Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-23
The Gates of Silence
BY Meta SmmlH5, Author At ''HHrhed Up"

| :
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 al ne spoke,
quietly and Unexpectedly the door Of the
inner room opened and Mrs. Rimington
came in
She gave no cutlery at the sight Of Jack.
Only her white face flushed family,
flush that died, leaving it athlv pale.
On the Scent.
IT'S you,' she said, under her breath.
1T came to me as Slept that you would
come tonight"
TO Rimiugton In the old days she had
always seemed strange and unearthly;
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 light. He did not
wonder now that Betty had called her
strange.
I'm just going" he said Betty win
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.
cles clothes"
"Oh, quick Jack quick" Betty said
seeing that he hesitated. I'm frightened
Fear lies in walt behind every boulder
on the moor tonight"
She pushed him into the inner room
and almost Immediately Mrs Remington
came out and closed the door
The women looked at each other in ST.
lence. Then Mrs. Rimington withdrew
her gave 70 the fire.
The wind was rising-or was il the
wind? II seemed TO the waiting girl
that the air was fun Of whispering voices
Outside tendril Of the creeper. loosened
by the wind, tapped at 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
stll In his convict garb. He silenced
their surprise by a lifted hand Betty,
it's too late | hear them They must
have tracked me here, They're sur
rounding the house"
lie 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 go there's a hiding
place here. They dare not
lie sIIenced her by q passionate kiss on
the lips
ON the bolted door came the sound Of
a heavy knock
Jack Jack"
Betty Lumsdcn's face was white and
her lips uembled. only her eyes were
bright and steadiast the eyes of one
whose courage knows no surrender
/,
ing Of her to himself. Remington strove
to put the girl from him, but She chung
to him with "a desperation that gave her
strange strength, her body 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 clngina
arms about him seemed to intensity hor-
ribly the trapped sensation that euveloped
him. They were like the clinging liga
ments OF the weeds that drag the fool
hardy swimmer dwon and down into the
treacherous pool.
mo. 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
the sounds from without For a moment
silence. Then the knocking continued.
lie could hear the trampng of feet and
angry hands at work on the easement
window. The door shoOk-stoutly- built
and barred as II was going back to the
days when Bilmouth Jatl and its inhabi-
tants were menace to the moor dwell
ers- yet II was not to be thought that
it could offer many minutes opposition to
the determined men without Remington
experienced 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 lawl We are
In search OF John Riminoton, a convict
escaped from enmouth Jail. and have
reason to know that he is here!"
Against his will. Rimngton felt him
self driven back against the door of the
| inner room. II was all the matter of a
breathing space; before the loud voice OF
the beseging officer had died on the wait
! ing silence OF the room he found himself
| in the bare little cell-like room that was
! Betty's bed chamber, and heard hei
| 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 tht
| inquiries without, speaking reasoningly t,
Mrs Remington, who all this time hat
| uttered no sound, made no movement
! but TODD like figure carved out o
black stone. lool Ing down into the hear
Of the fire with bright, enigmauc eyes
To Be Continued in Next Issue.