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

with all her force, a blow on the face.
She saw the skin redden under it.
F. open the door," she gasped; open
the door!"
For the moment the blow so stunned
and enraged him that he drew back
from her, his hand instinctively rising
to the smarting skin. An oath burst
from his compressed mouth
I'D like to kill you for that" he
said.
open the door, she almost shrieked,
rafting the handle.
"Ill pay you for this. You seem to
forget that know all the disreputable
all the world how your mother was
sold to Dan Moreau, and how"
Mariposa heard the click of the gate
and a step on the outside stairs. She
drowned the sound of Essex's voice in
a sudden furious pounding on the door,
while she cried with the full force of
her lungs:
"Benitoi Miguel! Mrs. Garcia!-Come
and open this door! Come and let me
out! I'm locked in! Gomez"
Essex was at the door in an instant,
the key in the lock. AS he turned it he
gave her murderous look.
You fooli" he said under his
breath.
AS the portal swung open and he
passed into the hall, the front door was
violently pushed inward, and Barron
almost fell against him in the hurry of
his entrance.
The newcomer drew back from the
departing stranger with an apologize
start
Beg your pardon" he said bruskly.
"but thought heard some one scream
in here"
Scream" said Essex, languidly Sc
lecting his hat from the disreputable
collection on the rack; II didn't notice
it, and I've been sitting in there for
nearly an hour with Miss Moreau.
fancy you've made a mistake
II guess / must have. It's odd
The hall door slammed behind Essex,
and the other man turned into the par
. lor, where the light was now very dim.
In his exit from the room Essex had
flung the door open with violence, and
Nariposa, who had backed against the
wall, was still standing behind it. AS
Barron pushed it to he saw her, vague
black figure with white hands and face,
in the dark
What on earth are you doing there?"
he. said: standing behind the door
like a child in the corner"
She thanked heaven for the friendly
dark and answered hurriedly:
"I-I-I-didn't want you to catch me.
I'm so-so-untidy.
'.Untidy? 1 never saw you untidy,
and don't believe you ever were. l met
a man in the hail. who said he'd been
here for an hour. You must havei been
playing puss in the corner with hi}n."s
Yes; his names Essex. and he's a
friend OF Mrs. Willers' that 1 know.
He was here. and I thought he'd come
about music lessons. so l came down
looking rather untidy. That was how
it happened"
And he stayed an hour talking
about music lessons?"
"No-oh, no; other things"
They turned into the haH, Barron, in
his character of general guardian of
the Garcia fortunes, shutting the door
of the state apartment. He had the ap-
pearance of taking no notice of Mari
pcsa. but as soon as he got into the
light Of the hall gas he sent light
ning-like glance over her face.
1T was funny he said, but as /
came uD the steps / thought l heard
some one calling out. / dashed in and
fell into the arms of your music-lesson
man, who said no cries of any kind
had disturbed the joy of his hour in
your society"
Mariposa had begun to ascend the
stairs
Cries." she said over her shoulder;
I don't think there were any cries.
Why should any one cry out here?"
That's exactly what l wanted to
know" he said, watching her ascend
ing back
She TUNED and passed out of sight at
the top of the stairs. Barron stood be-
low under the hall gas, his head
dropped. He was puzzled, for, say
what they might, he was certain he had
heard cries.