The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-23

tree. The force of the impact had
flung Dolly down and to the side.
Her head had struck the upper edge
of the door or the tree, perhaps.
There was no more than fraction
of an inch Of space between the car
and the tree. Jim saw in flash
of imagination, the car sliding,
crashing into the stonework, Dolly
flung against the tree.
Tommy, he assumed, had escaped
without being hurt. The left side
of the car was on the road. There
were no signs of an injury to the
driver, no bloodstains, no broken
glass. He was probably terrified,
though, Jim thought grimly. Where
was he? Why hadn't he come in
when he thumped at the office door?
Frightened out of his wits. Off to
get a doctor. Perhaps a car had
passed and given him a lift. Why
didn't he come back?
A car approached along the road.
jim, Tuning with helpless inactivi-
ty, waited impatiently for it to
reach the roadster. If this was
Tommy
It was not Tommy. Both the &C.
cupants of the coupe, a boy and a
girl, were strangers to Jim.
"Hello!" The boy called, thrust
ing his head through the opened
window. ''Have you had an acct
dent?" The girl gave a little
scream.
Jim wasted no time on explana-
tons.
"Do you know the riding academy
on the Cherry Hollow road?" he
asked the boy.
"Sure" The boys face under the
visor of a checkered cap was ex-
cited and important.
There's a telephone in the Of
fce," Jim continued. you'll find
it easily. l left the door open and
there's light. Call doctor. The
nearest one. Ask information"
"Okay, buddy" The boy released
the brake with jerk and the girl,
leaning out of the window for an in
terested view of the disaster, fell
back into the seat.
Jim waited for help to come, 60
ing at intervals to look at Dolly,
wiping the blood from the wound
above her temple, speaking to her
gently, watching with pity and a
mounting feeling of alarm her still
face, white under the rouge, bend
ing to hear her faint breathing.
The coupe returned after what
seemed to Jim an eternity of wait
ing. The boy got out; the girl fol-
lowed. Jim was scarcely aware OF
her.
Ibid you get doctor?" he asked
the boy.
'The state troopers are on their
way and an ambulance from the
hospital at Chestertown."
The boy was obviously proud of
his efficiency. The girls eyes were
two round disks in a round white
face. Jim swore grinly under his
breath. He didn't want the police
mixing into this-not, at any rate,
until he had talked to Tommy, until
he had gotten in touch with Mr..
Vaughn.
"Why didn't you call out the ma
rines?" he asked caustically.
The girl giggled in nervous appre-
citation.
"shut up, Gladys" the boy said
irricably. IT ought to have taken
you home. You told me to ask In
formation" he said to Jim. 81 told
her it was a pretty bad accident
and she 'phoned the police"
Cali right. Thanks" Jim said
briefly, and realizing that they in
tended to see the excitement
through. he added. "Have a ciga-
rette."
Another eternity of waiting
passed, an eternity made more dis
NAL than the preceding one by the
boys eager questions about the &C.
cident, the girls Identification Of
Dolly, her awed and nervous COM
ments, Jin's growing anxiety for
Dolly, the fact that Tommy did not
appear. He wished he had gone
for his own car and taken Dolly
to the village. That might have
been dangerous, though. He had no
idea how badly she was hurt. He'd
have to get in touch with Mr..
Vaughn. Where was Tommy?
The police car finally arrived,
conveying the ambulance from the
hospital at Chestertown.
Evening, Sergeant McCready,"
the boy in the checked cap greeted
the trooper with staggering famili-
arity. "You made pretty good
time"
"Good-evening," the tall young
man in the uniform returned,
scarcely glancing at the boy.
''Who's hurt?" he asked address
ing Jim.
"She's in the car" Jim led the
way. Sergeant McCready followed,
accompanied by his companion, a
stocly older man. The ambulance
driver and an inferno came up bear
ing a stretcher. The boy and the
girl with the round white face
e.