Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-23
"lhe Gates of Silence
By Meta Smmlns, Aufh0y of "Hushed Up"

heard, and vet before she could almost
have sworn she had heard the peculiar
crush Of the cinder path about the house
as under a cautious, housekeeping foot.
IF ! had a coat" he said. anything
that would hide this" And as he spoke,
quietly and Unexpectedly the door of the
inner room opened and Mrs. Remington
came in.
She gave no outcry at the sight Of Jack.
Only her white face flushed family. a
flush that died leaving it deathly pale
On the Scent.
It's you!" she said, under her breath.
TT came to me as I slept that you would
come tonight
To Rimington in the old days she had
always seemed strange and unearthIy;
this woman. Tonight there was that in
her look and manner that seemed to lift
her altogether above the plane of ordi-
nary things, Her eyes regarded Riming-
ton with a fanatical lgiht. He did not
wonder now that Betty had. called her
strange.
I'm just going he said, Betty viii
eXplain-they are probably only waiting
to run me to earth here. ] can't wait"
Nor can you go in those clothes" Mrs.
Remington said, quietly. go into my
room; there are clothes there-your un.
cle's clothes"
"Oh quick, Jack; quick" Betty said
seeing that he hesitated. Pm frightened.
Fear lies in wait behind every boulder
on the moor tonight"
She pushed him into the inner room.
and almost Immediately Mrs. Rtmington
came out and closed the door.
The women looked at each other in 81
lence. Then Mrs Rimington withdrew
her gave to the fire
The wind was rising-or was it the
wind? II seemed to the waiting girl
that the air was full of whispering voices
Outside tendril Of the creeper. loosened
by the wind tapped a the pane the in
termittent noise came sullenly to them
through the Intervening shutter.
Betty" The door of the inner room
had opened, and Rimington came out
The women turning, saw that he was
still in his convict garb. He silenced
their surprise by lifted hand Betty.
it's too late. l hear them They must
have tracked me here. They're sur
rounding the house"
He could say no more He caught
her in his arms and drew her toward him,
holding her close in a long, silent en-
brace
"Jack-you mustn't there's hiding
pace mere. IheN care not
He silenced her by a passionate kiss on
the lips.
On the bclted door came the sound of
a heavy knock.
"Jack-Jack!"
Betty Lumsden's face was white and
her lips trembled only her eyes were
! bright and steadfast, the eyes of one
whose coura ge knows no surrender.
After that moment of passionate strain
ing Of her TO himself Rimington strove
to put the girl from him, but she chung
to him with a desperation that gave her
strange strength, her body a dead weight
against his own.
Dear, you must let me GO Betty,
we've got to face this. and resistance
will make things worse. Let me 60" he
whispered, almost roughly. Her clinging
arms about him seemed to intensity hor-
ribly the trapped sensation that enveloped
him. They were like the clinging liga-
ments of the weeds that drag the fool
hardy swimmer dwon and down into the
! treaCherous pool.
"No, no. You mustn't let yourself be
seen. There is a hiding place in my
room"
Now he hardly heard her whispered
words. His ears were strained to catch
I "
silence. Then the knocking continued
He could hear the tramping Of feet and
angry hands at work on the easement
window, The door shook stoutly- built
ard barred it was, going back to the
days when Bilmouth Jail and its inhabi-
tants were menace TO the moor dwell
ers-Yet it was not TO be thought that
it could offer many minutes opposition to
the determined men without. Rimington
experienced a shrinking cowardice bred
of those long months in prison, from the
thought of those men who, when the door
gave would rush in, their blood heated
by resistance
The knocking at the door continued.
"Open in the name of the law! We are
escaped from BiImouth Jail, and have
| reason to know that he is here"
Against his will, Rimington felt him
self driven back against the door of the
inner room. 1t was all the matter of a
the besieging officer had died on the wait
ing silence Of the room he found himself
in the bare little celI-like room that was
Betty's bed chamber, and heard her
| frenNed whisper telling him of the hid
ing place her wit had remembered
Then he was alone, and he heard her
clear voice in the kitchen answering the
| inquiries without, speaking reasoningly to
Mrs. Rimington, who all this time had
uttered no sound, made no movement,
but TODD like figure carved out of
black stone, looking down into the heart
| of the fire with bright enigmatic eyes
To Be Continued in Next Issue.