The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-09-02
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER VI

NOW co ON WITH The STORY
CHAPTER VI
Screaming, Judith watched the
heavy car pillow into the curb,
shearing off the fire plug as
though it had been lead. For what
seemed minutes she stood rooted
to the spot, terrified with the
realization that she had caused
the aecident-that the driver had
swerved to avoid running her
down.
She ran toward the car, one
hand clutching at her fear
frightened throat. Even as she ran,
the severed pipe of the decapi-
tated hydrant shot a stream of
water high into the air. 1t cas-
caded down over the damaged car,
drenching everything near. Heed
less of the geyser, Judith fought
her way to the car and looked
inside. A man was slumped over
the wheel, his hands hanging
limp
Earatic in her excitement, she
tugged at his shoulders, trying to
pull him from the drivers seat
and out of the pelting downpour
from the broken hydrant. She
hardly realized it when someone
crowded in beside her and began
to help her bring the man out of
the car. Within the space of three
minutes a score of onlookers had
arrived. Some of them showed
Judith aside, carried the injured
man into a little fruit store near
the corner.
81 saw him hit the fire plug"
she heard someone say, so the
first thing / did was call the city
hospital" 1t was the man who
had tried to help her, the man
who owned the little fruit store.
A moment later an officer ar
rived. "She was with him." the
fruit man said, pointing at Judith.
The officer came toward her.
"You hurt any,"
"No II wasn't with hm.i
stepped down from the curb
without looking and he - he hit
the hydrant to keep from hitting
me-" She looked at the officer,
her face pale and drawn. as he
hurt badly"
Cant tell" the officer said,
scribbling in his little black note
book. There's an ambulance on
the way" ,
al want to go to the hospital
with him." Judith said quickly.
q"
There was the heart-Stopping
whine of the ambulance siren, and
her words were lost in the buzzing
of the crowd. With the help of
the officer, Judith fought her way
to the big white vehicle.
Better sit up front" the officer
advised.
Wordless, Judith climbed to the
high cushioned seat; and as she
looked down at the milling, Curl
Gus crowd she saw Steve Fowler
elbowing his way through. With
relief she noticed that his atten-
ton was on the man they were
CARRYING out of the little fruit
store. And the next thing she
knew the driver had showed the
car into gear and was hurting 1t
across town with the speed Of a
projectile.
1t seemed to her a wild, reck-
less ride, and the high steady
whine of the siren did nothing to
soothe her already overweight
nerves. Until she reached the
hospital she did not realize that
her clothing was soaked through
from the broken hydrant. There
a night nurse peeled off her drip
ping coat, and insisted she wrap
herself in a blanket. Assuming
her to be a friend or relative Of
the injured man, the nurse made
Judith comfortable in a side room
and promised she would give her
an early report.
How long Judith sat there, hug
ging the radiator and wrapped in
the hospital blanket, she didn't
know. But at length she turned,
trembling and miserable, to find
a tall young man standing behind
her.
"Good Lordp' he exclaimed al
sight of her face, you're chilled
through. I'd better see you havz
a change of clothing before you
leave here"
"Are-are you the doctor?"
He nodded. eyes. l.
GLOW is he?"
Getting along fine. Just q
bump. Not serious at all-but he
DR., BERTHA w. BRANSTETTER