The Washington times., 1927-08-19


"a stepped OFF Of the car at the
Terminal. She was Just ahead OF
him and she was walking fast with
her head bent down. She wore
long, yellow slicker that covered
her from her neck to her heels.
Little strands of brown hair crept
out from under her plain little hat
and chung about her forehead. Her
cheeks were naturally rosy and
not rouged.
Ledyard did not think Of all
these things at once. He simply
noticed the girl in the siicker at
first. He had no umbrella and his
attention was entirely engaged
with trying to keep his hat on in
the gusts Of wind and to keep
from wading in any more puddles
than was necessary.
He had left his car in a garage
I 1T the Terminal that morning.
Usually he rode downtown. but a
bit OF glass had raised the mischief
with one of his rear tires. Having
no time to bother with 1t. he had
run the car into the nearest ga.
rage and left 1t. Az he talked with
the garage proprietor, he saw the
girl again,
She had stopped for a moment
under the awning OF the office
window of the garage. The rain
was coming down in torrents.
Even her slicker was scanty pro-
lection in that doWnpour. Led
yard wondered how far she was
going. The proprietor Of the
garage evidently wondered much
the same thing, for Ledyard saw
MIN step outside and speak to her.
He lodged back quickly, his shirt
sleeves already plastered to his
Z arms.
Better give that girl lift,"
he suggested: shes going to
Bethesda. / told her you were
decent"
Ledyard's sense of humor was
stirred. Thank you," he re-
marked.
He had no intention OF acting
ION the garage keepers suggestion.
e8ut as he drove out into the
storm, he saw the girl ahead of
! him again. She was almost run.
ming, the rain driving into her
face. He frowned and then halted
the car.
r7 II am going to Bethesda" he
told her. IF you care to ride
!. with me, can take you there"
Thank you,' said the girl
= SIMPLY. 81 shall be glad to ride.
e There was nothing of the bold
: challenge of the modern flapper
] In her direct gaze As they rode
along, she talked OF q number of
different things and her speech
was like her eyes. frank and
! friendly. John Ledyard was
emazed to realize how much he
enjoyed the girls company. He
had never been much of "lady's
man." Business had absorbed
him. Practically the only femt-
nine influence in his life had been
that Of his sister. And the year
{ before his sister had married and
left him win a cross old house
keeper who bossed him about
: shamefully. Ledyard endured her
only because she was honest and
he dreaded to change lest he fare
worse.
ONE or twice the girl looked
behind her. At a corner where
three roa6s met, she asked him
r. TO let her get out.
''But may not take you homer"
urged Ledyard.
She shook her head. TITS only
q few steps," she told him.
Not until he had started on
again, did 1t occur to him that
he had not even found out Ter
name. 1t did not matter, he told
himself, and then secretly he
knew it did.
'IIer name ought to be Hazel"
he told himself. "It would just
match her eyes and hair
He was still thinking Of the
girl when his housekeeper an
nounced that dinner was on the
table. A copy Of the early edi-
tion of the evening paper lay be.
side his plate. Carelessly, he
picked it up. The next instant
his eyes were caught by far
ing headline.
Girl in Yellow Slicker Escapes
Again. he read. The rest of the
sordid account sickensd him tell
Ing as 1t did. of q girl criminal
who had again and again eluded
the police after some theft. Vain
" Ledyard told himself there
were hundreds of glrl5 IN yellow
slickers. He remembered how
she had looked behind them. as
he drove along. And how she
had refused to allow him to take
her home.
No wonder she had been nerv.
Gus and anxious. Perhaps her
high spirits had been assumed to
cover her ever present dread of
pursuit. And then another thought
struck him. Suppose the police
found out that he had brought the
girl to Bethesda. He could say
that he was ignorant Of her char.
acter, of course, but the annoy.
Ance of being mixed up in such an
affair dismayed him. How his
zAtiends and acquaintances would
laugh at him!
q. u Ledyard did not know what he
ate. His mind was in turmoil.