_The Ride_
IT was true, as Miss Blackstone had said, that the little party of four,
the two Red Cross nurses and two physicians, had started out with the
intention of taking only a short drive and returning to the hospital in
plenty of time for their duties.
And in spite of the fact that Sonya might be cherishing an unreasonable
prejudice, the drive had been proposed by Dr. Raymond first to Theodosia
Thompson with the suggestion that she ask Ruth Carroll to accompany them
and that he invite Dr. Leon Mendel who was also one of the Red Cross
staff.
Early in the morning of the same day a note had been sent to the
hospital and a motor car offered to the American Red Cross unit during
their stay in Luxemburg. As the note had been delivered to Dr. Raymond
he had considered it only courtesy to accept the kindness. He had also
been quite selfishly interested in seeing the capital city of Luxemburg
and the neighboring country and in enjoying a short respite from his
continuous work of establishing the temporary hospital.
If Sonya was annoyed by the young doctor's attitude toward Thea
Thompson, assuredly he was more so. Certainly he was not at present
under the impression that he actually liked her, only that she had
somehow made him realize that he must have always appeared too
self-centered and too serious, and that he needed waking up. And
certainly Thea was stimulating and now and then amusing.
This afternoon as he was feeling tired he proposed that she occupy the
front seat of the little motor car with him, Ruth and Dr. Mendel sitting
in the rear.
Following no guide except their own impressions they drove through the
city, first past the Grand Ducal Palace then the handsome residences of
the nobility and finally to the open country on the outskirts of the
city.
To all four of the occupants of the car it seemed to have had wings, so
short a time did their drive absorb.
Nevertheless Thea and Dr. Raymond had not enjoyed each other
particularly.
They were both tired and Thea was having one of the attacks of
depression from which she often suffered. She looked both homely and
pale, and even her eyes were less blue beneath their straight, red-brown
lashes. Only her red hair breaking into irrepressible little waves under
her small hat was full of life and charm.
Reaching the end of the main road from which two country lanes branched
off into less inhabited portions of the countryside, Dr. Raymond turned
to speak to Ruth Carroll and Dr. Mendel.
"I am sorry, it seems to me our ride has scarcely begun, and yet I feel
we had best turn back here. We might allow ourselves a little more time
but I am afraid if we try one of these unexplored roads we may lose
ourselves somewhere."
Ruth made a little nod of agreement even though her expression revealed
disappointment. Dr. Mendel made no reply.
But unexpectedly Dr. Raymond felt a hand laid lightly on his coat
sleeve.
"Please do go a little further," Thea begged. "I wonder if you know that
although I am a country girl I have ridden in automobiles only a few
times in my life before coming to France."
Hesitating the young doctor slowed down his car as if expecting to turn
around.
"I am not in the habit of neglecting my duty for any reason whatsoever,
Miss Thompson. I have just explained that I dared not attempt a strange
country road for fear we might go astray and our return to the hospital
be seriously delayed."
Undoubtedly the young Red Cross doctor's manner was self-righteous and
precise, but in answer Thea laughed.
It was an odd laugh which made him flush uncomfortably.
"Oh, please do go back then at once!" she said. "Nothing would make me
ask you to disregard your duty. Really Dr. Raymond, it is a wonderful
experience to know any one who so perfectly answers all the requirements
of a model character. Besides I know you would never do anything
because I asked you, although as a matter of fact, we all have the right
to our usual two hours off duty this afternoon and less than half of
that time has gone by."
There was a little sting of bad temper in Thea Thompson's manner and
words which undoubtedly were her heritage along with her brilliant
red-gold hair.
Instead of replying Dr. Raymond drove his car, not backward toward the
hospital as he had announced his intention of doing, but into one of the
country roads leading into an entirely unknown locality.
It would have been difficult for him to have explained his impetuous
action.
Half an hour later, at the end of a road which led apparently nowhere,
Dr. Raymond stopped his car.
"I think I have already managed to lose the way, thanks to you, Miss
Thompson," he announced irritably, "However, I suppose we can simply
turn around and go back. Certainly this part of the country is entirely
uninteresting without a house or an individual in sight. I was very
foolish to agree to your request and shall certainly reproach myself if
any one has been in special need of me at the hospital. I only trust we
may be able to return as quickly as we have made the trip."
However, Thea made no reply to this reproachful speech except to jump to
her feet.
"Look!" she cried dramatically. "What a perfectly charming picture in
that field over there! I told you I was from Kentucky and yet I never
saw any one ride so beautifully!"
Naturally Thea's companions followed her suggestion.
Just beyond the end of their road was a wide open field thick with
winter stubble. In the centre was a tall hurdle intended for jumping.
Riding toward this hurdle at a swift pace was a young girl; she was
wearing a close fitting, scarlet riding habit, a little dark hat of some
kind and high riding boots.
Her horse was almost equally slim and beautiful, and horse and rider had
the suggestion of oneness which is the attribute of perfect riding.
There was no other human being in sight.
The girl was making straight for the hurdle. Evidently she and her horse
were both in the habit of jumping for neither showed the least sign of
nervousness.
Breathless with admiration and interest the two American girls and their
companions watched.
The horse rose in the air, his head a little forward, the rider holding
the bridle with just the right degree of freedom and firmness.
She was sitting perfectly still, her body in entire accord with the
movement of her horse. No one beholding her would have dreamed of an
accident. Yet when the horse had actually cleared the hurdle without
difficulty and had reached the ground on the further side, the girl must
have released her hold. In any event she fell forward over the horse's
head, one of the front hoofs striking her.
First out of the car was Thea Thompson followed by Dr. Raymond, then
Ruth and the other Red Cross physician.
The girl they found to be unconscious from a wound in her forehead.
"I don't see why we seem to be in the habit of rescuing people nearly
every time I go out in a motor car," said Thea. "Certainly I never saw
so pretty a girl as this one, I hope she is not seriously hurt."
Dr. Raymond wore his most professional air.
"It is impossible to say at present," he returned severely.