Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-10


he emerged, a moment later from the
portals of the club, still chuckling mild
| " to himself as he struggled into light
| evening overcoat. His temper, having
run the gamut of boredom, interest, per-
turbation, mystihcation. and plain amuse-
ment, was now altogether inconsequential;
a dangerous mood for Maitland. Standing
on the corner OF Twenty-sixth street he
thought II over, tapping the sidewalk
gently with his cane. Should he or should
he not carry out his intention as declared
to Bannerman, and go to Greenfields that
| same night? Or should he keep his belat-
ed engagement with Cressy's party?
An Grant cabby, cruising aimlessly but
hopefully, sighted Maitland's tall figure
| and white shirt from a distance, and bore
down upon him with gallant clatter OF
hoofs
"Kebsir?" he demanded breathlessly
pulling in at the corner.
Maitland came out of his reverie and
looked up slowly. why yes, thank you,
he assented amiably.
Where to, sir?'
Maitland paused on the forward deck
of the craft and faced about, LOOKING
the cabby trustfully in the eye.
IT leave II to you." he replied politely.
Just as you please
The driver gasped.
You see," Maitland continued with a
courteous smile, II have two engage
ments; one at Sherry's, the other with
I the 1920 train from Long Island City.
What would you, as man to man, advise
me to do. cabby7"
| well, sir, seem as you puts 1t to me
straight" returned the cabby with en-
gaging candor, I'D go home sir, IL was
you, afore 1 got any worse"
Thank you," gravely. Long Island
CITY depot then. cabby"
| Maitland extended himself languidly up
on the cushions. Surely" he told the
night, 1.-The driver knows best-he and
| Bannerman.'
The cab started off jogging so sedately
up Madison avenue that Maitland glanced
biously; then with his stick poked open
the trap in the roof.
| IF you really think 1t best for me to
] go home, cabby, you'll have to drive like
hell" he suggested mildly.
| "Yessir!
! A whip-lash cracked loudly over the
horses back, and the hanson, lurchins
into Thirty-fourth street on one wheel.
was presently jouncing eastward over
rough cobbles, at a regardless pace which
reused the gongs of the surface cars to
a clangor of hysterical expostulation. In
a trice the IL" extension was roaring
overhead; and a little later the ferry
gates were yawning before them. Again
Maitland consulted his watch, comment
ing briefly: TN time"
| Yet he reckoned without the ferry, one
of whose employees deliberately and I'M
| placably swung to the gates In the very
] face of the astonished cab-horse, which
promptly rose upon its hind legs and
paved the air with gestures of pardon
able evaporation. To no avail. however;
the gates remained closed, the cabby
| with language refined his steed back a
yard or two, and Maitland, lighting a
cigarette, composed himself to simulate
patience.
Followed wait OF ten min
utes or so, in which O number Of
vehicles Joined company NTH the cab; the
passenger was vaguely aware of the jar
| ring purr OF a motor-car, like that OF
| some huge cat, in the Immediate rear. A
| circumstance which he had occasion to
recall ere long.
In the course Of time the gates were
again opened. The bridge cleared of in
coming trafic. AS the cabby drove
aboard the boat, with nice consideration
| selecting the choicest stand of all, well
out upon the forward deck, a motor-car
slid in, humming, on the right Of the
hanson. .F
Maitland sat forward. resting his fore
arms on the apron. and jerked his cigar
cite out over the gates; the glowing stub
described fiery arc and took the water
with a hiss. Warm whiffs of the rivers
sweet and salty breath famed his face
/ gratefully, and he became aware that
there was a moon. His gaze rowing at
will, he nodded an even-tempered appro-
baton Of the nights splendor: in the
! city a thing unsupported.
Never, he thought had he known moon
light so pure, so silvery and strong Shad-
ows of gates and posts lay upon the for
ward deck like stencils of lampblack upon
| white marble. Beyond the boats bluntly
rounded nose the East river stretched its
restless, dark reaches glossy black. WOW
en- with gorgeous ribbons or reflected light
streaming from pier-head lamps on the
further shore Overhead, the sky, pallid
and luminous blue around the low-swung
moon, was shaded to profound depths of
| bluish-black toward the horizon. Above
Brooklyn rested a tenuous haze. reve-
nue. cutter, a slim, pale shape, cut across
the bows like a hunted ghost. Farther
out a homeward-bound excursion steam
er, tier upon tier of glittering lights,
drifted slowly toward its pier beneath
the new bridge, the blare of it's band
swelling and dying upon the night breeze,
mercifully tempered by distance.
Present Maitland's attention was dis
tracted and drawn, by the abrupt cessa-
| ton of it's motors pulsing, to the auto
mobile on his right. He lifted his chin
sharply, narrowing his eyes, whistled
low; and thereafter had eyes for nothing
else.
The car, he saw with the expert
enced eye OF connoisseur, was
recent model of one of the most ex-
pensive and popular foreign makes; built
on lines that promised a deal in the
way of speed, and furnished with engines
that were pregnant with multiplied horse
power; all in all not the style of car
one would expect to find~ controlled by n
solitary woman, especially after 10 OF
summers night.
Nevertheless the lone occupant OF this
car was a woman. And there was that in
her bearing an indefihahle something
whether 1t lay in the carriage of her head,
which impressed one as both spirited and
independent, or in an equally certain but
less tangible air OF self-confidence and re-
liance-to set Mad Maitland's pulses
drumming with excitement. For, unless
indeed he labored gravely under a mis-
apprehension, he was observing her for
the second time within the past few
hours.
Could he be mistaken, or was this in
truth the same woman who had Gas he
believed) made herself free Of his rooms
that evening?