“And the scream?”
“Oh, he explained that. It seems an old woman named Julia lives in the institution. She’s demented.”
“Must be a nice place!” The girls now had reached the car and Louise stood aside for her chum to unlock the door. Quickly they stowed their skis and poles in the rear and then Penny started the motor which popped and sputtered in the frosty air.
“It’s snowing again,” she observed, switching on the windshield wiper. “We didn’t get started a minute too soon.”
Before the girls had traveled a quarter of a mile, huge, wet flakes pelted the glass. Once as the wiper stuck, Penny had to get out and clear the windshield with a handkerchief.
“This is really getting awful!” she exclaimed, as they drove slowly on along the narrow, curving country road. “I can hardly see.”
“Be careful,” Louise warned a moment later. “You’re close to the ditch.”
Penny brought the wheels back onto the main track. But a dozen yards farther on, she saw directly in her path, a bent figure struggling along under the weight of a heavy suitcase. Her head was held low against the wind and snow.
Unaware of the approaching car, the pedestrian was walking almost in the center of the road.
“Look out, Penny!” screamed Louise as she too saw the girl with the heavy burden. “You’ll run her down!”