The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-11
CHAPTER vI.-Continued

pulled the necklaces. the bracelets
the rings. of me. struggling with the
tangled chains and stubborn clasps. !
shook my hand free of the last jewel,
and then snatching up my turoan
pinned il on with trembling fingers
and all the while she stood looking
silently AZ me- bat when, at last.
had taken up the little bail of my
gloves and stood before her. She spoke
in a very soft voice:
Pardon me- I have lost my wits
But YOU are made OF a material do
not know it-but it is not flesh and
blood. Nevertheless we must not part
bad friends.
She turned to the table and, pushing
aside the Jewels as if they had been
colored glass. pulled toward her
tray. and took up a glass decanter-
She poured two glasses of wine and.
taking one, gracefully held it out TO
me win you not drink to his ac-
auittale" she asked.
Forgive me-" I said. IF I do not
drink to it. I viii wish it with all
nv heart That will be the same"
But it is not" she said, advancing,
with her bright eyes fixed upon me.
TO drink-that IS a deed which shows
the good. will The rest is but words
Come. you have spoken of great things
Won would do for him II only you could.
Wei. here is one small thing. Let me
see you make good your words. Her
voice was so sweetly coaxing my hand
besitated toward the glass. Then as
she thought I was going to take 1t,
something in the expectant intense
look of her caught me; and a dreadful
thought flashed into my mind
I shrank back NO" 1 said I can
mott
But she was fairly upon me with It
She was leaning over me. Drink yes
drink She thrust it upon me-
No, no." I cried in terror. I will
notw I flung up my hand with the i'm
pulse to keep II of me, and struck the
glass, and overturned IT,
She stepped backward and set down
the tray with q clang. There was no
perceptible change in her face, but
suddenly she had become terrible. You
shall never go out Of my house" she
said.
Ny ears wouldn't believe, my senses
rejected the meaning OF those words.
You would not do such a thing-you
would not dare"
She threw back her head until l
could see the great column Of her white
throat swell and laughed II tell you.
my pretty little girl, would fling away
a dozen such as you for only the chance
of saving him.
saw that she meant It'll under
stood how well.-I felt like a little dry
stick in a river, like leaf in the wind.
I looked behind me. The windows did
not open into the outer air but into
tightly closed conservatory. The sound
that was struggling in my throat
was scream, but suppose il would
only call in some OF her creatures
before Mr.. Dingley should hear!
looked squarely into her face, and
am sure. in that moment that I un-
derstood. what death might mean Il
am going" I said. very quietly. and
walked across the room toward the
curtains.
She did not try TO stop me. and ev-
cry unobstructed step 1 took forward
thought. with increasing terror,
What is it that she means to do?"
When I reached the closed curtain the
grasp Of her hands, which had dread
ed, was the least Of my fears. The
anteroom was empty. but as l. passed
its threshold I heard her move across
the inner room, and then bell rang,
away down in the lower part of the
house. There is no describing the feel
ing that was in me when, with the
sound Of that uncanny signal in my
ears. I opened the door into the grizzly
maze Of passageways.
;. 1 remembered that I had turned to
the right in coming in. so now 1 turned
10 the left, and hurried down that mar
row, unlighted way that led me directly
that. and opened it and stepped through
into the other hall Here were three
branching ways and il was only one Of
these. Of course, which would bring me
10 the sala door The others might
plunge me into heaven knew VII
places Of the house. or what hands.
There was no time 10 hesitate; I must
choose and chance it, There was not
one thing-window. furniture or color
to distinguish them. Yet in my
agony Of mind I gave a glance down
one and two Of them; and on the floor
Of the second. a few yards from me,
some small, light eolored object was
lying ran forward and stopped. II
was the blue bow that had fallen from
my hair.
j picked it up with rush of thank
fulness. This was an incident in a
fairy tale. 1t seemed an omen of
safety, and as I held it in my hand !
fairly ran along the passage and came
at last triumphantly out into the hail.
which I remembered. broad and car
peted with red
Down the stairs I FASTENED, my heart
going quick with the alarms of my
escape, opened the door at the foot OF
il and came into the little entry. AS ]