eriously injured, may not recover. Get
his injuries from the doctor. His late employer, Judge Edward C.
Tiffany, reached this train at Santa Eliza and has been taking care of
him."

A voice came from the group of reporters:

"Why, he's your roommate!"

"I know it--damn it! Keep on. Judge Tiffany has been caring for him,
holding him up so he could bear it, assisted by Miss Sadie Brown, a
camper at Santa Eliza. She's the one I was talking to."

"Who is she? Any chance for a photograph?"

"I braced her for a picture. She wouldn't stand for it."

"Let me try! I'll get it."

"See here, you fellows, I'll attend to that. I'll let you all in if
she gives up. I'll play you square. He's my roommate--can't you trust
me to handle it? Keep on. Miss Sadie Brown, works at the Emporium,
lives 2196 Valencia--" Mark was reading from a perfectly blank sheet
of copy paper--"Judge Tiffany will take him home. He wired ahead for a
private ambulance from Havens. That's all of that. Now what have you
fellows got? Help me out; it's none too easy for me."

As he took notes, asked questions, formed his "story" in his mind,
Mark never took his eyes off that group in the corner.

Now they were racing down the last stage of the trip, with full
freeway. Now they were drawing into the ferry station. Under the
lights stood a buzzing crowd, its blacks shot with the white coats of
hospital orderlies. A dozen ambulances, their doors open, stood backed
to the platform. Eleanor sagged down on the floor with a sigh as two
orderlies lifted Bertram's arms from her shoulders, made shift to get
him upon their stretcher.

But the doctor stopped them.

"Get this old man first," he said, "and be careful. That young fellow
ought to pull through."

CHAPTER XV

Toward morning, Eleanor managed to get a little sleep. When full
daylight wakened her to the dull realization of her situation and
burdens, she hurried into clothes, crept to the solid, old-fashioned
best bedroom where they had put Bertram, and took counsel of the
nurse. Everything was hopeful; she got that from the professional
patter of temperatures and reactions. It seemed that there might be no
internal hurt. He had roused from his shock in the night; had seemed
to know where he was and what had happened. He lay now in a natural
sleep, but he must be kept very quiet.

On the way downstairs, Eleanor met face to face with her aunt. Mrs.
Tiffany had been awake since the ambulance brou