San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-13
CHAPTER Xxx.

Hope sat in the cramped dark space
beside the sleeper, her chin on her
drawn-up knees, her hands claspcd
about them. listening to his slow, regu.
lar breathing.
She drew out the watch and glanced
at its luminous dial. Only ten minutes
after eleven.
She resumed her musings. Just
when she became conscious of the an
proach of motor. she could not tell.
She debated n moment whether to
wake Kelsey, but deciding to make sure
first that an actual danger threat" I'd
them. she softly pushed back the
panel and slipped out into the room
and over to the window.
The car, n speedy roadster contain
ing two men, whirled in at the gate
and up the weed-grown drive. and
stopped with a grinding of the brakes
almost directly beneath her.
Out from the shadow of the porch
came man and walked toward it.
Kelsey's prudence in not leaving their
retreat too soon was justified. The
searchers had left some one on guard.
The driver of the car jumped out to
meet him; and as they moved forward
into the glare of the headlamps. Hone
shrank back trembling. The figure in
the long. light motorcoat was 'Bristow
Never taking her eyes off them. and
with infinite pains, Hope unattached
the window and raised the lower sash
n fraction. BY miracle it lifted cas-
lily, and without squeak. Kneeling
on the floor. she laid her ear close
to the sill. The voices floatcd up to
her distinctly.
"No doubt about their having given
you boneheads the slip" Bristow was
saying. He did not raise his voice nor
storm, but the man cringed at his
tone. you're sure, they didn't get
into the house,"
81 don't see how they could have
We went over it with a fine-tooth
comb"
Then it's no use spending further
time here. You say the others have
been down in the woods for an hour?
That oughtsto be long enough to look
under every bush and behind every
stump. Call them in"
The man drew a whistle from his
.IOf'hfI anu UNIV ItNlNihSis WI IL
Bristow vas tramping up and down
the drive below. She saw him stop
short and turn his head toward the
road in the direction opposite to that
which he himself had come. She caught
at the same time the drumming OF
anotheY motor.
who's that% Bristow exclaimed.
He had not long to wait for his
IL Nt,x.l, .ip
about. turned in at the gate and drove
up. A thin. elderly man got out ami
stepped toward Bristow.
"Ah. DIR. Dreamer; you" Bristow
reverted to his more suave and cour-
teous manner. although there was ILL.,
terrogation in his tone. /
II see you got ahead of me- said
the other. WAS it a serious injury.
Injury Bristow stared at him.
'I don't know what you're talking
about. I'm out after two runaway
patients"
"So?" Creamer clicked his tongue
commiseratingly. But / got call
to come out here to an automobile
accident. l was away from my office
Mt the time" His voice like himself |
was rather mild and vague. Il
'On, l. see. DrlSlOW HOouueu' |
"That must have been my two pa
tients. They took my car and made
wood of it just the other sid
of the hedge there. But. abruptly.
who gave you word of this accident,
doctor?"
well. that was the funny part OF
IT," Dreamer began in his slow way.
II was out on Il call, and when ]
got back my wife told me that Tom
the garage man. had been
trying to get me. l called Tom up.
and he said that about 10 o'clock
some fellow on motorcycle had como
flashing up to his place and wanted
to know how to get to the nearest
doctor. saying there had been ter
riblc accident out this way-car over
turned with a man and a woman in |