The San Francisco call., 1910-09-18
CHAPTER TX
THE CoNCEALMENT


and forth. and questioning and ex-
1 planning. before I could come at
any understanding of what had
happened. And even when 1 had heard
as much as any one knew 1t was
strangely Iittle-simply that a body OF
Mexican. horsemen had swept out upon
the guard from apparently all points OF
the compass. had overpowered them
leaving one dead and one Of their own
number wounded, and swept on After
they had gone IL was discovered that
the prisoner had vanished. too. The
cry had been that the horsemeu had
taken him; but some Of the guard who
had followed the riders little way de-
clared that he had not been among
them and one man insisted he had seen
Johnny Montgomery dart in at the
door of one sOf the small houses on
Jackson street. This was immediately
surrounded by police and searched, but
nothing was discovered; and all the
while 1 sat faint and trembling in the
carriage, with a conviction that I ought
to be horrifed, and yet with an ungov-
ernable feeling OF relief. The only
thoughts in my mind were, He Is
safey' and HE IS freeF' II only for
a moment, at least 1t would be mo-
mentI
Half an hour passed before the street
could be cleared. and we could get
across Meanwhile in the fast gather
ing dark, / kept hearing voices speak
ing with that stern ring they have
when men are excited and talking
among themselves, and hoofs OF horses
Gathering off in the direction the Mex
leans had taken.
Every moment my heart was in my
mouth lest suddenly should come the
cry that Johnny Montgomery was
found but he seemed to have vanished
as completely as If he had been made
invisible; and presently a hateful
thought crept into my mind: What
II 1t is the Spanish Woman who has
played the enchantress?" The rumor
was abroad that the sortie had been
planned by some of Johnny Montgom-
ery's friends--they were such wild
fellows that their doing the thing
would not seem extraordinary.
Yet the other explanation seemed
so much more probable to me, so burn
ingly evident. 1t came upon me with
the shock of conviction, as II the Span
fish Woman herself had whispered 1t
In my ear, and I was afraid to look at
any one lest he should read my thought
in my conscious face. kept my head
bent and held my trembling lips tight,
glad that the dark covered my agita-
tions
But later at home. sitting on the
edge of my bed, told mother all about
It. 1 did not form the words aloud.
but when sat there looking up at her
pictured face knew she under
stood every idea that went through
my mind. My thoughts went back
over the Incidents of the
trial Each little separate memory
struck the same note-the attempt to
get him out of prison. the attempt to
make away with witnesses. and finally
this successful snatching OF him from
the law-it was the Spanish Woman
who had been responsible each time.
and now It was she. Oh, understood
now why Johnny Mont gomery had
smiled at me as 1 was giving my testi-
monyl ] had thought it had been to
encourage me to go on. but II must
have been a mere mockery. since he
knew that. no matter what story told.
he was safe.
But, had he known IL? When I re-
called his white, set face I doubted.
Yet at any rate, even in spite OF him.
she had saved him. He was gone, gone
to her perhaps, and I was left with the
mere comfort of having done what 1
thought was right. 1t was cold comfort
when every feeling in me had been out
ragged by the doing. and now the for-
lorn doubt continually stirred as to the
right, If. as the Spanish Woman said,
love was wOman's only virtue.
wasghorrifled to find myself, with
out apparent reason or any evident
leading up to IT,. with that word on my
lips. Love? Why, what had that TO do
with me? I looked In a fright at
mother, as If I expected her to answer
the question; but that tinid look OF
hers seemed to have only a reflection
of my own fear I'm It. With a sudden
feeling of weakness and helplessness
hid my face in my hands.
From that moment I began TO UNDER
stand what father had meant the day
he had said that I would need mothers
picture now. 1t comforted me that she
was there watching me and seeming to
understand, never looking angrily at
me no matter what foolish or frighten-
ing things I had to tell her, and there
were so many in those days that fol-
lowed--dreadfuI days for mel The very
girls my friends. even while with
round. awed eyes they admired me for
my heroic performance on the witness
stand, yet. for that very reason seemed
to set me a little apart from themselves.
And then the talk about the search
for Johnny Montgomery, full OF the
cruel edgerness of men hunting a mani
The word had been that. of course.
he would be retaken immediately But
the hours slipped away. and the days
and still there was no trace of him.
The whole city was searched, and I
discovered then that the Spanish Woman
was far from escaping public suspicion.
Detectives went in and out Of her
house, ransacking it's remotest, most
cunningly concealed places. She her
self was closely questioned. but nothing
could be elected.
II / needed any reinsurance that she
alone was responsible for Johnny's dis
appearance, this effacement of the
means by which she had accomplished
her object would have convinced me.
Whatever creatures they were who had
effected her purpose for her, they were