Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-21


She must get away and that instantly,
before From a distance, tomorrow
morning-tonight, evenly telegraph,
she could communicate with him.
At this juncture OHagan entered with
his parcel. The rustic of the paper as he
brushed against the door-Jamb was in It
self hint to a mind keyed TO the highest
pitch of excitement and seeking way or
escape from a position conceived to be
lperilous. In a trice the girl had turned
and sped. lightfooted. to the door open
Ing on the private hail.
! Here, hating for a brief reconnaissance,
she determined that her plan was FEAST
BILE. II hazardous. She ran the risk OF
encountering some one ascending tho
stairs from the ground floor; but II she
were cautious and quick she could turn
back in time. On the other hand, the men
whom she most feared were thor
oughly occupied with their differ
lences. dead to all save that
which was happening within the rooms
four walls. A curtain hung perhaps a
third of the way across the study door,
tempering the light in the hall; and the
broad shoulders Of the cabby obstructed
the remainder Of the opening.
1t was a chance. She poised on tiptoe,
half undecided. and-the rustling OF paper
as O'Hagan opened the parcel afforded
her an opportunity to escape. by drown
ing the noise of her movements.
For two eternal seconds she was edg-
ing steathily down toward the outer door;
then. in no time at all, found herself on
the landing, and-confrOnted by fresh
complication, one unforeseen; how to leave
the house without being observed, stop
ped, and perhaps detained until too late?
There would be men at the door, be-
yond doubt; possibly police, stationed
there to arrest all persons attempting to
No time for weighing chances. The
| choice of two alternatives lay before her:
either to return to the alcove or to seek
safety in the darkness OF the upper floors
-untenanted, as she had been at pains to
determine. The latter seemed by far
the better, the less dangerous, course to
pursue. And at once she took It,
There was no light on the first floor
landing-it having presumably been ex-
tinguished by the janitor early in the
evening. Only a feeble twilight obtained
there, in part a reflected glow from the
entrance hall, partly thin and diffused
rays escaping from Maitland's study. So
1t was that the first few steps upward
took the girl into darkness so close and
unrelieved as to seem almost palpable.
At the turn of the staircase she paused,
holding the rail and resting for an in
ing at more sedate pace to a haven Of
safety more complete in that ii would be
more remote from the battle-ground be-
low.
And resting so, was suddenly chilled
through and through with fear, sheer
childish dread of the intangible and UNI
known terrors that lurked in the black
ness above her. 1t was as If, rendered
supersensitive by strain and excitement
the quivering filaments of her subcon-
sciousness like spiritual tentacles
countered and recoiled from
a shape of evil, specter of horror OBJ
scene and malign, crouching, ready to
spring, there, in the shadow of night.
And her breath was smothered in her
throat and her heart smote so madly
against the frail walls of its cage that
they seemed like to burst, while she
stood transfixed, frozen in inaction, limbs
stiffenlng, roots of her hair stirring, fin
gers gripping the banister rail until they
panied her; and with eyes that stared
wide into the black heart of nothingness,
4 until the night seemed pricked with eva
nescent periods of dim fire, peopled with
monstrous and terrible shadows closing
Yeti was absurd! .She must not yield
/ to such puerile superstitions.
i There was nothing there.
There was something there some
thing that like an incarnation Of hatred
was stalking her. .
1 If only she dared scream! If only she
dared turn and fly, back to the comfort
1 of light and human company
There arose a trampling of feet In the
hallway; and she heard Maitland's voice
1 like a far echo, as he babe the police
.I,
I as ne seemed, the sound of his words
/ brought her strength and some reassur-
l ance, and she grew slightly more COM
i posed. Yet, the instant that he had turn
! ed away to talk to the cabman, her fright
1 of that unspcakable and incorporeal men
! ace flooded her consciousness like a great
i wave, sweeping Observation-Disclosures
1 her feet. And indeed. for the time she
4 felt as if drowning, overwhelmed in vast
4 waters, sinking. sinking, into the black
i abyss of syncope.
Then, as a drowning person-we're told
clutches at straws, she grasped again at
the vibrations of his voice. What
j was he saying?
You will wait outside. please, until
come out or send somebody, whom you
will take wherever directed. E"
i Speaking to the cabman, thinking of
i her, providing for her escape! Con-
i siderate and foresighted as al
i ways! How she could have thanked
him! The warmth of gratitude that en-
veloped her almost unnerved her; she was
put to 1t to restrain her impulse to rush
1 down the stairs and
1 But, no; she must not risk the chance
| of rebuff How could she foretell what
| was in his mind and heart. how probe
the depths of his feeling towards her?
Perhaps he would receive her protesta-
lions in skeptlc spirit. Heaven knew he
had cause to! Dared she To be
| repulsed!
| But no. He had provided this means for
| flight; she would advantage herself of 1t
and. and thank him by letter.
Best so; for he must ever think the worst
Of her; she could never undeceive him
| pride restraining and upholding her.
Better so; she would go. go quickly. be-
| fore he discovered her absence from the
flat. -.
And incontinently she swung about and
flew down the stairs, silently, treading as
| lightly on the heavily padded steps as
though she had been thistledown whirled
adrift by the wind, altogether Needless of
the creeping terror she had sensed on the
| upper flight careless of all save her i'm
| mediate need to reach that cab before