South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-19


living a lifetime In a minute. but
never want 20 come nearer the eX-
perience than the emotions which
swept me when saw the car which
7 had eluded swing across the cross
road and block my path.
II Z kept on IN the road. would
hit the other machine squsreiy. with
almost certain death as the result
Yet 10 was unthinkable TO stop,
especially as the men In the other
car. who with the perttnacity OF in
toNication still held their anger
against me because or my refusal 10
st0p when they had s.gnaled me,
Jumped from the car as IL stopped
and spread themselves out along
the road. whooping and yelling in ir-
responsible drunken glee at the coup
they had accomplished
II only the fences had been down,
as they otter are III the country! 1
would have had a chance then TO
swing out 10 one side or the other
and bump over the ruts or the Po-
tato fields But stout wire fences
guards ed both roads on both sidcs.
end 20 make matters worse. both
roads were unusually narrow.
When I had first caught sight OF
the car az Il stopped. IL seemed 10
MI the road from one side to the
other. But as I neared II / saw
Mat the drunken men had misc2l-
Yulated, and that on one side be-
tween the car and the fence there
might be room for a car TO pass.
IL was a feat at which an experS
driver might have baked. so un-
even 'as the ground, 90 close the
margin OF width between the fence
ana ~ other car. But 1 could not
be off than / was, and with a
desr It's little prayer I swerved my
ca 10, reached the other ma
chine, went crashing and
Fwayirg a:,c humping down a space
through wLich my soberer Judgment
would have said "a much smaller car
than Dicky's could never pass.
4 Miraculous Escape.
One running board scraped the
wire OF the fence. the other caught
a front fender OF the big car and
tore 70 loose.
Taken by surprise. the men who
had spread out 20 intercept me tried
10 get out OF the way. but 1 felt the
car jolt twice against something
which / knew was not earth or
wood. and a chorus OF screams and
oaths following my progress told
me that I had inflicted more punish
ment than I had received.
And then was clear. miraculouslyI
unhurt. and with the car still run
ming.
was conscious Of several strange
noises connected with the mechan-
ism. and I guessed that the local
garage would have a job the next
day. sBut at every turn OF the
wheels il was carrying me farther
and farther from the sinister menace
= ehind me. And with a queer little
- Of affection such as one might
feel for a faithful horse, / patted
the steering wheel absurdly, muir
muring foolishly. Good old fellow
Did You Get It?"
The question Of the gas troubled (
me but I resolved to put the great /
est space possible between myself
and the drunken men before stop |
ping. was sure that one at least
OF their number had been struck, |
and guessed that they would be de-
Iayed in starting again. And per
haps fate would intervene and per-
init me TO get home on the reserve
gas.
IL was with a feeling OF worship
fuI gratitude that I finally drove
the car into our own yard. and ran
into the house with the precious
drug from the hosp tai clutched in
my hand.
The scene downstairs was un-
changed. save for the presence of
Or. Petit. who evidently had been
hearing an account OF the affair from
Lillian. Smith. still bound. lay in
the corner OF the room, only his
malevolent eyes showing that he
was anything but an inert bundle OF
clothing.
DR.. Pettits face held more than
his usual professional gravity as he |
advanced toward me. and I knew /
that Tom Chester was In grave /
danger from the tense eagerness
with which he asked:
Did you get TT"
= For answer I laid the package IN
Bhls hands. He seized II eagerly, |
tore the wrappings of while Lillian !
gave me a low-toned explanation OF !
the reason for his gravity.
II couldn't remember the spelling, /
and he couldn't make anything OF
Smiths suriy words.
DR.. Petit looked UP blankly as he
finally got the package open.
II don't know what this IS" he
said honestly.
In any emergency calling for his
professional skill all OF DR.. Pettit's
unpleasant mannerisms and his shy /
stiffness seems 20 slip from his |
shoulders as a cloak might do leav- |
ing resoluteness. a sureness OF his |
own powers. coupled with an ade- |
quate authority which spells as
surance and safety 20 sis patients /
and their friends. There is no man !
b think. whose personal mannerisms !
] dislike so much, yet there IS none J
to whose skill 3 would more readily |
trust my loved ones.
Ills quick. low-toued direction 20 /
Lillian 20 have the man smith /
brought upstairs was followed by an |
equally quick. but almost curt COM 1
maud 90 me:
Please show me the room where
Young Chester is"
7. was not until IN HIS wake II
reached the foot OF the stairs that I
my confused brain realized the alb /
sur.dy OK his question. lie must /
have visited youns Chester before \
his colloquy with Smith, and have /
knnm-., nNa.rIr runar. Liz rnnr- rHa. |