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

CHAPTER XXI.
1t was the afternoon of Edna willers'
music lesson. Over week had elapsed
since Mariposa's interview with Essex,
yet to-day, as she stood at her window
looking out at the threatening sky, her
fears OF him were as active as ever.
Though he had made no further sign,
her woman's intuitions warned her that
this was but a temporary lull in his
campaign. She went out with the fear
of meeting him driving her into unfre-
quented streets.
The music lesson had hardly begun
when the rain was flashing the window
and pouring down the panes in fury.
Darkness fell with it. The night
seemed to drop on the city in an in
slant. coming with a whirling rush of
wind and falling waters. The house
wifely little Edna drew the curtains
and lit the gas, saying as she settled
back on her music-stool:
You'd better stay to dinner with me,
Mariposa. Mommer won't be home till
late because it's Wednesday. and the
back part Of the woman's page goes to
press"
'Oh. couldn't stay tonight" said
Mariposa hurriedly, affrighted by the
thought Of the walk home alone at ten
o'clock, which she had often before
taken without a tremor; II must go
quite soon. I fogot it was the day
when the back sheet goes to press. Go
on, Edna, 1t will be like the middle Of
the night by the time we finish
This was indeed the case. When the
lesson was over, the evening outside
was shrouded in a midnight darkness
to an accompaniment Of roaring rain.
1t was a torrential downpour. The two
girls, peering out into the street, could
see by the blurred rays of the lamps a
swimming highway, down which a car
dashed at intervals, spattering the
blackness with the broken lights Of its
windows. Despite the child's urgings
to remain. Mariposa insisted on going.
She was well prepared for wet she said.
folding her circular about her and re-
moving the elastic band that held to-
gether her disreputable umbrella.
But she did not realize the force of
the storm till she found herself in the
street. BY keeping in the lee of the
houses on the right-hand side, she could
escape the full fury of the wind, and
she began slowly making her way up
ward.
She had gone some distance when the
roll of music she carried slipped from
under her arm and fell into water and
darkness. She CROPPED for it, clutched
it's saturated cover, and brought it up
dripping. The music was of value to
her, and she moved forward to where
the light of an uncurtained window cut
the darkness, revealing the top of
wall. Here she rested the roll and tried
to wipe 1t dry with her handkerchief.
Her face, down-bent and earnest, was
distinctly visible in the shaft of light.
A man, standing opposite, who had
been patrolling these streets for the
past hour. saw it, gave a smothered
exclamation, and crossed the street. He
was at her side before she saw him.
Several hours earlier Essex had been
passing down a thoroughfare in that
neighborhood, when he had met Benito.
slowly vending his way homeward
from school. The child recognized him
and smiled, and with the smile, Essex
recolected the face and saw that fate
was still on his side.
Pressing a quarter into Benito's
readily extended palm, he had inquired
if the boy knew where Miss Moreau
was.
"Mariposa?" said Benito, with easy
familiarity; she's at Mrs. Willers' Civ
ing Edna her lesson. This is Wednes-
day, amt it? Well, Edna gets her les
son on Wednesdays from half-past
four till half-past five. and so that's
where Mariposa is. But she's gener-
ally late cause she stays and talks to
Mrs. Willers."
At five o'clock, sheltere by the drip
ping dark, Essex began his furtive
watch of the streets along which she
might pass. He knew that every day
was precious to him now, with Mrs.
Willers among his enemies and ready
to enlist Winslow Shackleton against
him. Here was an opportunity to see
the girl, better than the parlor of the
Garcia house offered, with it's officious
boarders. There was absolute seclu-
sion in these back and rain-swept
streets.
He had been prowling about for al
hour when he finally saw her. A dozen
times he had cursed under his breath
fearing she had escaped him; now his
relief was such that he ran toward her,
and with a rough hand swept aside her
umbrella. In the clear light of the I'M
curtained pane she saw his face, and
shrank back against the wall as il she
had been struck. Then a second i'm
pulse seized her and she tried to dash
past him. He seemed prepared for this
and caught her by the arm through her
cloak, swinging her violently back to
her place against the wall.
Keeping his grip on her he said, try
ing to smile:
What are you afraid Of? Don't you
know me?"
Let me CO." she said, struggling.
you're hurting me-"
"I don't want to hurt you.'' he an
swered, but mean to keep you for a
moment. / want to talk to you. And
I'm going to talk to you"
at won't listen to you. Let me go at
once How cowardly to hold me in this
way against my will"
She tried again to wrench her arm
out Of his grasp, but he held her like
wise. Her resistance of him and the re-