"You little fool! You silly little fool!" she exclaimed, leaping out. "You might have been killed doing such a thing."
"You ran over the kitty," wept Jinnie, bowing her head.
"And what if I did? It's only a cat. Throw it down and come with me immediately."
Jinnie wasn't used to such sentiments. She got to her feet, a queer, rebellious feeling buzzing through her brain.
"I'm going to walk home," she said brokenly, "and take the kitty with me."
Saying this, she took off her jacket and wrapped it about the cat. Molly glared at her furiously.
"You're the strangest little dunce I ever saw," she cried. "If you're determined to take the little beast, get in."
Molly was sorry afterward she had not let Jinnie have her way, for they had driven homeward but a little distance when she saw Theodore's car coming toward them. He himself was at the wheel, and waved good-naturedly. Molly reluctantly stopped her machine. The man looked in astonishment from the girl to the woman. He noticed Jinnie's white face and the long blue mark running from her forehead to her chin. Molly, too, wore an expression which changed her materially. He stepped to the ground and leaned over the edge of their car.
"Something happened?" he questioned, eyeing first one, then the other.
Molly looked down upon the girl, who was staring at Mr. King.
"I--I----" began Jinnie.
Molly made a short explanation.
"She jumped out of the car," she said. "I was just telling her she might have been killed."
"Jumped out of the car?" repeated Theodore, aghast.
"And we were going at a terrible rate," Molly went on.
Her voice was toned with accusation, and Jinnie saw a reprimanding expression spread over the man's face. She didn't want him to think ill of her, yet she was not sorry she had jumped. He was kind and good; he would pity the hurt thing throbbing against her breast.
"We--we--ran over a cat----" she said wretchedly.
"A barn-cat," cut in Molly.
"And he was awfully hurt," interpolated Jinnie. "I couldn't leave him in the road. I had to get him, didn't I?"
Theodore King made a movement of surprise.
"Did you notice it in the road?" he asked Miss Merriweather.
The woman was thoroughly angry, so angry she could not guard her tongue.
"Of course I saw him," she replied haughtily, "but I wouldn't stop for an old cat; I can tell you that much."
"Miss Grandoken looks ill," Theodore answered slowly, "and as I am going her way, I think she'd better come with me."
Molly was about to protest when two strong arms were thrust forth, and Jinnie with the cat was lifted out. Before the girl fully realized what had happened, she was sitting beside her friend, driving homeward. She could hear through her aching brain the chug-chug of Molly's motor following. It was not until they turned into Paradise Road that Mr. King spoke to her. Then he said gently: "It was a dreadful risk you took, child."