The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-01-08
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5 THE DOCTORS CAR !
BY FRANCES GOODRICH.
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Through the stiffness of the night
came deep mellow roar, and many
of the occupants of the little fishing
shacks turned une6sily on their beds
and mnttered: There goes the doctor
In his devil wagon" They had never
In their lives seen anything like the
mysterious vehicle In which the doc
! tor rode, vehicle that had no visible
means Of locomotion. yet roared down
their narrow, crooked streets like the
wind when the doctor was answer
| ing a sick call.
The people loved the doctor. but
hated his car with all the hatred ana
| Ignorance of superstitious minds, and,
as Tim Barden expressed 1t, IF only
the doctor didn't have that thing he
would be all right. and the same IS
u.s."
That remark fell on fertile ground
when Jim Carter heard It. Jim was
great, uncouth fellow-a giant In physi'
cal strength, but pigmy In mental
growth. He was subject TO terrible
| fits of rage, but as during these he
harmed but himself, he was allowed
to wander at his own sweet Will. tie
worshiped the doctor, but hated his
car with equal fervor. and at the first
sound of Its horn he would hide until
It passed.
Now Tim Barden's words suggested
something to him. and the thought be-
gan to work In his darkened mind.
How wonderful 1t would be TO have
the doctor without his car. For sew
! eral days he pondered this over, then
one dark night Tim crept up to the
door and listened. In his hand he
carried a great sledge hammer.
Not 4 sound came from the shed;
perhaps the monster was sleeping. As
| quietly as possible he swung the door
( open and peered in. A sickening feel
/ ing of terror swept over him, and an
almost uncomfortable impulse to shut
the door and dash for safety, but he
/ must rid them Of this thing, no mat
| ter II the doctor did like lt-some
day II would harm the doctor, too.
The big eyes that frightened him
were closed now, and only q faint
light showed the outlines Of the big
! roadster. He knew that back of those
eyes was the thing that lived, and
with the rush of rage that suddenly
swept over him, he brought the great
| hammer down with all his strength.
There was sound OF crushing metal,
and splintering glass, and Jim felt
that his work was good. As he stood
there with the hammer poised for an
other downward swing, he might have
been a modern st. George fighting the
dragon. Another blow and he dropped
| the hammer and fled.
In the early morning Doctor Gran.
don was awakened by someone pound.
Ing at the door. II was Tim Barden
| His little daughter, the dearest thing
| In Tins heart was desperately sick
Hastily the doctor threw on his
| clothes and rushed to the shed for the
! car. The moon had risen, and as he
threw open the door a strange sight
met his eyes. The roadster looked es
though 1t had been In a head-on col
| lision. II took but a few minutes for
| the doctor to ascertain that the car
was beyond use then so he thought
OF the best way to get TO Tins. Tim
! had already started back on foot, but
the doctor, who knew the child's dan
ger dreaded to think Of the precious
time that would be wasted If he must
make 1t thrt way.
However, there was no other way
out of IL. but he thought Of short
cut over the rocks. Perhaps, with the
| bright moonlight he could make II safe
ly. He knew that there were many
! danger spots to those unused to the
path, but he got his bag and started.
At the first bad place he stood for
a minute undecided how best to make
1t, then he heard football behind him
and looking back saw Jim Carter max.
| Ing his way sure footed over the rocks
toward him. Then Jim caught up with
him and without word of explanation
except 10 say: ~ know this way bet.
ter than you do, DOCTOR" he picked the
doctor up as though he had been a
child and carried him easily over the
treacherous places. They made the
trip in record time In that manner
jim carrying the doctor over the dan
! gerous places.
At last Tins old tumbledown shack
was reached, but the doctor saw al
a glance that he was too late. IL he
could have reached her sooner there
was no doubt that the child could have
been saved.
As gently as possible he told then
the truth, and bitter was the waIlinl
when Tim and his wife understood that
their only child could not live. But
more bitter than all was the terrible
| cry that Jim gave as he threw himself
| on tho Hoor tho Iootorf, foot D..