The Washington herald., 1910-07-31
CHAPTER I.


day. I always planned some little sur
prise for him beside his present. and
this morning I had got up very early,
before any one else was stirring. to slip
down to the Washington street market
for some fine fresh mushrooms. He was
extravagantly fond Of them, but we
seldom had them because Abby was get
ting too old 20 be up for early market
ing. and father always said that mush-
rooms should come in nth the dew
to be good.
1 had bought a little straw basket,
green and red. and lined It with leaves:
and now I put on my white bounced
gown and my fat green hat. so that
when ! should come in with my basket
as they sat at breakfast II would seem
like a little fete Then I went a-tptoe
down the stairs that would creak. for
could hear Lee, the China boy. stir
ring In the kitchen. and IL would have
spoiled everything 20 be caught going
out with my empty basket When I
had let myself into the street felt very
naughty and festive in my furbelows
at such an hour OF the morning. The
that the rustic OF my petticoats sounded
loud as I walked along
The Washington street market was
fully six blocks away, and they seemed
the longer for being 50 quiet When
I got there the men were SIN taking
the crates of tho carts, and the stalls
we're not set out yet Il took me a long
time to find what I wanted. so that when
came out the wagons were Gathering
on Montgomery street. and in one or
two shops the shutters we're already
down That made me hurry for I was
ofraid OF being late. / few along with
my basket in one hand and my founces
in the other. The sunlight had caught
the gilt ball on the hagstan Of the Alta
California Building. and the sky that
had been misty was now broad blue
above the gray housetops In my furry
I found myself on Dupont street before
1 knew IL; but after all It was the short
est way. and everything was quiet. not
a blind turned. The houses on either
hand were locked and silent and moth
ing moved in the steep little street but
look. that he filled the street with terror
up the block
was walking on the upper side OF
the street. and drawing near the corner.
I was opposite AR Rood's gambling
house. which was shattered tight, and
looked as blank as the rest. with only
the Slated half doors OF the bar and
the dark spaces above and below them
70 suggest that II had an inside. I was
just thinking I heard people talking
| there. when suddenly a sharp splitting
noise seemed TO ring inside my head.
the Slated doors flew open. and a man
fea out backward. He fell in a heap
or the sidewalk: and over him. almost
upon him. leaped another man. with such
rush. such face. and such a wild
! look that he filled the street With terror.
stood there, staring stupidity. too
stunned to realize what had happened.
He saw me, and for an instant he stood.
| with the pistol smoking in his hand
the handsomest man ever saw IN nv
life, and the most terrible. Then he
flung the pistol into the street and ran.
He ran down Dupont, and disappeared
into Washington; and all the while I
stood there, listening to the terrible
/ loud clatter of his feet made IN the dis
lance. 7 looked across the street. and
blue smoke was drifting out OF the slat-
| ted door over the man who lay still
Then there seemed 10 come over me at
once the meaning OF the horrible thing
that had happened. and I ran.
I heard a shutter flung open IN the
street behind me- I saw glitter near
the curb. a flash OF steel. a shine OF
] 1. 4
tol he had flung away. I felt suffocat-
| INK, and my feet seemed weighted with
| lead as II I were running in a dream.
| And. strange enough, what filled me with
the widest terror was not the sight Of
the thing that lay still on the pavement
under the drifting smoke. but the sound
Of those furiOusiy running feet dying
away and away into the sleepy city. I
| felt as II I myself were criminal pur-
sued. as X the house was the one refuge
/ that would save me, and with a thou
sand horrors at my heels burst in upon
/ father just sitting down with Mr.. Ding
! ley in the quiet. sunny dining
At sight Of me both jumped up.
What's the matter, chiid?" father
said.
I looked around. and realized I was
| still clutching my basket, though all the
mushrooms had fallen out and my foot
was through torn fiounce. and my hat
hanging on my neck Ny mouth was
/ dry. For a moment I couldn't get a
WORD of my tongue; and then, He fell,
he fell" I said, and, He Is gone"
Where was it?" The words seemed
] - ~, IN ~
II from far of.
! Mr.. Foods gambling housed"
gasped, and felt the top Of my head get
/ ting cold and the floor beginning to
move under me. I had a dim impression
Of Mr.. Dingley rushing out Of the room
with his napkin still in his hand; then
I found myself sitting on the sofa. with
a singing taste OF brandy on my tongue,
and heard fathers voice saying, Cant
you tell me- child?~
oh I said, hes deadr' And then
I poured all the story out in a breath.
saw fathers face growing more and
more keen and grave and could feel
his fingers gently around my arm as If
he feared my turning faint again In
deed the room around me seemed un-
real, but what had happened in the street
was still fearfully clear. It was cut into
my mind as II It were still before my
eyes. the topping lurch OF the falling
body, the silk hat rolling into the gut
ter. and then that fine. terrible gentle
man that had sprung out after The
moment had stamped him as clear In
my memory as years could have done
I could tell how very tall he was. how