The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-11

The CaFTct-hnisiIt and the Lady.
e. EE cirl paused and steadied her
sc Cor d moment against "A
field gate l1er breath came in
sh 1T, c0nvulsiVe sobs. Her
dainty shpcs were soiled with
u~-.- There as great rent ia The
iec- II he aetticoa is, gathered hlAn up
h.ILh her lalslin skirt, a8d clutched in
t4-e hnseI of her lelt hand Very
So 3, Relc fesrfulv. she turned her
heac. Be- cheeks were the color OF
clalk- her lres ncrc filled with terror
D. cart afeIe coming. or those EabUrers
in the field lad heard. escape was i'm
possible. islle n-ust return then. and
lace ILis tersble thing. II any one had
seen -or heard - or were coming now
- GOD heip hcri
The terror f1dcd from her eyes a
1aint sleam or returning color gave
her a. once more natural appearance.
20 Tar as TIE eye cOciu reach. the
~ lite level road, with it's fringe Of elm
trees. was empty. Away off ia the fields
the blue smCcEed peasants benz still at
their toll they had heard nothing.
seen nothing. a few more minutes
and she was safe.
Yet before she turned once more to
resume her flight she schooled herself
with an effort TO look where IL had
happened. A dark mass Of wreckage.
q Fl WHICH uAlS q clznl mist or kGDOT,
lay nan N the ditch, half across The
hedge, close under a tree from the
trunk Of which the bark had been torn
and stripped A few yards further off
something gray, inert, was lying. a
huddled UP heap of humanity twisted
into strange unnatural shape. Again
the chalky pallor spread even TO her
lips, her eyes became lit with the old
terror. She withdrew her head with a
little moan, and resumed her flight
way up On the hillside was the little
country railway station. She fixed her
eyes upon il and ran. keeping always
~ far as possible in the shadow OF
the hedge, gazing fearfuliy every now
and then down along the valley for
The white smoke Of the train.
She reached the station. and mincling
with crowd Of ezcursionists who had
come from the river on the other side
took her place in the train unnoticed.
She leaned back in her seat and closed
her eyes. Until the last moment she
WAS afraid. Not until the fields were
flying past her. and the speed Of the
train increased every moment. did she
dare 10 tell herself that she had es-
capped It was marvellous fortune,
Arrived in Paris she remembered that
she had not the money for a fiacrc
she was ia ill trim for walking, but
somehow or other she made her way as
down upon an empty seat.
She had not at first the power for
concealinent. Her nerves were shat
tered, her senses dazed by this uneX-
pected shock. She sat there. q mark for
boUlevardiers the unconscious object
Of nunberless wondering gaances. Paris
vas full and IL was by no means a
retired spot which she had found.
ct she never once thought OF
Of
somewhat artificial graces and manner
isms, she was for once in her life per-
fectly natural. Terror had laid a par
alyzing hand upon her fear kept her
almost unconscious OF the curious
glances which she was continually at
tracing. She forgot to pose forgot
10 assume one OF those studied but
graceful little attitudes which showed
on her 1.-the, piduant figure to its best
. possible advantage. She sat huddled
up, Tor once genuinely regardless of ef-
feet, panic-stllcken as though with fear
~ some Imminent. danger. Every now
enc then she looked along the boule-
ward down toward the station How
much further she-could see, what man
ner ~ grisiy picture il was which even
row haunted her, who can ten Vet
IT such moments her eyes were in
drawn with terror. her fingers clasped
frantically the sides Of her chair Fut
. though many people stared and wF;s-
pereo remarks loud enough to reach
her ear, no one accosted her For
haf an hour or more she sat there
undisturbed.
Then there came brislxly along the
path toward her an Englishman. He
was perhaps forty-five years of age
lie was dressed with the utmost care.
and he set his feet upon the broad
walk as though the action were in
some way condescension he was
alert, wei-grocmed. and yet-perhaps
81 contrast with the more volatile
French type-there was q suggestion
OF weight about him. not to say heavi-