The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-09-17
CAST OF CHARACTERS

CAST OF CHARACTERS
PATRICIA McGRAW-heroine. =
She faced a choice between the
law and love. :.
LARRY KENT hero. He faced
an even greater decision.
TOM SWEENEY-prosecutor.
He awaited the processes of the
law.
Yesterday: En- route home, Pat
sees Larrys coupe speed past her
bus, dart into traffic. The bus
stops abruptly. A woman has
been killed, child injured by a
hit-run driver.
CHAPTER III
The accident broke down bar
rierS between strangers. PaSSeng-
ers i'm the bus we're all discussing
the tragedy. The woman next to
Pat was volublc.
"Of course | can't be positive,
but | think il was the coupe,
she declared angrily. THE win
dow was miSted, | admit, but |
saw il cut across in front Of the
bus lust as we stopped. Oughtnt
TO be hard to catch the driver.
II was sheer murder, that's what.
| have SiStcr-iu-law who was
hit by a car last year. She was
I'm the hospital for months. and
her leg still bothcrS her. The pO-
lice ought to do something t"
drivers who 20 like mad. It's ter
riblc, awful
The rest Of the ride home was
uncomfortable. The knowledge
that tragedy had come 50 close
made Pat nervous, depressed. Her
imagination could all too clearly
picture the grief in some home
where a family waited unSuSpcct-
ingly for mother and child.
II was relief TO get off at her
stop, TO breathe in the cool. wet
air. 10 be free of the talk, to turn
her thoughts to her own affairs,
TO the date with Larry. Of course
il was fortunate Larry had not
been caught in the traffic mud
die. Had he been there he might
have seen the accident, might
even have been called as a wit
ness. And Larry hated such meSSeS
pain, death. the detail of trying
TO identify anyone. She was glad
he had been ahead of 1t all; not
involved even as much as she had
been for those few tense mo-
mentS.
The bright lights of home vel
coined her through the door, and
the odor of food made her realize
just how hungry she was after
lunChing on nothing but an or
ange. The familiar setting was
dear to her. Though throw rugs
were necessary to cover the worn
places on the living room carpet,
though antimacaSSarS were used
to cover threadbare places on
chairs and soft, there was the
warmth OF home about The
rooms.
Hats tossed hccdIcssly on the
char nearest the door testified 10
the presence Of the boys. The
radio blarcd To a dance band. Bill
sat Sprawlcd in a big chair read
ing the sport pages while Joe
awiStcd the radio dial over to po-
lice calls.
"Hi. handsome" their young
voices, deep bass now. greeted
her. Shed Your coat. sis. we're
ready TO eat"
Her mother came in from the
kitchen. "lcS, they've been ready
for an hour. You'd think they'd
been on IA diet for month to
hear all this talk about hurry up
dinner" She smiled and put her
soft cheek against Pats. Have a
hard day. darling? thought
you'd be home earlier
Tritc, comfortable talk that
pushed the outside world far
away. Pat hung up her wraps,
deposited her bundles in her
room, brushed her rain-damD hair
into waves. Downstairs the police
call broke into a mOnotonous
stream Of announcements.
AlteNLlbU dlI cars, dJtCNlttH dll
cars. BE on the lookout for blue
coupe that struck and seriously
injured woman and child at
5:45 this afternoon. The accident
occurred at Hazclwood and
Fourth. The driver is wanted on
hit-run charge. No other identi-
fication yet. Attention all cars
while we repeat"
Pat stood staring into the mir
ror. seeing her own eyes widen
at the memory of the scene that
flashed before her again. A blue
coupe: thousands of them in the
city, of course. No other identifi-
cation as yet. 4 little stab of fear
thrust at her heart, but she push
ed it away. Thousands of such
cars. Too traffic-conscious. That
was all.
Voices from downstairs broke
the spell. She gave her nose a
final dab of powder and went
down to the security of the fam
lily.
Listen. handsome" Bill inter
rupted his attack OF well-filled
plate TO turn to her. About those