The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-17
CHAPTER XXI

Before noon he called Dorothy,
awkWardly apologize, expecting q
cold, perhaps indignant, reception.
But ne was charmingly understand
ing. and all the phrases he had
tried Il invent did not require say
ing. It had occurred to him, an
ticipating the talk, to ask her for
a date and to arrange some extra
i:.ary entertainment, to make
amends for what he had done
cc'ncnow he received, as If the tele-
phone were a sympathetic, UNDER
r riding instrument, the vague idea
that his apology was, for the time,
~ that should be offered. 1t was
mystifying, but he had the convic-
tio4 that he could only let matters
rest Women, after all, we're funny!
When Marcia awakened later she
was In another room, in white
bed, and woman in white and a
man In white were looking at her.
Nov she's going to be all
right" said q voice.
Marcia tried to speak, but for a
while words would not come
When she succeeded In speaking
she asked, who was hurt"
"All Of you were hurt" said the
man; "but not so much. Your
only real trouble, I think, is a
badly broken arm. You were
knocked unconscious, but not for
long"
father" said Marcia.
We has q total of three broken
ribd. It's miracle, but the two
seats must have kept you penned
in 90 you weren't bounced around.
The chauffeur held on to the
wheel, apparently, and kept his
neck from being broken. He has
sorae fractures, but he'll get over
them. The policeman can't COM
plain Of anything but bruises and
SprairlS But don't bother about
it. Everything's fine. Get some
Sleep"
On the second day she was we'll
enough to receive callers, so that
she heard from many sources and
with variations that the bandits
had escaped only their aban-
doned car being found-and also
the story Of how Bruce McDougall
and the Osborns had brought her
to the hospital,
From McDougall himself came a
very simple box OF flowers, with
a polite card expressing a hope
for her quick recovery, but he did
not appear among her visitors,
either on that day or on the days
following. Marcia did not know
that he telephoned the hospital
frequently and anonymously for
news OF her, nor that, alone In his
rooms, he dwelt grimly on mag
mary scenes OF flying visit to
her bedside by her reputed fiance.
Marcia would have liked to
thank McDougall for hts help
and she would have liked, she adj
mitted to herself as she passed
long hours alone, just to see him.
It piqued her bit to think that,
having performed signal serv-
ice. he could dismiss the incident
with a perfunctory note and a
bunch Of flowers. OF course, If he
cared no more than that!
On her third night In the hospital,
after visiting hours, Marcia'S nurse,
one Peggy Holmes, was preparing
her for sleep. The doctor had just
departed, with a promise that she
could go home "prety soon now"
She had seen her father, walking
stiffly and complaining bitterly that
he was tapped too tight to breathe
She had had favorable news of the
chauffeur's condition.
Miss Holmes, discharging her
tasks with a mechanical precision
which left her mind free for the
more entertaining hospital routine
OF conversation, gave Marcia the
latest gossip and chatted Of the
evenings visitors.
Hasn't tina: man been here to
see you yet?" she demanded.