Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-30
The Gates of Silence
By Meta Stmmtns, Author Of "Hushed Ub''

to shoot-even if you knew how, which
You don't my good Jex"
"Oh, yes l can shoot straight enough,
Mr.. SAKE" Jex said. He had dropped the
redundant sir" but there was still that
infection of ironic respect in his voice.
Straight enough. I assure YOU; only that
is a pleasure l must deny myself The
police are coming, and l mustn't inter
| fere with the due course of the law"
The Game Up.
The police! What do you mean"
Saxe's insolence was superb, but he
passed the tip of his tongue over his
dry lips. He knew well enough what he
meant. The game was up; the colossal
carelessness which had overlooked this
brass bound box and its contents had
done him in at last. He saw ruin star
| ing him in the face. Once the police be-
gan, where would they end? All the ugly
secrets of Tempest street would come out
his connection with the murdered man,
the trade they had shared. Perhaps-who
knew? they might even connect him
with the murder.
The skin under SaXe's hair prcked. All
the gay insouciance OF his manner was
gone; over the golden-hue skin the ugly
pallor of fear lay like mask OF gray
paint
chapel? The English police have a sum
mary method of dealing with blackmail.
1t is not one of those professionals which
commend themselves to the English mag
nation"
Just for a moment his malice got the
better of him, his arm wavered a little,
his weapon lowered, SAKE, vigilant and
agile as q cat, saw his chance. With a
sudden lunge forward he had caught the
weapon and the hand that held it in
grip that was like wise,
I'm do for you!" he cried. You
treacherous cur of an informer! I'll make
you curse the day that you were born
For the moment Jex. slight and fra gile,
in no physical sense a match for the man
who stood over him with the living fire
of hatred in his eyes, was absolutely a a
disadvantage: then suddenly. unexpected
ly, he kicked out. Taken utterly by sur
prise, SaXe's grip relaxed. There was a
report. cry hoarse and ugly like that OF
wounded beast, and Paul SAKE lurched
and stumbled and fell face forward by the
side of the round table by the bed.
JeX stood looking down at him, his
face white and terror stricken.
! What had he done?
With fingers that trembled he thrust
the revolver under Paul Saxe's outfiung
| hand; then, on an almost unconscious
| impulse. seeing that dusk had fallen on
the room, he struck a match and lighted
the oil lamp that stood on the table
above the dead man.
The police must have light to guide
them when they came. He drew the
blind up to the top and left the bed
room door wide open; then. cautiously
and stealthily. as though hidden eyes
and ears watched and listened, he crept
down the stairs and out into the desert
| ed street.
| The signboard of the Toby jug rat
tied and swung in the rising wind as
! the little figure came down the street
a quaint figure with pigtails flying and
| long legs on which the ungartered black
stockings hung disconsoately like with
| ing snakes, necessitating frequent and
irritated clutches on the part of their
wearer to prevent them descending alto
gether,
At the door Of the shop the child
stopped and looked up at the swaying
sign with eyes of ecstatic welcome.
| Looking At to bust ITSELF as usual.
/ bless i'm she said; then, opening the
shop door, cautiously she went in.
No one came out of the parlor al the
sound of the tinklng bell. but on the
| III tSllOlu VI tllt snip Tile gray Cat HSA
her with agitated mewings and appraised
tail. There was a slight haze in the
air, and an acrid smell of singed wool.
Bess raised her head and shifted dis
tastefully
| "Somefnk's on FIRE I don't fink" she
said Then, raising her voice, she called:
"Grandsd! Grandad!"
There was no answer, and a little
tremor shook the child. She was tired
and the verge of tears as it was.
Since early morning she had not tasted
food. The journey from Sussex had
cost her every penny of the carefully
boarded pocket money her grandfather
| had sent her from time TO time. For
Bess had fulfilled her threat-she had
run away from the "gentewoman" who
had. for d consideration, consented to
mold her future after her own model,
back to the beloved shop in the West
minister Stun and the old man and the
cat that, so far as she was capable OF
| affection. she loved
"Wot's 'appened?" the child said, with
little catch in her breadth "Oh, my
| lor'. wots 'appened?"
She stepped to the foot of the stairs
and looked up. There was great blaze
of light and the smell Of burning had
increased. With a choking little cry she
ran upstairs.
To Be Continued in Next Issue.