eur had wheeled his car madly to one
side, and, by so doing, had hit an electric-light pole, with the result
that every one was more or less injured, the forlorn creature who had
caused the excitement, most of all, for the over-turned machine had
included him in its crushing destruction.

Four men and three women were carried to St. Albans and now occupied
private rooms, while the torn and broken body of the unknown stranger lay
in Ward Five, quite unconscious. He was breathing faintly, and, since
they had made him clean and decent, he looked very young and wan as he
rested upon the narrow, white bed.

Priscilla stood at the foot of the cot and read the chart which a former
nurse had hurriedly made out; then she came around to the side and looked
down upon--Jerry-Jo McAlpin!

She knew him at once. The deathlike repose had wiped away much that
recent years had engraven on his face. He looked as Priscilla remembered
him, standing in his father's boat, proudly playing the man.

For a moment the quiet girl grew rigid with superstitious fear. That
deathlike creature before her filled her with unreasoning alarm. She
almost expected him to open his black eyes and laughingly announce that
he had found her at last! She longed to flee from the room before he had
a chance to gain control of her. She breathed fast and hard, as she had
that morning when his ringing jeer had stayed her feet as she ran from
the Far Hill Place after the night of terror. Then sanity came to her
relief and she knew, with a pitying certainty born of her training, that
Jerry-Jo McAlpin could never harm her again. That he was a link between
the past and the future she realized with strange sureness. He had always
been that. He had made things happen; been the factor in bringing
experiences to her. She, in self-preservation, would not claim any
knowledge of him now; she would care for him and wait--wait until she
understood just what part he was to play in her present experience.
He might threaten all that she had gained for herself--her peace and
security. Her only safeguard now was to ignore the personality before
her and respond to the appeal of the "case."

Jerry-Jo was destined to become interesting before he slipped away. Known
only as a number, since he had not been identified or claimed, he rapidly
rose to importance. After three days of unconsciousness he still
persisted, and while his soul wandered on the horizon, his body responded
to the car