The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-09-09
HE DAILY
short STORY
Fate At the Wheel
AZ Erederlek ltart
lcopyrlg6t l92o q the MeoluFI

y WI Al ANA 1885,
NM to consciousness OF thIn6s
wv around hun he realized TWO
things: One was the pain that pg ~.
With maddening insistence at L.s
back of his head, the otheE Was
the presence OF soft hand tnAt
rested lightly on his brow and a
soothing voice that spoke words 81
pity in HIS ear. he opened n!S
eyes painfully but found the StGEe
OF the sunlight too much LOT MN
and closed them again. desperate
II he tried to reconstruct the IN
cidents that. led TO- his presens
state. There had been q long
stretch OF white road-he remem-
bered that perrectly-that had
challenges the young blood in his
veins and the siXty-horse power
under his hands to their utmost.
Yesi and he hnd responded TO the
challenge; he remembered seems
the number IS crawl into sight in
The little oblong opening or the
speedometer; G5-70.13; could he
make IS? And then
I He seemed to remember slight
turn in the road-such q turn as
he was accustomed to look at with
contemptBut there WAS little
tsidesttp somewhere and he seem
ed TO recollect that the world was
all tilted sideways somehow--and
then he didn't remember any more
strive as he might. He groaned at
the futility OF his effort.
Does it hurt so much?" The
1 soft voice was speaking. The voice
z surely had no part in his recol-
+ lecttons. He opened his eyes again
End this time forced them to stay
open despite the pain 1t caused
him. And he told himself, shaken
as he was, that 1t was worth the
trouble.
He was lying on a miraculously
smooth greensward that was as
soft as a mattress to his aching
limbs and under his head was 1
smooth white arm, while a slim
hand kept up its soothing minis
trattons. And very near to his
own face was a tender pair OF
eyes and a gently CurVing mouth
that expressed all that minister
ing angels are supposed 10 be.
aGThts miraculous upparttion was
sneeltng by him and comforting
him. He tried to struggle into
sitting position and almost shrek.
ed at the sudden stab vi pain that
the effort cost him. And then he
was aware OF another presence
q masculine presence on tho other
side, who spoke gruftly the while
IL delVed in little black bag that
cltnked ominously. The stabbing
pain repeated itself and despite
his efforts he moaned. The mas.
Suline presence was speaking
I'VE cant move him like this"
y II said. Wait minute"
Arthur Stanley saw hand hold
ing q handkerchief pushed under
his nose, smelt sickish.sweetish
odor, took q couple of conyulsive
gasps and-knew no more.
When he awoke he was in a
cool white bed in a cool, white
room and the divinity OF a few
minutes-or was it hours!-before
I was bending over him.
Wh-where am II" he QuerieQ
weakly. And how-how did / ger
Ssh.sh. The doctor said you
mustn't talk. II you'll lie still III
tell you how 1t happened"
He was In a mood to lie still, as
.Athe slightest movement racked his
body with strange and unaccus.
Sumed pains. and he listened mo-
had been sitting OH tho piazza
reading when she had heard u lear
Lul crash and saw his body come
hurting through the hedge that
bounded her place from the road /;
how she had been alone at the
time except for an old gardener
4 who pottered around the place;
I how she had sent him ON u run
Tor the doctor while she admins
tered such first aid as she could
and finally how she had him NOV
ed to a room IN the house instead
of TO the hospital when examina
uon had disclosed no necessity for
an operation-merely Il setting oil
some broken bones and complete
= 'tBut-but where am /? And
who are you?" He seemed to be
striving to bring a halting mem
ory within the boundaries OF hlA
control.
She laughed deliciously.
u knew you wouldn't remember
me-" she said. I'VE mot last win
ter ut the Dairymple's ball at the
Ritz-but was only little flap
per then and / was awfully GLAD
70 Sget a chance to dance with yoy
=, on yes, | knew you then-bS
II reputatton-but you didn't know
Don't you remember Con
stance Whitney,"
It came back to him in grea,
lantern Hashes-the glittering ball
the round OF dances with girls he
knew and cared nothing Tor anC
the one dance that stuck In hiE
memory-a waltz with a dreamy
eyed little girl who danced as thu
abe were o spirit Of the music It
aelf-a little girl classed only as {
'gub-deb" but who made more i'm
preston on him than any of the
other girls he had met that night
He remembered how he had in
quired about her, only to find tina
her family. had taken her off Il
- Europe for the season; and Their
6he had slipped his mind until
y What happened to the carr" he
asked.
"I'm afraid there's nothing much
/ left Of it but Junk. You were very
reckless'-- this last with a prettS
afr of proprietorship-"to drive sc
fast. It's all smashed"
2fssT don't care hang II there's
II loth1ng LETT but the tailltght," he
announced vigorously. II was pref,
~ ty lucky" In his eageruess he
tried to SIT up and sank back witt
"a groan. The pretty smiling face
opposite changed in an instant tc
one OF the gravest concern.
You mustn't move at ALL" she
declared. land I've talked heaps
Moo much to you already. I'm goinE
Nh fnaVn Fv0yI pPtU0R will hrf 4