The Washington times., 1938-12-22
LIFE SENTENCE

- usual lIlIS IOl III
l. man whose car hits a pedes
trian to be little on the drink
ing side, or maybe tired out by
long drive, or confused by tn,
glare of approaching head
lights through rainy blackncss
But that wasn't the case will
Virgil Thorne.
1t was broad daylight, he'd just
completed a good nights rest
and was proceeding in law-abidine
fashion, well under 80 miles an
hour, when the girl seemed liter
ally to leap underneath the wheels
Of his car.
Virgil was an extremely conServ.
ative young man, and accompany
ing his natural, humane concern
for the victim, was a horror of
the notoriety he knew would
ensue.
UNDER THE WHEELS
He rushed to the front wheels,
and his first fearful glance was
rewarded by glimpse Of pair of
furiously threshing albeit shapely
legs, silk clad to a point, and end
ing in eXquisitely shod feet.
"Are-are you hurt?" Virgil
gasped. Already a crowd was be-
ginning to gather, and he could
hear an ominous muttering.
This penetrating remark was
followed by murmur of approba-
ton from the gathering which
pressed closer. Then with a lurch,
the girl gained her feet, arranged
her dress and regarded Virgil
Thorne with blazing blue eyes.
Her dark red hair hung loosely
on the shoulders of her tweed coat,
all spotted with grease and dirt
from the street.
It may have been that first
glimpse that made up his mind
of course she's hurt" he
shouted, and before any one could
interfere, he seized her roughly,
but effectively, and bundled her
into the back seat of his sedan.
I'll take her right to the hos
pital," he added as he got into the
car again.
The crowd made way for him
in the manner of crowds when a
man carries the ring of authority
in his voice. He stepped on the
accelerator, and they sped away.
DO you-do you know where a
hospital is?" Virgil asked.
There was a slightly malevolent
CLINT in the blue eyes.
Suppose you try to find one
me, I'm too dazed to think" Then
the girl pulled a very realistic
faint. and from under half closed
lids observed its effect on Virgil.
TO THE HOSPITAL
The blue eyes smiled lazily as if
enjoying a secret joke. Knock her
down, would he, and on top Of that
throw her into his car like sack
Of potatoes. He was asking for a
lesson, and a lesson he'd get. AL
the same-Virgil had nice brown
eyes, and his arms were strong.
The Thorne lawyers were sure
that no Thorne had ever been
mixed up in such case. Ebeneze1
Cadwallader, head of the eminent
firm known throughout the nation
as Cadwallader. Cadwallader, Cad
wallader, O'Reilly and GuinSbourg
snorted when a message came
through from a local police pre-
cinct that the scion of the house
Of Thorne was being held for ma
liciouS assault, drunken driving,
and leaving the scene Of an accl-
dent, charges preferred by coun-
sci for a young woman victim, TO
wit, one Peggy Stevens.
"PrepoSterous," snorted Ebene-
zer Cadwallader, then as an after
thought, he shouted, Have the
case postponed, and send some one
to the hospital Immediately. I've
no doubt it is barefaced case OF
blackmail. Pay thiS-er, person
any reasonable sum to drop the
case"
Peggy Stevens of the blue eyes
and the dark red hair was a trial
to the medical staff at St.
Joseph's, the hospital finally To-
Gated by Virgil, and to her own
counsel, a harried-looking man
named Wardman Groag, whose
arrangements with a certain at
tendant were such that he was
called Immediately upon the ar
rival of a case into the emergency
ward.
In this maatter, Counselor
Groag had informed her, II shall
be glad to act in your behalf. No
no it won't cost a cent" he pro
tested, his hand upraised in hor-
ror as Peggy pointed out the fact
that she had no money to pay a
lawyer.
Isn't young Mr.. Thorne, the
Mr.. Thorne?" he asked, with as
close an approach to a smile as he
could manage. We'll then" Mr.
Groag accompanied his words
with a dry rubbing together o.