The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross | Page 6

murmured Lance.
But Chetwood Belding said: "I don't know whether that poor fellow is a
friend of mine or not. If I have to give Pa fifty dollars--Whew!"
"But the car?" urged Lance Darby. "Who has a Perriton car, Short and
Long?"
"And without chains?" added Chet, waking up to the main topic.
"Come along, fellows," said the younger lad. "I won't tell you. But I'll
take you to where you can see the car I mean. If it still is without chains
on the wheels, and has just been used--Well, we can talk about it then!"
"All right," said Chet. "We can't do any good here. Here comes the
ambulance. That poor fellow is going to be in the hospital for some
time, I bet."
There was such a crowd around the spot where the victim of the
accident lay that the boys could not see the Central High girls, save
Bobby Hargrew, who came running back from her father's store just as
the clanging of the ambulance gong warned the crowd that the hospital
had responded in its usual prompt fashion.
The boys hailed the smaller girl and told her they were off to hunt for
the car that had knocked down the victim. Then the three hurried away.

Meanwhile, in the center of the crowd Laura Belding and Jess Morse
had been aiding the girl in the Red Cross uniform as best they could to
care for the man who was hurt. The latter had not opened his eyes when
the ambulance worked its way into the crowd and halted beside the
three girls on their knees in the street.
"What have you there?" asked the young doctor, who swung himself
off the rear of the truck.
Laura and Jess told him. The third girl, the one who had done the most
for the unfortunate man, did not at first say a word.
The driver brought the rolled stretcher and blanket. He laid it down
beside the victim. When the doctor had finished his brief notes he
helped his aid lift the man to the stretcher. They picked it up and
shoved it carefully into the ambulance.
"I know you, Miss Belding," said the doctor. "And this is Miss Morse,
isn't it? Do you mind giving me your name and address?" he asked the
third girl.
Was there a moment's hesitation on the part of the Red Cross girl?
Laura thought there was; yet almost instantly the stranger replied:
"My name is Janet Steele."
"Ah! Your address?" repeated the doctor.
This time there was no doubt that the girl flushed, and more than a few
seconds passed before she made answer:
"Thirty-seven Whiffle Street."
At the same moment somebody exclaimed: "Here comes Fatty
Morehead, the cop. Better late than never," and a general laugh went up
from the crowd.
Jess seized Laura's wrist, exclaiming: "Oh, Laura! he will want to take
down our names and addresses, too. Let's get away."

The Red Cross girl uttered an ejaculation of chagrin. She began
pushing her way out of the press, and in an opposite direction from that
in which the portly policeman was coming.
Jess whispered swiftly in Laura's ear: "Come on! Let's follow her! I'm
awfully interested in that Red Cross girl, Laura!"
"Why should you be?" asked her chum. "Although she looks like a nice
girl, I never saw her before."
"Neither did I," said Jess. "But did you hear the address she gave? That
is the poor end of Whiffle Street, as you very well know, and mother
and I used to live right across the street from that house. I did not know
anybody lived in the old Eaton place. It has been empty for a long, long
time."

CHAPTER III
ODD!
Bobby Hargrew met Laura and Jess on the edge of the crowd, for she
had been unable to worm herself into the middle of it again, and told
them swiftly of the boys' departure to hunt for the car that had done the
damage.
"And that's just like the boys!" exclaimed Jess Morse, with some
exasperation. "To run away and desert us!"
"I don't know but I'm glad," said Laura. "I don't feel much like
shopping after seeing that poor man hurt."
"Or skating, either," complained Jess.
Presently the three overtook the strange girl. Bobby, whom Chet had
said was "just as friendly with strangers as a pup with a waggy tail,"
immediately got into conversation with her.

"Say! was he hurt badly?" she asked.
"I think his right leg was broken," the Red Cross girl replied. "And his
head was badly hurt. Your friends, here, could see that."
"He bled dreadfully," sighed Laura. "But you had the bandage on so
nicely that the doctor did not even disturb it, my dear."
"Thank you," said