Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-31
The Gates of Silence
By Meta SmmfnS, Author Of "HHChed Up"


YOU don t, my coed Jex."
"Oh yes. / can shoot straight enough,
Mr.. SAKE" lex said. He had dropped the
redundant sir" but there was stin that
infection Of ironic respect in his voice.
Straight enough, I assure you; only that
is a pleasure ! must deny myself The
police are coming and mustn't inter
fere with the due course Of the law"
The Game Up.
The T-oiIre What do yoU mean"
SaNe'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
careIessness which had overlooked this
brass bound box and It's contents had
done him in al last. He saw ruin star
ing him In the face once the police be
gan, where Eould 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 pricked. All
the gay insouciance Of his manner was
gone; over the golden hued skin the ugly
pallor of fear lay like a mask Of gray
paint.
"Do I need TO he more explicit NJ Des-
chapel? The English police have a sum
mary method of dealing with blackmail.
It 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 a cat. saw his chance. with a
sudden lunRe forward he had caught the
weapon and the hand that held It in a
grip that was like wise
"In 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 lex, slight and fra glle,
| In no physical sense match for the man
who stood over him with the living fire
/ Of hatred IN his eyes, was absolutely at a
disadvantage, then suddenly. unexpected-
! ly, he kicked out. Taken utterly by sur
prise, SaXe's grip relaxed There was a
report, a cry hoarse and ugly like that Of
a wounded beast. and Paul SAKE urched
and stumbled ana fen face forward by the
side Of the round table by the bed
JeX stood looking down at him. his
| face white and terror-strcken.
| What had he done?
with fingers that trembled he thrust
the revolver under Paul Saxes outfung
hand. men ON an aln,ost ,,ncorsnia,,s
i,pr,,Iso so.in, tI,at dns,, nad caiia,, w
n,e room, IA gt,r,.I. d, 10Th a,,1 ,a,'
tho of t.r,,, t,at s,o,1 -, tho ,at1a
above mo dn,d man
rho nolico ,r,tst to,o ,,r,,. - o,,,so
,bo,,, u.Lo,, No.. cow, H. .,.,,' ~
hlird ~, - n,o ,o,, o,d ia,, -" LAY
ron,, daor otdo arsr. ,hor .o,,ttl,,,,,,
,,1 etoa1,,,ti,, tt,a,,1,t, ,t5.'o,, s.a
a,,,1 o,,r., ,,..,,o,,,,1 ,,,,i tt,,a-n, ta 49,.
/ dc,,,, ti,a st,tr, a,,d a,,, ,,,tr 80 ,a.o.t
[ al ,,roa,
/ 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 unEartered black
stockings hung disconsolately like with
/ ing snakes, necessitatng frequent and
/ irrita'ed clutches on the part of their
wearer to prevent them descending alto
gcther.
/ At the door Of the shop the child
stopped and looked up at the swayine
/ sign with eyes of ecstatic welcome.
Looking ut to bust 'isself as usual
bless i'm she said, then, opening the
! shop door. cautiously she went in.
! No one came out Of the parIor AT the
sound Of the tinlllng bell but on the
! threshold of the shop the gray cat mo,
her with agitated mewiups and unraised
tain There was slight haze in the
| air, and an acrid smell as of singed wool