The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-03

where he's been for week. and / was
bringing him home. When he got to the
top of the steps he began shifting rounc
and barking. and then he ran to a plact
where there's a little sort of bunch OF
nr trees and barked and jumped round
and went in among the trees. I Followed
MIN 10 see what was up, and all or q
sudden | heard some one say from under
the trees: Ga. it's only dog I was
scared and ran into the house and got q
lamp, and when / came out with my
2 mother, and We went in among the trees
there was woman in there who was ly-
ing on the ground. When she saw us she
sort OF sat up, as If she'd been asleep
ana said Is it Sunday yet? We saw
her distinctly; she was staring right AT
US. She didn't look as If she Was crazy
put We both thought she was. She was
terribly white. we knew she couldn't BE-
drunk, because she was like a lady-she
spoke that way
.w hand ~, ths en- an q. then" said Barron
She said again, IT isn't Sunday YETI
and mother said. No, not yet, and we
went away. ran to the police office. but
she wouldn't get away. cause we didn't
know what was the matter with her.
Wen be there in minute now. 1t isn't
far
The hack. which had been rafting
round corners at top speed. now began to
ascend. Barron could see the gaunt
flank of Russian Hill looming above
them. with here and there house hang
Ing to a ridge or balanced on slope.
The lights of the town dropped away on
their right in series of sparkling ter
races.
II, DO you guess it's the lady, you're
I'm almost certain 1t is answered
Barron. Can't you make this man go
faster?"
The hills pretty steep here" said the
guardian of the city's peace. Il dom
seem to think he could do it,
We're almost there" said the boy;
it's just that house where the aloe is
there on the top of that high wall"
,,,a barron looked in the direction and saw
nlgn above them, on the top of a wall
like the rampant of fortress, the faint
outline of 4 house and the black masses
OF trees etched against the only slightly
Il don't see any aloe he growled; lis
that the house you mean?"
That's it I" said the boy: Il guess It's
too dark for the aloe tonight"
With a scrambling and jolting the
horses began what appeared an even
sleeper climb than that of the block be-
fore: The beasts seemed to dig their
hoofs into the crevices between the cob
bles and to Chamber perilously up. With
an oath Rarron kicked open the door and
sprang out.
Come on boy" he shouted Il can't
stand this snail of a carriage any long
err And he set out running up the hill.
The boy. who was light of foot and
heavier men, who had followed, were left
behind. putting and blowing in the dark
ness.
Suddenly the great wall. at the base of
of stairs that made two oblique stripes
across it's face.
Up the stairs said the boy.
And Barron, without reply. turned and
began the ascent at the same breakneck
speed.
You may as well let me go first"
gasped his conductor from behind him.
You don't know the way. and you might
scare the Chinaman. He said he had a
gun"
Barron stood aside for him to pass and
then followed the nmble figure as 1t
darted up the second flight. The boy was
evidently nearing the top. when he sang
out:
There was an unmistakable Chinese
cultural from somewhere and then Bar
ron himself rose above the stairtop. A
black mass of garden lay before him,
with the bulk of large house a short
distance back. Many windows were lit,
and in one he saw woman standing.
Their light fell out over the garden. bar
ring 1t with long rectangular stripes of
b}illiance. The wild bark of a dog rose
from the house and on the unseen walk
the Chinaman's footsteps could be heard
as she there yet, Lee?" said the boy
in Il kissing whisper.
The Chinaman's affirmative grunt rose
from the darkness of the massed trees,
into which his footsteps continued to re-
''Tbis way" said his conductor to Bar
ron. But hang it all, it's so dark we
where is she?" said Barron. Never
mind the light. Show me where she is.
Mariposa.' he said suddenly, in voice
which. though low, had a quality SO
thrilling 1t might have penetrated the
The garden, rain-swept and rustling.
grew quiet. The sound of the China
mans footsteps ceased. even the painting
breath of the boy was suddenly suspend
ed.
In this moment of pause, when nature
seemed 10 queil her riot to listen. wo-
mans voice sweet and soft, rose out of
impenetrable darkness.
who called me?"
The sound broke the agony that had
CONCEALED Barron's heart. With shout
he answered.
Tho voice rose again. faint. but with
joy in it.
oh. have you come-have you come,
He made rush forward into the
blaclSness before him. At the same mo-
ment the two from men the stsirs spent 5e h hod
was behind Barron, and they behind the
Swhere are you? Where are your
they heard him cry, as he crashed for
ward through shrub and flower beds.
Then suddenly the policeman drew the
small lantern he had carried from be-
meath his cape and shot the slide.
cube of clear. steady light cut through
the iaky wall in front of them. For
a second they all stopped the man send
ing the cylinder of radiance over the
shrubs and trees In swift sweeps. In
one OF these it crossed a white face,
quivercd and rested on it, Barron gave
wild cry and rushed forward.
She was. as the boy described. crouched
under a clump of small fir trees. the
lower limbs of which had been removed.
The place was sheltered from observa-
tion from the house and the intrusion of
the elements. AS tho light fell on her
she was kneeling, evidently having been
drawn to that posture by Barron's voice.
The light revealed her as hatless. with
loosened hair. her face pinched. her eyes
large and wild.
AS she saw Barron she shrieked and
tried to move forward, but was unable to
and held out her arms. He was at her
side in moment. his arms about her.
strainng her to him. his lips. between
frantic kisses. saying words only for him
and for her.
The policeman. with soft ejaculation,
turned the lantern, and it's cube of light
fell into the heart of bed of petunias;
then the two men and the boy stood look
ing at it silently for space.