The San Francisco call., 1909-09-05

shadow it were-running head down
with a strange. scattering movement
of arms and legs, yet seeming to mako
such speed that for moment 1t kept
abreast of the cab. She could see no
features, no lineament of this strange
thing to recognize, yet instantly she
knew what 1t must be-what she had
feared and thought impossible. She
thrust her head far out and addressed
the driver.
go as fast as you can. fasterl and
I'll give you twice what he gave you"
The words rang so wildly to her own
ears that she half expected the driver
to peer down like an old bird OF prey
from his perch and demand her reason.
But he made no sound or sign. 1t may
have been that In his time he had heard
even wilder requests than hers. He
only sent his whip cracking forward to
the ears OF the lean horse and the
cab began to rattle like a mad thing.
Flora leaned back with a sigh of
relief The mere sensation of being
borne along at such rate, the sight OF
houses, lamp posts, even people here
and there, fitting away from the eye.
unable to interrupt her course, or oven
to glimpse her identity, gave her a
feeling of safety. The more she was
getting into the residence part Of the
city, the more deserted the streets
the closer shut the windows of the
houses the more 1t seemed to her as
If the night itself covered and abetted
her flight. So swiftly she went it was
only a wonder how the cab held to-
gether. She had never travelled more
rapidly In her light and silent carriage.
Now they whirled tho corner and
plunged at the steep rise of a cross
street Just above. over the crown
of the hill, she saw tho sky moon
less, blackish, spattered with stars
Then against a little fiuttering shape
like sentinel wisp-the only living
thing in sight 1t was incredible, i'm
possible, horrible that he should be
there, in front of her, waiting for her,
who had driven so fast-too, fast It
had seemed. for human foot to follow.
By what unimaginable route had he
travelled? She was ready to believe he
had flown over the housetops And
above all other horrors, why was he
pursuing her?
The carriage was abreast the China
man now, and Immediately he took up
his trot, for little while keeping up,
lodging along between light and
shadow. presently falling behind At
intervals she heard tho patter, patter
patter of his footsteps following; at In
tervals she lost the sound, and shadows
would engulf the figure, and she would
wait In a panic for it's reappearance.
For she knew it was there somewhere,
on one side of the street or the other.
But, oh, not to see it! To expect at
any moment 1t might start up again
heaven knew = where, perhaps at her
very carriage window. Her uncon-
scious hand was doubled to fist upon
her breast, fast closed upon the sap
phire.
with all her body braced she leaned
and looked far backward, and far for
ward. and now for long time saw
nothing nothing. The distance was
empty The glare of arc lights showed
her the shadows OF her own progress
the shadow of her vehicle shooting.
huge misshapen now on the cobbles,
now along a blank wall, wheels, body
and driver, all lurching like one; now
heaped on each other, now tenuously
drawn out, now twisting themselves
into shapes the mind could not account
for. For here whirling the corner, the
carriage seemed to wave an arm, and
now between the wheels. fast twin
king. she saw pair of legs. She
leaned and looked, so mesmerized with
this grotesque appearance that it
scarcely troubled her that all tho way
down the last LONG hill she knew II