The Dickinson press., 1896-12-19

companion give u SISu VI fcl1Hl, duu III
the next moment he felt his hand
caught in hers in pressure that i'm
piled Il very great sense Of gratitude.
1t was only after the cab was In mo-
tion that Alnes seemed to realize the
peculiarity Of his situation and the
whimsicality, to say the least. Of the
whole amazing expedition. With the
rapidity that thought permits in mo-
tion of extremity he cOntrasted two
pictures-the one Of Phil0 Ames seated
in the comfort Of the st. Stephens
club. Il delicious memory Of green cur:l-
Goa stimulating his fancy and the at
mosphere Of Amber Pasha's wonder
full cigarettes charming his mind; the
other of Philo Alnes on this raw, wind
whipped night, driving In IL hansom
cub along a course which seemed the
very abomination Of desolatiOn, by the
side Of q woman whom he had never
seen five minutes before, and who. II
she was certainly strangely beautiful,
was not less strangely eccentric, and
who opened casual acquaintance by
perplexing questions as to the price
her companion set upon his life. Phil0
felt that it was his duty as Il more or
less sensible and more or less reputa-
bic citizen to come to some understand
ing with the divine enigma by his side.
1t was, he assured himself, absurd,
and worse than absurd, to be thus
drifting about London in the society Of
IL creature ia lovely as vision. yet
who might be either dangerous luna
tic or 10 less dangerous decoy.
His heated mood fired his tongue to
Il fantasy that seemed apt to the hour
and the woman.
"Well. sweet minion of the moon."
he said with laugh. does your driver
know the way to the Broken? Your
witchhood might at least have offered
me lift on Il broomstick,'
The woman had her face turned TO
him: he could see her quite plainly In
the lanlplit cab. and he saw that her
eyes and her lips gave back his laugh
ter. and that If she was lovely in aus.
ter:ty She was Yet mere lovely In mirtll.
This common cab will serve our
turn she said softly. and her voice
now sounded swceter with the assur-
:lncc It seemed to derive from the de-
meanor of her companion. 1--WE shall
not fare far tonight"
MAY l not ut least know whittier
the wind Of your whim will watt our
spirits:" Amcs begain in Il tone which
he intended to be wholly playful, but
into which. in spite of himself, lie
could not Aelp allowing a suggestion
of anxiety to intrude. ''FO what star
tlo we steer Our conrse:"
The woman shook her head.
"Surcly." she said, 80 loyal Il cava-
lier and so courageous u gentleman as
YOU is content to follow unquestioning
the lady who honors him with her COM
mands:" Her voice suddenly changed.
and was almost distlainful as she went
on. But it you are not, you have but
to say the word and we can part here
and now. Stop the cab If you wish.
shall have lost IN illusion, and you
will have lost one of the opportunities
of adventure which you are tabled to
desire-perhaps something more. But
| in life we are always losing illusions
and opportunities. Shall set you
iOwn?'
Splrred by the sneer in her speech,
Philo's fancy galloped out of sight of
tesitancy, out Of SOUND of the call OF
prudence.
LET us say no more about it," he
said coOlly. Lead on. Ill follow thee.
Please consider that am your most
humble. obetient servant to COM
mand.'
Then she leaned her face toward him
while she whispered her thanks, and
he, fascinated by her p.lior. aud tha
perfume n her hair. and. the madness
Of the moment. murmured wild words
in praise. of her beauty. while the cab
wheeled swiftly along through n black
ness thai was broken every now and
then by the passing fash of a lamp. a
flash that showed him for the second
more distinctly the mouth and eyes
and the smile of his companion. 1t
was like n drive in dream. and Ames
was never afterward able to piece to-
gether the threads of that bewilderins
conversation. Suddenly the cab swung
to the left and came to a stop. Ames
saw from the expression of the
woman's face That they had reached
their destination.
He leaped out of the cab and as
sisted his companion to alight. She in
stantly. ran up short flight of step;
and hut key into a latch. AS III
tnr1led, from watching her movement!
lie sawAtl.:i, the cab had left them ant
was driving rapidly away up the r.ll
row street in the direction Of TIN
Strand, ,+.les looked up at the lady
1T is all right" she said. THE cab il
paid. Come in Anes glanced arOunt
him. He knew that he was in one o
the little cluster Of closely resembling
streets thar run in parallel lines froll
the eInl,aukment Of the Strand. but II
could not in the darkness Of the nigh
and the confusion of the moment re
call the name Of the street. He sa,
that the door which the woman ha
ol,el,ed WAS the door Of what locke
like new and large building Of fiat:
chambers and offices. and that it stoo
near TO the emlankment ON the righ
hand side going toward the Strant
So much he gathered in a glance. the
he followed his leader up the stel
and through the door which she hel
half open into large and somewha
diiniy lighted hall, on both sides {
which Ames saw the long catalogue {
names printed in gold upon blac
grounds which are, as it We're. the fiji
ger posts to these human hives.
, The woman closed the door. ''FO
low me-" she said, and began to lea
the way up long flight of stone stair
Ames followed her without a word, bl
l
, almost mechanically. that he was nj
unarmed.
: The ascent was long. up sewers
! flights of those dimly lighted stor
2 steps. on which the ascending foo
5 steps seemed to echo gloomily. The
8 passed several stories, each with i
h own family Illuminated corridor rad
y ating away into mysterious space, b
e fore they came to stop. His guit
e turned to the right and walked alor
e corridor that seemed to lead towal
the front of the mansion. Present
s she paused ut door and turned ha
d die; Ames. still following her, -four
n yate fiat and then in a drawing roo
d yate fiat aud then ip q darwing roo
II which seemed to fling upon his co
4 sciousness sense Of somewhat sava
c wealth as the electric light flooded
is ut the touch Of the wOman's hand.
it Take off your coat,'' she said, III
n then she disappeared through fl
L. ther door and left him staring GU
E. ously around him. The room suggei