The Holly chieftain., 1924-06-12
CHAPTER |
On a Dark Road

SSAA "a So A-A - ANSE-La
The trolley station at Curwen Is
small, consisting only Of closed-in
shed with single bench against its
rear wall and line Of glmcrack, ilg.
saw scroll caves ovcrfanging its open
front. On Il dark night it is almost
invisible and is practically nonexlstent
1t was well after ten on an evening
in late october when buggy, drawn
by hHrd-drlven horse and containing
single occupant, approached the sta
ton The man who was driving con
tinually peered ahead, in the manner
of one trying to recognize some land
mark that may tell him where he is
When ne saw the rectangular bulk of
Curwen station against the sky line
he leaned out, endeavorlng to distln-
guish the white letters that spelled the
name. Failing to do this, he threw
back the lap robe and prepared to get
out and Inspect them more closely.
Midway In the move, however, he
was stopped by the sudden siren shrek
of an automobile that was coming up
behind He turned and looked through
the glass-paned peephole In the back
OF the buggy and saw two great acety-
lene lamps splitting space with terri
Tying speed. Instantly he shook his
reins and tried to draw out to the
side Of the road. He did not really
doubt that the Fastening chauffeur be-
hind would slow down in time to pre-
vent a crash. And yet that raucous
shrek had sounded very imperative
Again he urged his tired horse.
The car did not halt, nor even
slacken speed Too late he realized
that 1t would not or could not slacken.
But his nerve was good not till the
very last possible second did he aban-
don his seat and leap for safety As
he did so, cry rang out the auto
veered and plunged outward, away
from him. Its rear wheels, skiddlng,
struck his buggy and hurled 1t forward
against the horse. Its front wheels
climbed the ridge that bordered the
roHd and the whole great machine
dlyed downward toward the river. with
roar of throbbing engines, flying
pebbles and whirring wheels. Stagger-
ing from his leap, he caught a glimpse
of dark form hurtling through the
moonshine to the earth, and of the
great automobile plungins into the
water.
As he stared, shaken by the sudden
ness of 1t all, beam of light switched
past him and he realized that the door
OF house, till then unseen, had been
thrown open, letting out white glare.
and that woman was calling to know
whether anyone was hurt
lie laughed shortly, "Anyhody
hurtf' he echoed, "le ought to be, If
he isn't He ought to be dead. Bring
a light, will you?' He plunged down
the bank toward the spot where he
had seen the dark form hurled from
the automobile, As he went, his eyes
roved over the river, seeking the au-
tomoblle, but the placid surface of the
stream was unbroken, as If the ma
chine had never plunged into It,
A moment later he reached the bot.
tom Of the slope and bent over the
body of man, whose huddled and
bent form bespoke serious injury If
not death. AS he stopped, however.
sroan told him that life was at least
not extinct. The next moment the
glimmer of yellow light that had been
Increasing behind him became stronger,
as IL the bearer had removed shell
terins hand from before It. Its beams
fell upon the wounded man, disclosing
CHASTITY wound across the brow.
He looked up. The light came from
a lamp carried by girl whose face
showed dlmly in the gloom. The lamp
slightly, perhaps from the haste with
which the girl had brought 1t and per-
hups from the shock of the occurrence,
nDl Poor fellow ~ yhe hraathpd