Grace Harlowes Senior Year at High School | Page 3

car crash against a tree at the foot
of the hilly street leading down to the station.
Its two occupants, the chauffeur and a woman who sat in the tonneau,
were thrown out with considerable force and lay motionless at one side
of the street.
In a twinkling the four girls had reached the woman's side. Grace knelt
beside her, then sat down on the pavement, raising the stranger's head
until it rested in her lap. The woman lay white and still, although on
placing a hand to her heart Grace found that it was beating faintly.
Calling for water, she dashed it in the woman's face, without any
noticeable results.
By this time a crowd had collected and several men were busy with the
chauffeur, who was conscious, but moaned as though in pain.
"Do go for a doctor, please," Grace cried to her chums. "I am afraid this
woman is badly hurt."
"Here's Dr. Gale now," exclaimed Anne as the old doctor came
hurrying across the street.
"Hello, what's the matter here?" he called. "It's a good thing I happened
to be driving by."
"Oh, Dr. Gale, do look at this poor woman. She must have struck her
head, for she lies as though she were dead."
Kneeling beside the stranger, the doctor busied himself with her, and

after a little time the woman opened her eyes and gazed vaguely about,
then again relapsed into unconsciousness.
"Whom does she resemble?" thought Grace. "Her face has a familiar
look, though I am sure I have never before seen her."
"Stand back and give her air," ordered the doctor, and the circling
crowd fell back a little.
"Grace, look out for her while I order the ambulance and see to this
man."
The doctor bustled over to the injured chauffeur, and began his
examination.
"Broken arm," he said briefly. "Send them both to the hospital."
The ambulance proved large enough to hold both victims of the
accident and the attendant took them in charge, and signaled the driver,
who headed for the city hospital, leaving the crowd to examine the big
car.
"It's pretty badly damaged," said one man. "It must have hit that tree
with a terrific crash. Skidded, I suppose."
"Come on, girls," said Anne. "There is no use in staying here any
longer. We've had excitement enough for one day."
"I should say so," shuddered Jessica. "I hope that woman doesn't die.
We must go to the hospital to-morrow and inquire for her."
"Of course," responded Anne. "What a sweet face she had, and her eyes
were such a beautiful brown, but they haunted me. There is something
so familiar about them."
"Why, that's just what I thought, too!" cried Grace. "Who is it she
resembles?"
"Give it up," said Nora. "Although I noticed it, too."

Jessica alone made no remark. Her face wore a puzzled frown, as
though she were searching her memory for something.
"Oh, well, what's the use of worrying over a resemblance," said Nora.
"I wonder what days visitors are allowed at the hospital."
"By the way, Jessica," said Anne, "where is Mabel! She usually waits
for you."
"Mabel is--" began Jessica. Then she stopped, her eyes filling with
wonder, almost alarm. "Girls," she cried, her voice rising to an excited
scream. "I know who that woman resembles! She looks like Mabel
Allison."
CHAPTER II
WHAT THE DAY BROUGHT FORTH
For a second the three girls fairly gasped at Jessica's discovery. Grace
was the first to speak.
"You have hit the nail on the head, Jessica. That's why her face seemed
so familiar. The resemblance is striking."
The four girls glanced from one to another, the same thought in mind.
Perhaps the mystery of Mabel Allison's parentage was to be solved at
last.
Those who have read "GRACE HARLOWE'S JUNIOR YEAR AT
HIGH SCHOOL" will recall how the Phi Sigma Tau became interested
in Mabel Allison, a young girl taken from an orphanage by Miss Brant,
a woman devoid of either gentleness or sympathy, who treated her
young charge with great cruelty.
It will be remembered that through the efforts of Grace and Jessica,
aided by Jessica's father, Miss Brant was forced to give Mabel up, and
she became a member of the Bright household, and the especial
protegee of the Phi Sigma Tau.

Grace and her friends had always believed Mabel to be a child of good
family. She had been picked up in the streets of New York when a baby,
and taken to the police station, where she had been held for some time,
but on remaining unclaimed, had been sent to an orphanage outside
New York City, where she had spent her life until she had been brought
to Oakdale by Miss Brant.
Although Mabel had been in the Bright household but