Show N U fill zem I 1 s 7 ap am i E 4 I 1 SU N afi z lar mo e R CHAPTER XI continued 16 theres a telephone in the office jim continued find it easily I 1 left the door open open and theres a light call a doctor the nearest one ask information okay buddy the boy released the broke brake with a jerk and the girl leaning out of the window for an interested te ale view of the disaster tell fell back into the seat jim waited tor for help to come going at intern intervals is molook at dolly wiping the bloode from the wound bove above her temple speaking to her gently watching with pity and a mounting feeling of alarm her still face white und under erthe the rouge bending ungto to hear bear her taint faint breathing the coupe returned after what seemed to jim an eternity of waiting the boy got out the girl followed jim was scare scarcely ely aware of her did you gets get a doctor he asked the boy the state stata troopers are 0 on n their way and an ambulance from the hospital at chestertown Chester Chister town 11 the boy was obviously proud of his effi efficiency clency the girls eyes were wera two round disks in a round white face jim swore grimly under his breath he want the police e mixing into this not at any an rate until he had talked to tommy until ii he had gotten in touch with mr vaughn why you call out the marines he asked caustically the girl giggled in nervous appreciation cia tion shut up gladys the boy said irritably 1 I ought to have taken you home you told me to ask information he said to jim 1 I told her it was a pretty bad accident and she phoned the police I 1 alf all right thanks jim said briefly and realizing that they intended to see the excitement through he added have a cigarette 11 another eternity of waiting passed an eternity made more dismal than the preceding one by the boys eager questions about the accident the girls identification of dolly her awed and nervous ca comments m rn ants jims growing anxiety for dolly the fact that tommy did not appear he wished he had gone tor for his own car and taken dolly to the village that might have been dangerous though he had no idea how badly she was hurt hed have to get in touch with mr vaughn where was tommy the police car finally arrived convoying conveying the ambulance from the hospital at chestertown Chester town evening sergeant mccready the boy in the checked cap greeted the trooper with swaggering familiarity you made pretty good time good evening the tall young man in the uniform returned scarcely glancing at the boy chos hurt he asked addressing jim ashes in the car jim led the way sergeant mccready followed accompanied by his companion a stocky older man mo the ambulance driver and an came up bearing a stretcher the boy and the girl with the round white face pressed forward jim watched the with strained intensity as he bent over dolly felt her pulse examined the cut above her temple Is she badly hurt he asked the question in a low shaken voice 1 I cant tell without an examination the said jim moved forward to help the place dolly on the stretcher lifting her gently his throat felt tight you you can give me the name of her family I 1 suppose the said jim supplied the information she looked so small and abid so still on the stretcher he felt as though he had deserted her when the ambulance bore her away away sergeant mccready turned to jim does this car belong to you he be asked IN no jim replied who dois does tt it belong to it belongs to miss cecily vaughn officer T 11 vaughn meadowbrook Meadow brook 1 I thought so the sergeants companion cut in ive seen this car plenty of times on the road read does miss vaughn know you driving her car thit the question startled jim the sergeant assumed with such casual certainty that he was responsible tor for the accident it had not occurred to him that he might be suspected 1 I was not driving drivins the car he be sold said evenly who wai was jim hesitated tor for a moment aben 1 I dont know he no it was the sergeants companion who spoke his voice was unpleasantly edged with sarcasm well buddy your story jim told it briefly he sketched his position in mr vaughns employ told of being awakened ot of running across the fields of finding dolly alone in the disabled car ho he knew before either of the officers spoke that they did not believe hin him his momentary hesitation circumstantial evidence was all against him not an entirely convincing con vine story the sergeant said when jim had finished its as full of holes as a sieve his companion remarked he turned to the boy and the girl who were watching and listening with wide eyed interest youre riding along the road and you find Us this fellow here with the car and a girl chos out cold did you see anybody else no sir air the boy stepped forward eagerly it happened like that were driving along and we stop and he asks me to go down to his place and call a doctor when I 1 told information been an accident she put in a call for you I 1 see anyone else he might be telling the truth though the girl offered ott ered glancing at jim there was a light on in his place ile he might have left like he said when somebody knocked at the door the sergeant took the names and addresses of the witnesses frank wilson and gladys smith and sent them reluctantly on their way well take you over to headquarters head he said to jim leading ad the way to the police car how long will you keep me there jim asked that depends we can arrange a preliminary hearing tomorrow can you get bail he asked not unkindly baill good lord he was under arresta 1 I think so he said it will be necessary for me to get in touch with S someone at meadowbrook Meadow brook 1 11 yo you can call from headquarters the said miss vaughns car jim asked well send a man out here to take care of it lets get going kelly jim liked the sergeant he had a clean cut intelligent appearance his manner was neither bullying nor inflated with self importance jim squeezed himself into the police coupe with the two men and re signed himself to the unpleasant ai aspects ot of the immediate future chestertown Chester town was a sizable borough eight or nine miles from glendale jims mind was occupied with thoughts and conjectures it was as w tommy of course but where had he gone there was some explanation he jim would have to keep the kid out of the mess until he could get in touch with mr vaughn he felt responsible he have let tommy believe that dolly might make trouble with the mooncalf moon calf puppy love letters the boy had written her hed probably taken her out tonight in an attempt to get them dolly had looked so small and so still on the stretcher was it possible that dolly was going to die when he had gone inside the big highway patrol station with the officers jim asked if he be might make a telephone call jim gave the operator so sons a number after an interval of insistent whirring he heard mac Pher sons voice at the other end of the wire feeling grateful that mrs macpherson had bid not answered the call jim sketched his predicament asked macpherson to go up to the house and make sure that every member of the family was there and come abonce at once to the troopers headquarters at chestertown Chester town mac Pher sons voice controlled calmly efficient reassured jim therea was no cause for alarm he told himself the following hour was unpleasant enough the sergeant and his associate asked a wearying number ot of questions jim knew that they did not believe his story why should they he thought the evidence was all against him he had to keep tommy out of it oh well it was only for a time when the hands fiands of the clock had crept around past half past three jim heard in the early morning still stillness the sound of acar a car stop ping in front of th the house ehouse i A moment later cecily ca came m e into the room followed by maca macpherson herson she had bad not changed her clothes obviously she had not gone to bed she still wore the filmy floating dress and the short jacket ot of brilliant brocade buttoned snugly at her waist was wa it only this evening that he had see seen so her walking across the side lawn at meadowbrook Meadow brook walt wait ing for her escort to take her to marjory Pat tons ls party it seemed an eternity to jim biml cecily cried softly walking toward him what have you been doing jim her voice was steady her color was was high her hair was blown into flying tendrils giving her an attractively hoydenish appearance im under arrest he said with a half smile tor for cecily and macpherson tell us more of the matter lad macpherson said quietly his expression was grave and concerned jim told the story again but absurd cecily turned to the tall young trooper standing beside the desk mr F fielding have done a thing like that sergeant mccready its utterly impossible there must be some mistake Thedarl the darling jim thought touched and elated by her defense fise of him loving her spirit and her gallantry it is your car it miss vaughn sergeant mccready asked 1 I suppose it Is cecily replied at least my car in the garage mr fielding Is familiar with it sergeant McCre adys face was impassive edid did you give anyone permission tr use the car last night he asked no she answered promptly but I 1 know mr fielding take it one of the men on the place must have decided to go on a spree Is everyone at home asked jim everyone Is there macpherson replied wo we looked into their rooms room 11 cecily continued they were all 11 asleep susan tommy jerry miss t 7 it the sergeant took the names and addresses of the witnesses parker the maids I 1 was just getting home from the party when macpherson came up to the house and now youre abing home with us jim well have to hold fielding the tall young sergeant said cecily turned swiftly hold him why macpherson glanced at jim im afraid that ball cant be arranged tonight he said 1 I am not a property owner and miss cecily is a m minor inor 11 but aul you know us sergeant cecily appealed to the trooper 1 I can assure you that father would want to do everything possible for mr fielding ill make myself personally responsible that enough im afraid not sergeant mccready replied with a half smile in the matter of speeding or skipping a light we do occasionally make an exception but in a case like this we cant the sergeant continued A girl has been hurt how badly we dont yet know and you admit you give him permission to drive your car officer selly added but he driving the car cecily said heatedly he has told you exactly what happened it was a good story officer kelly observed laconically ive never heard of anything so ridiculous 1 cecily was angry better go home with macpherson jim said gently its almost morning I 1 dont mind staying here there will be a hearing some time tomorrow will they let you go then she asked jim the sergeant answered the question if ball bail is furnished and the magistrate will sign his release but hes innocenti cecily cried if that is true sergeant said soothingly youve nothing to worry about it may take a little time we cant have a final hea hearing ring until we know definitely how baal badly y the girl is hurt all I 1 can tell yo you u miss misi vaughn then ther theres els nothing I 1 can do she looked at jim her spirits drooping a little you ii can an go home and get some sleep Slee pl her chin lifted im going home and call father dont worry jim im not worrying he smiled goodnight good night thank you for coming goodnight good night macpherson good night lad Mic macpherson Pherson pressed jims hand well be coming back tomorrow we certainly will C cecily said with emphasis goodnight good night goodnight jim jims eyes followed her as she walked through the door it was almost worth being under arrest to have her defend him so spiritedly he seated himself in a hard bard oak chair resenting his detention less than he bad before cecily and macpherson came thinking with a certain degree of serenity of the ordeal before him silence filled the room for an interval sergeant mccready at the tha desk wrote on a long sheet of paper with a scratching pen officer kelly dozed behind the sports section of a newspaper jim lit a cigarette the hands of the round faced clock pointed to quarter of five CHAPTER XII you get to bed now jamie mrs macpherson said as jim finished a heartening mid alvernoon lunch in the kitchen at the cottage not just yet bessie jim pushed back his bis chair and stood wearily erect you must be ready to drop no sleep last night and all those questions this morning it was downright bad manners the way that judge or whatever he was talked to you official routine jim sol said d smiling to lighten mrs ona ons concern im going to bed pretty soon right bight now ive something to do mrs macpherson sighed jim went out of the cottage and down the orchard path he had to find tommy before he could sleep tommy had not been present at the hearing bearing this morning cecily had been there accompanied by jeremy clyde the ons too had been present dollys dallys father and stepmother her brother joe joey Y the one who sang more closely resembling dolly than any of her family the same flax blue eyes and impudent d ent charm seeing joey in the magistrates office this morning had given jim a bad moment or two the hearing had been less of an ordeal than he had anti anticipated cipa led sergeant mccready presented a report from the hospital dollys dallys condition was much the same she had regained partial consciousness toward morning only to slip back into unconsciousness again the doctor in charge of the case would not as yet make a definite dennite statement the inference seemed to be sergeant mccready stated that the dolly dorothy quinn how strange that sound edl was in a serious condition as a result of a fractured skull following the hearing jim was detained in the magistrates office until mr vaughns lawyer came out from the city and signed the ball bail bond acting on authority from mr vaughn who had made the arrangements by long distance mr vaughn was returning at once cecily had told jim that at the close of the hearing jeremy clyde had been sympathetic he had even seemed to be distressed about his predicament jim thought recalling jere mys white and shaken look during the brief public interview hed had with cecily and her guest mr vaughn would arrive at meadowbrook Meadow brook some time about noon tomorrow the matter would be cleared up speedily then but jim wanted to talk to tommy susan was sitting on the steps of the side veranda a disconsolate little figure her chin resting on her knees she sprang up when slie she caught sight ot of jim ran to meet him flung herself at him impetuously all this jim asked holding her off looking down into the wide hazel eyes upturned to him will they put you in jail her lips trembled her eyes filled with tears of course not jim said cheerfully what gave you that idea nora said they would and so did rose tears spilled down over her cheeks she held tightly to jims arm neither nora nor rose know everything ery thing stop crying silly your eyes will be red tor for the wedding people will think you have hay fever 1 I dont want to go to the wedding she pressed closer to him 1 I want to stay here with you oh come now jim says coaxingly 0 they cant have the wedding without you think how disappointed the bride and groom will be and all the people im afraid while im gone come and take you away 11 nonsense Non ill be here when you get back truly she asked certainly im going to the cottage and sleep for a day and a half will you bring me some wedding cake she nodded did they put handcuffs on you she asked like in the movies no they treated me very politely where is tommy hes out on the front lawn writing ing a letter hg told me to go awny away so I 1 think its to a girl I 1 dont care if they do put you in jall jail she cried vehemently IM like you just the same i 4 do like you awfully jim TO BE 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