Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-09-18
Dlolly n pets iuo Strangers : : ;::::
Copyright: 1892: By News Syndicate Co. INC
Wherein a Crook Gives
A Girl a Scare and a
Secret Thrill
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE

O>NASV L ia III
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE
The episode occurred so suddenly,
and was SO incredible in its details,
That Mollie Pearce was never quite
sure Just how it had happened. She
knew that she had been alone in her
roadster. that she had been driving
at reasonable speed in a heavy
transform and along a narrow New
England mountain road.
She also knew, and had been an
noyed by the fact, that for some mo-
mentS before the accident another car
flVe-passenger sedan, was following
hers and apparently trying to pass it,
though the road was too narrow and
too twisting to do this safely. Mollie
was so conscious of its nearness that
several times she slowed down, almost
rubbing the sides of her roadster
against the mountain cliffs on her left
to let the driver behind her proceed.
But evidently when the pinch came
he realized that he would have to
swing dangerously near the outer cliff
on their right to get by. He was either
afraid to do this or was deliberately
following her car. There was nothing
else deliberate about his movements
Looking at him through the small win
dow in the back of her roadster Mollie
frowned into his unpleasant face. He
got the full benefit of the frown and
grinned at her, revealing row of
large teeth in need of cleaning
Mollie turned hastily and gave her
entire attention to her driving She
was soon conscious of two more dis
coveries-that the man behind her
was at last preparing to pass her, on
a Slightly wider strip of road just
ahead, and that he had companion
in the car who seemed to be eXpoStu-
lating with him. The driver was mid
dle-aged. The companion was young,
at most in his early thirties, with
pale smooth shaven face and very
black curly hair. He was wearing no
cap, though the driver not only wore
cap but had dragged its visor down
to the level of his eyebrows.
All this Mollie took in with a swift
eye flash. The next instant she swung
her little car so close to the mountain
at her left that its left door scraped
raucously against juttlng boulder.
Her laws set. That would mean some
big scratches on polished wood. But it
meant much more than that, for now
she heard the squeal of her left rear
tire That was all she had time to
grasp Her road companions heavier
car had crashed into something at his
right. The air was full of the protests
of outraged woodwork, glass and ma
chinery. Only a tree a few feet from
the bluff at the right had saved the
driver of the car behind hers from
going over the cliff and taking drop
of 1000 feet into the ravine below.
For a few breathless seconds Mollie
heard the sound of screeching brakes,
cracking wood and the oathS of the
offending driver. She had brought her
roadster to a stop at the first alarm.
Now she opened its right hand door
and without stopping to examine its
injuries hurried to the other car, held
in its precarious perch by the tree it
had crashed into.
Her fellow driver was already out of
it. His expression was peculiar. He
was interested in neither his car, his
passenger, nor the road companion
whose tire he had wrecked. There was
blood on his face from some injury he
had received but this did not seem to
interest him either. With features
twitching under high nervous tension
he stared before and behind him down
the road, obviously in sheer terror OF
purSuerS.
You idiot!'' Mollie Pearce cried.
What do you think you're doing?
Look after your passenger. He's hurt.
She leaned toward the wrecked car
as she spoke and tried to reach down
to the arm of the young man who was
slowly eXtricating himself from among
the brakes. He spoke on groan.
Keep away. Can't you see were al
most over. And for Gods sake don't
touch my arm. It's broken. My leg Is
too, I think"
Miss Pearce addressed the driver
with icy irony. i
IF you can give up your study OF
the landscape for moment she salo,
we can get your friend out OF that
car I suppose you realize that he lsnt
safe there. The car may go over any
minute"
The driver removed his eyes from
the road and fixed them on her lace.
There was cold menace in them now.
"All the more reason why we don't
monkey with that car and seno II
over" he muttered and again his eyes
SelfCQeQ Tile IOdu do 1sii DO AN SS@1A>N
see its length.
Nov listen to me-" Mollie Pearce
said in a tone that always made the
pupils in her classroom listen very at
tentively Il don't know what you're
afraid Of but no one has passed us Tor
the last hour and the chances are
that no one will for hours more. Ihls
is a side road and a dangerous one,
especially in deluge of rain. The ma
tives shun it. There are stretches OF
miles where two cars can't safely pass,
as you should have realized. Now get
your mind off the road and on your
friend here. We've got to get him out"
The driver again revealed his soiled
and yellow teeth in what he thought
was a smile. He was plainly relieved by
her statement that no more travellers
were to be expected, but he spoke in
differently.
He amt friend of NINE" he said.
Hes a hitch-hiker. I picked him up
on the road 10 miles back. But III put
on your spare tire and you can give