Christian fiction; Families -- Fiction; Love stories
Thoughts rushed through her brain as fast as the car rushed over the
ground. What was she up against? Was this man crazy or bad? Was he
perhaps trying to kidnap her? What for? She shuddered to look the
thought in the face. Or was it the notes? She remembered the men in
the office and what they had said about keeping still and
"spying-enemies." But perhaps she was mistaken. Maybe this man was
only stupid, and it would all come out right in a few minutes. But no,
she must not wait for anything like that. She must take no chance.
The notes were in her keeping. She must put them where they would be
safe. No telling how soon she would be overpowered and searched if
that was what they were after. She must hide them, and she must think
of some way to send word to Mr. Barnard before it was toe late. No
telling what moment they would turn from the main road and she be
hidden far from human habitation. She must work fast. What could she
do? Scream to the next passer-by? No, for the car was going too fast
for that to do any good, and the houses up this way seemed all to be
isolated, and few people about. There were houses on ahead beyond the
park. She must have something ready to throw out when they came to
them. "Oh God! Help me think what to do!" she prayed again, and then
looking down at her bag she saw the postal cards. Just the thing!
Quickly she scribbled, still holding her hand within the bag so that
her movements were not noticeable:
"Help! Quick! Being carried off! Auto! Connecticut Ave.! Park.
Deer. Stone bridge. Phone Mr. Clegg. Don't tell mother! Shirley."
She turned the card over, drew a line through her mother's name and
wrote Carol's in its place. Stealthily she slipped the card up her
sleeve, dropped her hand carelessly over the side of the car for a
moment, let the card flutter from her fingers, and wrote another.
She had written three cards and dropped them in front of houses before
it suddenly occurred to her that even if these cards should be picked
up and mailed it would be sometime before they reached their
destination and far too late for help to reach her in time. Her heart
suddenly went down in a swooning sickness and her breath almost went
from her. Her head was reeling, and all the time she was trying to
tell herself that she was exaggerating this thing, that probably the
man would slow up or something and it would all be explained. Yes, he
was slowing up, but for what? It was in another lonely spot, and out
from the bushes there appeared, as if by magic, another man, a
queer-looking man with a heavy mustache that looked as if it didn't
belong to him. He stood alertly waiting for the car and sprang into
the front seat without waiting for it to stop, or even glancing back at
her, and the car shot forward again with great leaps.
Shirley dropped out the two cards together that she had just written
and leaned forward, touching the newcomer on the arm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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