| Show Good S Samaritan nal tan Picks Up Janet and John After Car Cap TUl Turns Over Ovel in Ul Di Ditch tell t f Telegram Serial Love Thumbs a Ride I Brunet Janet Reed a poor unemployed unemployed loyed factory girl Is hitchhiking from rom New York where she lived with witha a friend Marie to Indianapolis In search earch of a Job While resting on a bench tench near near- neara a filling station a large handsome blond man John Patterson Patterson Patter- Patter son on driving an expensive car stops for or service When he goes into the Motel Inn for dinner Janet notices the he car has Indiana license plates She he decides to stowaway on the floor behind the front seat After riding about bout 20 miles Janet gasps audibly when she remembers she left her purse containing 12 12 everything she has las In the world on the bench ThinkIng Thinking Think Think- Ing ng fast John drives to the nearest cabin camp rents a cabin and orders the he stowaway to get out of the car Assured that Janet Is merely a stow- stow stowaway stowaway away way and harmless John decides to turn urn the girl over the Travelers Traveler's Aid Ald She locks the door to her room and retires retires re- re tires Ires for the night Reading a newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper story showing a pretty girls girl's picture captioned Willful Heiress Defies Her Millionaire Father Determines Determines Determines Deter Deter- mines to Live the Simple Life Life John believes his stowaway Is Gretchen Reed millionaires millionaire's daughter John telephones Gretchen Reed Reeds father and the he millionaire asks John to come to his its home at once From Johns John's description description de- de of Janet Mr Reed decides he she is his runaway daughter Gretchen He tells John It would strain matters were he to go to Gretchen and asks John to keep an eye eye on the girl and andreport andreport report to him regarding her welfare Meanwhile Gretchen disguised as a camp chambermaid reveals her Identity identity iden- iden Hy to Janet and hires the girl to impersonate Impersonate Im- Im personate her while she decides her future In a convent John returns to the tourist camp and the two young persons resume the trip John suggests suggests suggests sug sug- his aunt In Indianapolis needs a social secretary and thinks Janet could handle the Job lob CHAPTER 8 The accident was not Johns John's fault They were driving along a particularly dark stretch of road John had Just called attention to the clock We cant can't possibly make maket It t into Indianapolis by midnight Maybe we should have stopped for tor forthe the he night but I really had the ambition am- am to deliver you safe and sound to my aunt before midnight good of you your John I appreciate ap ap- Janet wondered if she could possibly be happier than she was vas that minute I wish I could take the wheel for awhile and let you rest Im not tired John boasted I 1 could drive on like this forever It w that moment the truck lunged toward them from the top of the hill Its bright b bewildering lights had been hidden n In Jn the depression of the road ahead of them and there was no way ay which In they could know it J I u S there Of a dd n it was upon them John swerved the wheel to get out of th raa wax of oj the truck and it thunder ast them safely but John had go gone too near the shoulder shoulder shoulder der of the road There was one one terrifying instant In Jn which he pulled lulled at the the wheel wheelin in the hope that he could get back onto the pavement but it was Vas a forlorn hope The heavy car slid sUd down the embankment embankment em em- turning over with a crash at the foot of it John found voice first lIe He held the broken steering wheel in his hand and pushed the glass away that had crashed down over his head from the windshield Janet Janett anett J Are Axe you a all allright allright 11 right But Janet did cUd not answer Long Time Tima It seem seemed a lon long time to John before he finally managed to reach the window above him and crawl out of it Then he reached down took the theInert theinert theinert inert form lonn of the girl and pulled It from the floor of the car Janet lay very ery still sUlL Her lips were part parted and John could s see e eat eat at a glance stance that she breathed but she was d deathly athly pale pate Janet John begged ned sp speak k to me Open your jour our eyes eves Speak to me mer s r f r m He held her very close Janet opened her eyes They had lost their vivacity and were filled with painI pain I think Im I'm tired John Janet said and closed her eyes again It seemed hours then to the frantic man before he was able to get help The truck had disappeared in inthe inthe inthe the night Owing to the contour of the road his own car was scarcely scarcely scarcely scarce scarce- ly visible to drivers who hurried by in the night and no one seemed inclined to stop just just- because a frantic man signaled them to stop Finally John took the slight form of the girl up into his arms He could not wait walt any longer If none of the passersby would help he must start at once with her to the nearest house where surely he could find aid John had carried Janet up the bank to th the side of the road when she opened her eyes again lIm all right What happened Did we have an accident My car turned over Please dont don't sit up yet Lie down quietly Im I'm getting help I 1 want to be sure that youre you're not hurt I am all right Janet said a trifle petulantly I guess I 1 must have fainted or something Theres There's nothing wrong with me me See I 1 can move my hands and legs But you you Im O. O K if you are arc are John wiped a smudge of dirt from her hercheck cheek check Are you absolutely certain that you arent aren't hurt in any way way I r I dont don't think I 1 have even a scratch Janet declared I I think it was absolutely stupid of me to faint Help me onto my feet p please e the matter there a gruff voice demanded and a car car- slowed bes beside de them Are you in trouble My car turned over John explained explained explained ex ex- quickly See there it is down in the ditch I Ive I've ve been trying to get somebody to stop and help me me Well get right in the gruff voice said inviting and changing into kindness Yo You see Molly You told me not to stop A womans woman's woman's womans womans woman's wom wom- ans an's afraid of a holdup or some some- thing Im I'm sure I r dont don't know why anyone would want to hold holdup holdup holdup up our carThey carThey carThey car They could take everything we have in it except the baby and not get very much And all they would need do would be to listen to the car and be absolutely certain certain tain they wouldn't want that Help your our wile wife right in here the woman in the back seat said Ill take the baby up in my arms We were coming back from visiting visiting visiting visit visit- ing his folks and we got a late start My Im I'm glad we came along just in time to help you Im glad you did too I think Ill I'll get our suitcases from the car car right his companion said Ill help you John helped Janet carefully into the back seat Sure youre you're allright all allright allright right Janet Absolutely sure I know I just fainted Scared I 1 guess Then the two men scrambled down the bank to the upset car He banged in your fender pretty bad notice it it No I 1 hadn't hadn t noticed anything John said The windshield is broken I dont don't believe the truck actually hit me I 1 think I just went too near the soft shoulder of the road His companion agreed A pity you didn't get his name and number num num- ber He didn't even stop long lon enough to p pass s the time of day John complained For all all' he knows were we're both dead in this ditch right now now note My names name's Tom Benson the good Samaritan said Its lucky I 1 was coming through here right now This the suitcase Yes and heres here's the other one Let me take it You look kind of shaky yourself Youve You've got a a acut acut cut on your head too I hadn't noticed John saidI saidI said I 1 have been so worried about Janet Your wife is a spindly looking girl Tom Benson remarked affably af af- af- af She needs to get some advIce advice advice ad ad- vice from my wife Molly Molly keeps her her- whole family fat lat and sassy as anything Your wife's just a girl isn't she 7 Yes No need to make any explanation explanation explanation ex ex- to this man John de de- de- de The thing to do Io was to o ac ac- ac- ac aci i his hospitality and get somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where quickly so they could make sure that neither of them was badly hurt Ive got a I. I brother who runs a garage in the village Tom Benson told John Where When we get to the house well we'll him and ask him to come after after- the car right away He keeps his garage open al all all night He can get the car in and see how badly its it's busted up up That will be a good idea John put the suitcases into Toms Tom's car Still feeling all right Janet 1 Yes Ill make coffee as soon as we get to the house h us Molly decided She was a middle aged capable sort of woman and she held her plump sleeping baby on her lap both feel a lot better better- when you get a cup of coffee under your belts and Tom and me have havea a chance to look you over and be absolutely certain that you arent aren't hurt You cant can't ever be sure these days when when you drive out In an automobile whether youre you're going to come home alive or in pieces I guess that's right John agreed The house the Bensons spoke about was not far distant They went down the road a way and then along a lane to a big rambling rambling rambling ram ram- bling old farm houseAs house As their rattling car approached it the big house suddenly sprang to life tile Lights were turned on upstairs and down and excited voices could be heard Them kids kids' Molly scolded complacently com com- They are certainly the Here it is up close to midnight and you'd think that every last kit and boodle of them would be in bed asleep now wouldn't you you 1 She appealed to Janet for an i ianswer answer to her question But noI no II I 1 told them all aU to get into bed at 8 o'clock and Ill I'll we well we'll II find every single one of them wide wideawake awake Her prediction was quite true Tom and Molly's children were the gayest the brightest looking best-looking Janet had ever seen There were eight of them The oldest surely in her twenties the the youngest the baby In Moll Molly's Molly's Mol Mol- l lys ly's arms T To be co continued Saturday |
