Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-07-15
time-it seems to me 1 did hear a cab

an exclamation of combined illumina-
ton II inquiry more typically British
than anything Kirkwood had vet
heard from the man.
For her part, the look she gave Kirk
wood was sharp with fury. 1t was
more; it was a mistake, a flaw in her
diplomacy, for Calendar intercepted it.
Unceremoniously he grasped her bare
arm with his fat hand.
Tell me who it wasp he demanded
in an ugly tone.
She freed herself With a twist and
stepped back, a higher color in her
checks, a flash of anger in her eye
MIR. Mulready," she retorted defiant
~. What of that?"
Il wish was sure" declared the fat
adventurer, eXasperated. LAS it is, I
bet a dollar you've put our foot in it,
my lady. l warned you of that black
guard. There! The mischief's done.
We won't row over it. One moment"
He begged it with q wave Of his hand,
stood pondering briefly, fumbled for
his watch, found and consulted it.
Its the barest chance" be muttered.
Perhaps we IA make it."
what are you going to do?" asked
the woman.
Give Mr.. Mulready q run for his
money. Come along, Kirkwood! We
haven't u minute. Mrs. Hallam, per-
NIT us" She stepped aside, and he
brushed past her to the door. Come,
kirkwood!"
He seemed to take kirkwood's COM
pany for granted, and the young man
was not inclined to argue the point.
Meekly enough he fell in with Calen-
dar on the sidewalk. Mrs. IIallam fol
lowed them u You won't forget:'
she called tentatively.
"Ill phone you if we dnd out any
thing" Calendar jerked the words
unc%er1noniously over his shoulder as,
linking arms with Kirkwood, he drew
him swiftly along. They heard her
Shut the door. Instantly Calendar
stopped. Look here, did Dorothy
have IA small parcel with herr"
She had a gladstone bag"
ooh. the devil, the DEVIL" Calendar
started on again, muttering distracted
ly. AS they reached the corner he
disengaged his arm. We've a minute
and a half to reach Charing Cross pier,
and 1 think it's the last boat. You set
the pace, will you? But remember I'm
an oldish man and-and fat"
They began to run, the one easily,
the other numbering after like an old
fashioned square rugged ship paced by
a liner.
The Thames appeared before them,
a river Of ink on whose FURNISHED sur
face lights swan in long winding
streaks and oily blobs. By the floating
pier a county council steamboat strain
ed it's hawsers, snoring huskily. Bells
were jingling in her engine room as
the two gained the head of the sloping
gangway.
kirkwood slapped a shilling down
on the ticket window ledge. 'tWhere
to-" he cried back to Calendar.
Cherry Gardens pier" rasped the
winded man. He stumbled after Kirk
wood, grooming with exhaustion. Only
the tolerance of the pier employees
gained them their end. The steamer
was held some seconds for them. AS
Calendar staggered to it's deck the
gangway was jerked in, the last haw-
ser cast off. The boat sheered wide
out on the river, hen shot in, arrow
like, to the pier beneath Waterloo
bridge.
The deck was crowded, and addi-
tional passengers embarked at every
stop. In the circumstances converse
ton. save on the most impersonal top
les, was impossible.
AS the boat snorted beneath London
bridge Calendars Impotence drove
him from his seat back to the gang
way. Next stop" he told Kirkwood
CURLY and rested his heavy bulk
against the paddle box. brooding mo-
rosely, until, after an uninterrupted
run Of more than a mile. the steamer
swept in, side wheels backing water
%furiously against the ebbing tide, to
Cherry Gardens landing.
Sweet name for q locality %unsavory
beyond credence!
Kirkwood shuddered, sticking close
to Calendars side as they landed.
Life's naked brutalities had thereto
fore been largely out of his ken. He had
heard Of slums. had V e ventured to
mouth politely moral platitudes on the
subject of o~vercrowding in great cen
tiers Of population. but in the darkest
flights of Imagination had eve pic
tured to himself anything sc unspeak-
ably foul and hopeless as this. And
they were come hither seeking Doro-
thy Calendar!
After some ten minutes steady walk
ing Calendar turned aside with a NUT
tered word and dived down a covered
dark and evil smelling passageway
| that seemed to lead toward the river.
Mastering his involuntary qualms,
Kirkwood followed.
Some ten or twelve PAGES from its
entrance the passageway swerved at a
right angle, continuing three yards or
so to end in a blank wall, wherefrom
a hickering, inadequate gas lamp jut-
ted. At this point a stone platform
narhouS four feet SQUARE was diSCOV-