Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-06

nothing new. He had already heard it
several times before that night 1t was
Mr.. Challoner's step, and every time it
passed, he had rustled his papers or
scratched vigorously with his pen. He is
keeping watch for Oswald" was his
thought. They fear a sudden end to
this. No one, not the son of my mother
knows me. Do I know myself"
-Four o'clock! The light was still burn
ing, the pile of letters he was writing in
creasing.
Five o'clock! A rafting shade betrays
all open window. No other sound disturbs
the quiet Of the room. 1t is empty now:
but Mr.. Challoner, long since satisfied
that all was well, goes by no more ST.
lence has settled upon the hotel--that
heavy silence which precedes the dawn.
There was silence in the streets also
The few who were abroad, crept quietly
along: An electric storm was in the air
and the surcharged clouds hung heavy
and low, hidng the moment of outbreak
man who had left q place of many
shadows for the more open road, paused
and looked up at these clouds; then went
calmly on.
Suddenly the Shrek of an approaching
train tears through the valley. Has it
call for this man? No. Yet he pauses
in the midst Of the street he is crossing
and watches, as q child might watch,
for the flash Of Its lights at the end Of
the darkened vista. 1t comes-filing the
empty space at which he stares with
moving life-engine, baggage car and
long string of PullmGns. Then all is dark
again and only the noise OF its slacken-
ing wheels comes to him through the
night 1t has stopped at the station.
minute longer and it has started again.
and the quickly lessening rumble of its
departure is all that remains of this vision
of mans activity and ceaseless expect
ancy When it is quite gone and all is
quiet, sigh falls from the mans lips
and he moves on, but this time, for some
unexplaintable reason, in the direction of
the station With lowered head he passes
along, noting little till he arrives within
sight of the depot where some freight is
being handled, and q trunk or two
wheeled down the platform No sight
could be more ordinary or unsuggestive.
but it has its attraction for him, for he
looks up as he goes by and follows the
| passage of that truck down the platform
| till ii has reached the corner and dfsap-
peared. Then he signs again and again
moves on.
A cluster OF houses. one OF them omen
and lighted, was all which lay between
him now and the country road. He was
! hurrylng past, for his step had uncon-
sciously quickened as he turned his back
upon the station, when he was seized
again by that mood Of, curiosity and
stepped up TO the door from which a light
issued and looked in. common eating
room lay before him. with rudely spread
tables and one very sleepy waiter taking
orders from new arrival who sat with
ms back TO the door. Why did the lonely
man on the sidewalk start as his eve foil
on the latter's commonplace figure.
hungry man demanding breakfast in a
cheap, country restaurant? His own
physique was powerful while that of the
other looked slim and frail. But fear
was in the air, and the broouing of
tempest Affects some temperaments in a
totally unexpected manner As the man
inside turns slightly and looks nm the
master figure on the sidewalk vanisbes
ana his step, il any one had been inter
ested enough to listen, rings with a nsU
note as IL turns into the country road If
has at last reached
But no one needed. The new arrival
munches his roll and waits iInpatiently
Tor his coffee while without the clouds
pile SoundlesslS in the sky, one of then,
tGking the form Of a huge hand with
clutchlng fingers reaching down into fbe
hollow void beneath tn.
To Be Concluded Tomorrow.