Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-10-22

udshnR MIN startled glance that
caused his pulse to leap anew. Rising
silently, she went past him TO the
piano Never before had she surprised
that look In his eyes and at the reali-
cation wave OF confusion surged over
her. She strove 70 calm herself
through her music. which shielded
while II gave expression TO her mood.
and neither spoke as the evening
shadows crept In upon them. But the
girls exaltation was short lived; the
thought came that Boyd's feeling was
but transitOry; he was not the sort to
burn lasting incense before more than
one shrine. Nevertheless, at this mo-
ment he was hers. and In the Joy OF
that certainty she let the moments slip.
They heard a child crying some
where In the rear OF the house and
Chakawanas voice soothing: then in n
moment the Indian girl appeared in
the doorway. saying something about
going out with Constantine. Cherry
acquiesced half consciously. impatient
Of the intrusion. Boyd finally rose and.
going TO the door saw that the sky was
deeply overcast rendering the night as
dark rs I'm a far lower latitude.
I've Overstaycd my welcome" he
ventured and smiled at her answering
laugh
With trace OF solicitude she said:
Wait, I'll get YOU a raincoat." But
he reached out n OBTAINING hand. In
the darkness it encountered the bare
flesh Of her arm.
Please don't! You'd have TO strike
light TO find it. and l don't want a
light now"
1T has been pleasant evening" she
said namely
Il saw you FOR the first time tonight.
Cherry. / think have begun TO know
you"
Again she felt her heart leap Reach
ing out to say goodby, his hand slipped
down over her arm like a caress until
her palm lay in his.
With trembling. gentle hands she
pushed him from her.
When the black bulk OF Marsh's can
merry doomed ahead Of Emerson he left
the gravel beach and turned up among
the buildings, seeking 10 retrace his
former course. As he turned the cor
ner Of the first building he nearly ran
against a man who was standing mo-
tionleSS afaliuSt the wall The fellow.
with a sharp exclamation. vanished
into the gloom. Boyd lost no time I'm
gaining the plank runway that led TO
the dock and. finding an angle in the
building, backed into it and waited.
From his momeutary glimpse OF the
man as he made OF lac knew that lac
was tail and active-just the sort OF
person to prove dangerous I'm an en-
counter. But II his suspicious were
correct there must be others close 10y.
and Boyd wondered why lie had heard
no signal. After GREATNESS wait OF
moment or two he stole cautiously
out. and, selecting the darkest shad-
ows, slipped from one 10 another TIL
he was caught by the sound OF voices
issuing from the yawulng entrance OF
the main building on his right. The
next moment his tension relaxed: one
or the speakers was woman. Evil
IDENTITY his alarm had been needless,
for these people. whoever they were.
made no effort 90 conceal their pres
ence. on the contrary. the woman had
raised her tone TO louder pitch, al
though her words were stu undistin-
guishable.
Greatly relieved. Boyd was ahcnt -
go on. when sharp cry. like q signal,
came in the woman's voice. a cry
which turned 10 a genuine wall OF dis
tresS The listener heard mans voice
curslng in answer. and then the sound
Of scuffie. followed at length by a
choking cry, that brought him bound
Ing into the building. He ran forward,
recklessly, but before he had covered
half the distance her collided violently
with n piece OF machinery and went
Eprawling 20 the floor. A glance up
ward revealed the dim outlines Of
topper" and showed him farther
down the building. silhouetted briefly
against the lesser darkness OF the win
dows. two struggling figures. AS he
regalned his footing. something rushed
past him-man OF animal he could not
tell which, for its feet made no more
sound upon the floor than those OF a
wolf dog. Then. as he bolted forward,
he heard n man cry out. and found
himself In the midst OF turmoil. His
hands encountered a human body, and
he seized IL, only to be hurled aside as
II with n giants strength. Again he
clinched with a mans form. and bore
II to the floor, cursing at the darkness
and reaching for its throat His an
tagonist raised his voice In wild
clamOr, while Boyd braced himself for
another assault from those hui hands
he had met a moment before. But it
did not come. Instead he heard "A cry
from the woman, an answer in a deep
er voice and then swift. pattering
footsteps growing fainter. Meanwhile
the man with whom he was locked
was fighting desperately. with hands
and feet and teeth, shouting hOarsely.
Other footsteps sounded now. this
time approaching. then at the door a
lantern fiared. A Waterman came run
ming down between the lines OF ma
chinery, followed by other figures half
revealed
Boyd had pinned his antagonist
against the cold sides OF a retort at
last and with fingers clutched about