The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-04

Below them, to one Sl0e, there was a little stream; Q narrow strip of meadow land between.
 At a curve, the car drove straight ahead. It lurched down the meadow at diminishing speed; 1t bounded and slid and toppled over Q steep bank, stayed fniraculously right side up. It plunged through alders till the front wheels stopped hub-deep in the border of the stream. Water rose splashing lazily around them, fell and was still. The alders closed behind them.
 Kay shivered. Bob looked around and grinned. His head nodded.
 And so to bed" he muttered drowsily; and almost instantly he was asleep.
 Kay curled shivering beside him, too tired to move.
 Kay wore a thin evening gown, and she had no wrap: but the night had been warm enough. Now, how ever, there was a damp dawn chill in the air, and Q small wind to blow. She huddled down in the car to be better shielded from this wind, and tried to think what she should do: and presently she slept. By and by the sun rose, somewhere behind them. They were under the brow of a steep bank beside the stream, and 50 in shadow; but the direct sunlight descended the oppo- side slope till 1t reached the further bank, where two COWS came down to drink, and saw the car and stared in 6 long attention till they decided at last to be alarmed. They turned then at Q lurching run and stumbled away up the slope.
 The front wheels of the car were in water, which flowed smooth and black. The stream just there may have been ten or fifteen yards wide, fringed with alders on this side and on the other save at that one spot directly opposite where the cows had come to drink. Kay reused at last, cramped and wretched, and she sat up straight and looked around, appraising her surround ings with weary eyes. There was not much to see; no more than the quiet stream, and the alders, and behind the car the bank which hid them from view of anyone passing on the road. Straight ahead across the stream there was the rising slope of Q pasture with clurnps of juniper here and there, and the hills beyond. By and by a ribbon of blue smoke rose against the sky, above the brow of the slope wonder. Some farmers wife preparing breakfast.
 Bob still slept heavily beside her. He had slid down in the seat, al- most under the wheel; his left shoulder was propped against the door; his head hung forward on his chest. He was bareheaded, and his shirt front was rurnpled, and smutted by dust from the wheel. His right hand lay on the seat be- side him, tho palm up, the fingers curled in Q fashion curiously Sug- gestive of the hand of sleeping child. Kay, carefully not to touch him, watched him for c long time. The sunlight crept toward them till 1t touched the water; 1t began to approach, across the surface of the stream.
 Kay got out of the car. She moved very carefully, looSening the door latch without Q sound, slipping out among the alders. On second thought she took of her shoes and her stockings, standing on one foot after the other, precariously bal- anced. She laid shoes and stockings on the running board of the car, and thus barefoot made her gin- gerly way through the alders fot Q few yards. Then she tucked up her skirts and secured them with a twist and Q knot about her thighs and waded into the stream Its bed was rocky, were slippery but she was able by leaning down very carefully to wash her hands and her face without wetting her skirts. The cold water was grateful on her brow. It seemed clean and clear, 90 she drank little of it. Then her feet began to ache with cold, and she came ashore again and rubbed her face and arms dry with her hands, chafing them hard till she was warm.
 When she returned to the car, Bob had not moved. Holding to Q fender for balance, she dipped one foot in the stream and washed t and put on her stocking and slip- per: did likewise with the other, But she did not get back into the car. Instead, she made her way up the bank to where . tall elm stood above the stream, and sat down there with her back against the | bole of tho tree. She could look down on the car and see Dobs bowed head. She herself was hidden by the tree trunk and by inter- venlng undeFhrush from cars pass Ing along the road.
 But thero were not many pass ing, 1t waB still So carly in the morning. The Htia he'd not vel