The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-27
AFTER THE ACCIDENT
CHAPTER XIX

strange man, with frightened eyes like burned-out holes in his face
 Are you all right now?" h, asked huskily.
 I'm - fine -" Memory came flooding over her. People, magi cally appearing from nowhere were milling around her. They must have stopped their cars or the highway, she thought vaguely When the crash came .
 She became aware, then, that there was stinging on her cheek One arm was numb. She lifted her head, and the man bent quick 1y and slid his arm under he shoulder. Her head was spinning But she could sit up. She said "I'm all right. Nothing broken
 The man looked down at hel leg. Her stockings were torn, anc there was blood. But Martha touched the spot and told him "A scratch. See?" She moved hel legs, and then she was clinging to him to stand. The faces oi people, the moving lights from electric torches, the beams from parked cars. all made a reeling pinwheel before her eyes.
 Paul? Is he all right?"
 Wordlessly. the man turned his head. Martha saw then the little group around something on the ground. Horror welled up inside her. She tried to go toward them
 Don't" the man said. Wait
 But she couldn't wait. She walked shakily, scarcely knowing she walk ed to where they were bending over Paul. "Is he dead?' she asked fear fully. "Is he dead?"
 A state trooper strengthened. ''No, he's not dead. He's had a nasty knock on the head, though"
 A woman told her, gently There's an ambulance coming" " She tried to lead the girl away ''You can't do anything. Don't look"
 The shrill whine of a siren filled the air. Always, afterwards, the sound of a siren was to bring back to Martha Marshall that hour of horror; the white stretcher onto which they lifted Paul's prostrate body: the brave face of the am- bulanee surgeon; the voices of men and the sharp commands of the trooper.
 She was to recall the crumpled ruin of what had been Paul's new car; the shattered headlights the bashed-in- radiator of that other car. She was to remember how glass filtered the road, and crunched under her feet; how her cheek stung and blood came away on the handkerchief someone gave her.
 She wanted to ride to the hos pital fin the ambulance with Paul They wouldn't let her. The man who had first bent over her helped her into a black sedan. "1l take you. Your bruises and scratches better be looked over. too"
 But in the hospital, after a scant going over. they paid little atten- ton to her. It was Paul, swiftly taken into the emergency room, over whom they worked.
 She wanted to get to a phone too She had to call Eugene, she had to tell him what had hap pened. The man who took her to the hospital was kind. Suppose we sit here and wait until we find out about him. Then you can tele- phone and I'll take you home. He was a middle-aged person, and his concern for her touched Mar tha.
 Don't bother about me, please T want to. A man I never saw before went to lot of trouble for me, in an accident once, and I'm only paying it back" It was then that she saw the scar which reached from his car along his throat and down into his collar She touched her stinging cheek and sickening fear washed over her. T - might have been dis figured" she thought swiftly "Oh, how lucky I was! How 1uckyl"
 But Paul? Had he been lucky? There was tight band over her chest, constructing her lungs SC that she couldn't breathe. Tighter and tighter as the minutes Jagged and still no one came out of ths closed door of the emergency room.
 1 The man signaled a nurse anG spoke to her. She went away tc come back with SomCthing 1n g glass for Martha. Drink this. Il will help you"
 Martha pushed it way. "I don't need anything" Just then, a doc tor came out of the emergency room, and she ran toward him How is he? What is it? Is - tE he going to be all right?"
 Hes suffering from concussion, said the doctor. Mot severe, ] think. And he has 8 broken col lar bone." He added hastily, "A collar bone which is broken re- quires merely stlapping. The patient usually wa,fs around ir OU6 QlGCCs AIlQ II1C IOIlCuSS1OQ, ] feel sure, will pass eff by morn- ing"
 She wanted to see Paul. q think not" said the doctor. "Ii you don't want to stay here over- night, getting over the shock you've had, you'd better 90 home and go straight to bed"
 
 She protested, but it was no use The kindly stranger drove hel home. It was he who explained to Eugene what had happened.
 Eugene was stunned, almost an- BY. aFor Gods sake, Martha what on earth were you two doing away out there, on that back road?"
 Tine stranger said, T don't think sne,s quite up to questions
 Martha thanked him for all he had done, and he patted her Shoul- def. aGo to bed. There's nothing to worry about" she could hear him, talking to -H. RNnUiW