.
In another room Leila was shrek
ing and fighting, whlmpering and
moaning, a torn gazclle under the
claws and fangs Of tigerlsh pain. Alb
ruptly there came a lethal silence also
from her. They had succeeded in
drugging her at last.
~ q
When Daphne had left Bayard in
the afternoon she had found that he
was depressed, but net how deeply.
She supposed that his money loss was
only a failure Of expected profits, or
the mishap of an investment. She
did not dream that he was crippled
financially.
Bayard was so forlorn, so profound
ly ashamed of his bad guessworlz,
that he could not bear to show his
face at any of his clubs that night
He had boosted there too often OF
having bought heavily Of the stock. He
had persuaded too many Of his friends
to invest in it.
So he went where busy men go
when other places are closed to them.
He went home. When he reached his
apartment he found that Leila had
given the servants a night out.
Leila had left no word of her own
plans. After forlorn delay Bayard
called for Daphne. She was gone, toe,
with no word Of her return.
! l.. Il, ~.