Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-26
CHAPTER Iv-CContinued).
BLACKNAII.

were not unkindi the policeman was Just
then busy on the far side OF the avenue
hectoring humility into the heart Of an
unhappy taxicab operator who had, pre-
sumably, violated some minor municipal
ordinance
Tnconsistently enough-so strong is the
habit Of a law-abiding mind--the sight Of
that broad, belted, self-sufficient back,
symbolic of the power and sanity of the
law, affected Sally with n mad impulse
to turn, hail the officer, and inform him
OF the conditions She had Just quilted.
And she actually swerved aside, as If to
cross the avenue, before she realized how
difficult It would he to invoke the law
without duplicating herself most damn
ingly.
Recognition Of that truth was like re-
ceiving a dash of ice water in her face;
she gasped crInged and scurred on up
Park avenue as II hoping to outdistance
thought. a forlorn hope, that. refreshed
from its long rest for since the storm
she had been little better than the puppet
of emotions, appetites and inartlculate
impulses), her mind had resumed Its
normal functioning.
Inexorably 1t analvzed her plight and
proved that what she had conceived in an
hour of discomfort and executed on the
spur of an envlous instant could never
more be undone. What had been planned
to be mere temporary Appropriation of an
outfit of Clothlng-"to be returned in
good order reasonable wear and tear ex
cepted"-was one thing safe-breaking,
with the theft of heaven only knew what
treasure, was quite another. AS to that,
had she not been guilty of active com
pliclty in the greater crime? How could
she be sure (come to think OF III that the
stout man had not been the lawful care
taker rather than rival housebreaker?
She had indeed begun to be adventures
with a vengeance!
The police were bound to learn of the
affair all too soon; her part in it was as
certain to become known; too late she was
reminded that the name "Manvers' In
delibly identified every garment aban-
doncd in the bathroom Before morn
ing certainly. before midnight probably,
Sarah Manvers would he the quarry of a
Clamorous hue and cry.
Appalled,, she hurried on aimlessly, now
and again breaking into desperate little
Jog trots, with many n furtive glance
over shoulder.
But the city of that night wore a visage
new and strange to her, and terrifying.
The very quietness of those few resi-
Dental blocks, marooned amid ever-risinB
tides of trade. had an omnous accent.
All the houses seemed to have drawn
together, check by iowl in secret con-
ference on her case. sloughing their dis
dainful daytime pose and following her
fugitive, guilty figure with open amuse-
ment and contempt. Some (she thoughD
leered hideously at her, others scowled,
others again assumed a scornful cast; one
and all pretended to a hdeous intelli-
gence, as though they knew and II they
would, could say what and why She fled.
1t was as If the storm had been
supernatural visitation upon the city, rob-
bling it of every intimate, homely aspect,
leaving 1t inhumanly distorted in an OBJ
session of abominable enchantment.
with the start of one suddenly deliv-
cred from dream-haunted sleep, she
found herself arrived at 42d street, and
safe; none pursued her, nothing in her
manner proclaimed tho new-fiedged male
factor; she need only observe ordinary
circumspection to escape notice alto
gether. And for several moments she
remained at complete standstlll there
on the corner, blocking the fairway Of
foot traffic and blindly surveying the
splendid facade of Grand Central Station,
spellbound in wonder at the amazing dis
covery that Providence did not always
visit incontInent retribution upon the
heads of slnners-since 1t appeared that
she who had sinned was to escape scot
free!
With this she was conscious of a flood
deadly monotony of her days was done
with once and for all. 1t mattered little
that-since ii were suicidal TO return to
the studio, the first place the police would
search for her-she was homeless, friend
less, penniless; II mattered little that she
was hungry NOW that she remembered
it, and had not even change of clothing
for the morrow; these things would some
how be arranged-whether by luck or by
virtue of her wit-they mustl
All that really mattered was that the
commonplace was banished from her
ways, that she was alive, foot-loose and
fancy-free, finally and definitely COM
mitted to the career OF an adventures!
Paradoxically, she was appalled, by con-
temptation OF her amazing callousness;
outIawed, declassee, she was Indifferent
10 her degradation, and alive only to the
ioy of freedom from the bondage of any
certain social status.
Now, as she fingered on the corner.
people were passing her continually on
their way over 10 the terminal; and ono
of these presently caught her attention
a man who, carrying a small oxford
handbag, came up hastily from behind,
started to cross the street, drew back
barely In time to escape annihilatlon at
the wheels of a flying squadron OF taxi
cabs, and so for moment waited, In inn
patient preoccupation with his own con-
CeTIlSt OHlJ a AOOl VI wv az AZ eAAANSi
but wholly needless of the girl.
Sally caught her breath sharply, and
her wits seemed to knit togetheF with a
sort OF mental click the man was Blue
Serge. identified Enthusiastically TO her
eyes by the poiss OF his blue-clad person
the same Blue Serge who owed his life
to Sally Manyers
In another instant the way cleared and
the man moved smartly on again, with
every indication OF one spurred on by an
urgent errand-but went no more alone
Now a pertinacious shadow dogged him
10 the farther sidewalk into the yawning
vestibule OF the railway station, on lat a
troD through it's stupendous lobbies, even
10 the platform gates that were rudely
slammed in his face by implacable destiny
in the guise and livery Of a gateman,
At this, pausing a little TO one side,
Sally watched Blue Serge accost the gate
man, argue protest, exhibit tickets, and
finally endeavOr 10 bribe a way past the
barrier But the train was already pulling
out. With a shake OF his stubborn head
the uniformed guardian moved on, and
ruminating on a power OF pent profanity
Blue Serge turned and strode back into
the waiting room, passing so near to
Sally that their elbows almost touched
without his rousing 10 the least recogni-
tion OF her existence.
But that In itself was nothing to dis
may or TO check the girl in her purpose
and when Blue Serge a minute later ad-
dressed himself 10 the Pullman bureau she