Evening star., 1940-12-07

been a bump in the street, since she
could see nothing.
She stopped once at the curb by
corner to peer at sign and found
that she was on Maple street. She
drove on, forgetting that the street
ended at Stephens house until she
was there. 1t was while she was
trying to turn the car around that
she noticed that there was a light
in the white house.
Stephen Embarrassed.
1t took long time TO make any
one hear because of the noise of
the storm, but at last Stephen
opened the door.
Stephen" she cried, Il was so
glad to see your light"
Janet Come ini" Stephen an
swered She stepped into the cheer
full warmth of the hallway and ex-
planned to him about Larry.
He carried Larry upstairs and
told a disapproving Eliza to put
him to bed, explaining that he was
going to take Janet home.
He drove LarryS car.
I'm so sorry to have put you to
all this trouble" she apologized,
breaking the long silence of the ride
as he helped her out of the car.
I'm glad you thought of me-"
was his reply. You must have had
quite a time on your party
We've did" she said as they
went up the steps.
We'll. good night"
Good night, Stephen" she whis-
pered.
He fumbled rather ineptly at the
starting mechanism of Larrys car
before he was able to start it again.
Perhaps ne ought to let the Car
vels know about Larry? But they
wouldn't be up, anyway. Likely
didn't know or care where Larry
was. He'd phone them from home.
He was just turning into Maple
street when car parked at the
curb swerved out, siren screaming.
He stopped and two men got out.
They had jerked the car door open
before he saw with surprise that
they were State police.
Get out of there and in a hur-
ry!' one OF them snapped.
Stephen climbed out. What's
up?" he asked.
Stephen in Predicament.
Why, it's Steve Malone" the
other one said
How come you're driving Larry
Carvel's car? Did you know it was
involved in hit-and-run accident
down at the lower end of Maple
street about half an hour ago?"
"Hit-and-run accident?" Stephen
said hoarsely.
Yeah. Hlt-and-run! The guys
in the hospital. A witness said it
was this car, and he couldn't be
wrong, even in this storm, for
there's no other like it in five
counties"
Stephen, staring mutely at the
long, sleek lines of Larry's expen-
sive car, dark blur in the curtain
OF falling snow, knew that it was
true. Any one would be sure. 1t
was different from any car he'd
ever seen.
He was trying to think. but his
head reeled. He had a queer feel
ing that the scene wasn't real, that
he was dreaming. Janet had been
driving. Unless she'd lied to him
to protect Larry.
Prt chn no7I1l of ~
ed him. She could have said: Ste
phen, Larry just hit man, and he
was frightened and drove away and
then collapsed, ana I've come here
to get your help. Won't you help
us?' Then he wouldn't have felt
this agony. He didn't deserve to be
tricked when ne loved her so. He
would have done anything for her.
Anything. But, of course, she
didn't know tnat he loved her. His
thoughts ran in maddening circles.
But morning brought another
shock to his tired brain, and a
much more terrible one. He learned
the identity of the victim of the
accident. He overturned the cup
of coffee on the breakfast tray
they'd brought him as he sat Sleep
lessly in the police station. But
you-you can't mean that it was
Mr.. Coburn!"
The sheriff wet his lips and looked
away from Stephens pale, tortured
face. He'd known Stephen all his
life. His kids had gone to school
with Stephen.
That's right" he said He amt
expected to last the day out"
The sheriff mopped his forehead
with a handkerchief. You want
me to call a lawyer?" he asked
gravely.
Copyright, 1910, Chicago Daily News, Inc. }
Tomorrow-Laura Mills sees a So