Evening star., 1938-02-19

asked He was seated in a kitchen
chair, watching her activities about
the stove with hungry eyes.
''Mrs. Hepp seemed satisfied" he
told her, smiling.
Joyce sighed. TITS unbelievable, "
she declared. "They didn't have
enough to eat before. Now what will
they do?"
They do have mighty little" Bill
agreed, but they get a lot of fun
out OF that little. Some people are
like that"
Joyce was only half listening All
during the morning her thoughts had
cut back involuntarily to the night
before. 1t had been an exciting eve
ming, the first of many such, she knew,
II she so desired She recalled with
a thrill Craig's words. Il want you,
Joyce. and I usually get what I
want"
She had discovered that it was
pleasant to be wanted by young man
who was rich. darkly good-looking.
sophisticated. But it didn't seem real,
somehow. DR.. Bill, now-sitting there
in kitchen chair, looking tired and
worried and hungry-was real.
Did you have a good time last
night, Joyce?" Bill asked
Joyce nodded. smiling family. Girls
will persist in enjoying such things
music, dancing, gayety."
"And handsome young men with
lots OF money" Bill suggested.
Joyce saw no need to deny it.
It happened while they were at din
ner.
The meal Rad been a silent one.
Even young Joe, usually very talka-
tive, had been quiet. But this was be-
cause of the huge platter of Maryland
fried chicken which graced the table.
The weather may have affected the
rest of them. The wind was increas-
ing in violence, the rain was steady
roar against the house.
DR.. Bill sighed with satisfaction
presently. "A perfect day for the
business Of eating fried chicken" He
smiled at Joyce.
Her head raised suddenly and she
saw that the others had heard that
sound. They were accustomed to the
sound of motors, automobiles and
husses speeding over the Baltimore
pike, airliners and private planes
Washington bound from New York
or Baltimore.
Joyce frowned as she heard the
same sound again-the sound of an
airplane motor, droning smoothly,
sputtering, then droning evenly again.
DR.. Bill was looking toward the CELL
ing
bad day to run out of gas up
there" he said quietly.
Listening intently, they all heard
the motor sputter again. The sound
was followed by an awesome, fright
ening silence. They left their chairs
in unison and moved to the front
Of the house, through the living room
and out onto the front porch.
They heard the whoosh of big wings
through the air, the whine of wires
Then they saw the plane through the
rain, heading downward for a landing
IN the field across the pike.
"Darnw DR.. Bill whispered, then
they were running through the rain.
with a dreadful vision of what they
had just seen before their eyes. The
pilot had misjudged the distance, an
excusable mistake because of the rain,
The plane had landed with a crash,
they had seen the tail of the plane
upend-f1op over!
DR.. Bill reached the plane almost
before 1t quit skidding and the others
were close behind. Joyce watched
dazedly as one Of the passengers
crawled through the cabin door. He
was q big man In every way, well over
8 feet in height, wide-shouldered
with big head crowned with lots of
oily hair. He stood at one side, sway
ing. while DR.. Bill and Dr.. Adair lifted
out the pilot. Next came a man of
about so, brown hair and beard sprin-
kled with gray. He was Imply un-
conscious as the pilot had been.
Joyce heard Bill muttering wor-
riedly as he brought the third and
last passenger through the cabin
door. The man was small, thin and
short, perhaps so years old, Joyce
thought. His hair was thin and gray,
his face, now, a dead white. She
realized instantly that he was very
badly hurt.
When the injured had been carried
into the house DR.. Bill turned to
Joyce. phone Washington for am
bulances," he snapped, and she was
On the phone almost instantly.
DR.. Bill was making q hurried ex-
animation of the pilot, aided by DR..
Adair. The mans injuries seemed
confined to a broken arm and num-
Der Of missing teeth. The big man,
who had not been hurt, sat in a
rocker. staring at the floor.
Dr.. Bill looked worried again as he
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