The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-10-10
By CLARISSA MACKIE

all at OuCo ll6 LypuOO0 came scream
ing down the wind like thousand fu-
ries let loose.
Fratl roofs were lifted like paper ana
sailed through the air like huge kites.
Wendell gasped for breath and chung
tQa pole. His hat vanished and became
one Of other myriad flying objects. Fur
n1ture, clothing, uprooted trees, sign
boards, few past at dizzying speed.
People struggling against the wind
turned and went with 1t, many to de-
struction.
Wendell pausing at corner, turned
1t to get away from that dizzy glimpse
OF the sea. He lost all sense of Ioca-
lions.
Dogs lodged under his feet. Paper
umbrellas, whose owners had neg
lected to furl them, were torn to
shreds and went swirling through the
air like huge paper kites. Signboards
danced and clattered overhead.
There were shrfll screams as women
fed toward their frail homes. Clogs
clattered on the pavements and there
were tinkling crashes of porcelain as
shop windows blew In and devastated
the stock Of some luckless merchant.
Amid the eerie ringing of temple
bells sounded the hoarse notes of
warning whistles In the harbor. The
cries of flying jinrikisha runners were
lost in the pandemonium Of sound.
Wendell wondered what he should
do. He could not find his way back to
the hotel, yet he must find some place
OF refuge and find it very soon.
When the blighting wind had passed
over the city there might follow its
aftermath-the tidal wave. Very like
ly the shops In the harbor were pre-
pairing to meet the shoreward thrust
Of the mighty waters.
Wendell tried to hail rikisha man.
He might get back to the hotel. But
every vehicle was filed and his call
was unnoticed. He addressed one or
two fleeing passersby. He offered
money to be guided to the hotel But
his offers were ignored. The wind
tore the words from his lips, and no
matter which way he turned he met
absorbed, fear set faces or feeing blue
cotton backs.
II will go with the wind" he NUT
tered savagely, and with this resolve
In mind he swung around the next cor
ner and with the wind at his back felt
himself impelled with great velocity.
The street he was now on was free
from shops and he could see glimpses
Of red tiled roofs among the cryptic
marias In the gardens. Here the wind
was tearing tiles from the roofs and
flashing the trees to destruction.
Wendell saw group Of Japanese
scudding down the street to some safe
ty they had In mind. The street
sloped sharply downward. Suddenly
something flashed past the young
American and he heard a girls fright
ened cry
1t was a Jinrikisha. with no sign Of
attendants, rolling wildly down the
street. In the slight two wheeled
vehicle sat a girl, gowned In white,
with ruddy brown hair blowing back
from her face-a white, staring face.
She thrust out appealing hands to
Wendell, and then the jinrikIsha had
borne her down the steep incline.
In an instant Wendell was after 1t,
the wind that propelled the flying We
hicle speeding his going He had not
dreamed that he could speed so swift
~, his feet barely touching the ground
Strange things few past him-lighter
obJects-and he feared for the girls
safety.
1t was growing darker now. and there
was an ominous hush.
The wind seemed to pause In its
blowing as If catching breath for
greater effort.
In that momentary stiffness Wendell
reached the flying Jinrikisha and, pass
ing 1t, caught up one Of the poles Of its
shafts.
"t's all right now?' he called back
encouragement to the white form In
the car.
He did not catch her reply. Some
words left her lips, but were lost in
the sudden scream of the storm. The
whole world suddenly became an up
roar of wind and the lash Of waves
from the sea. Amid that cataclysm OF
sound the man and the girl and the
jinrikisha tore down the hill. Wendell,
between the poles of the light vehicle,
wondered where the insane journey
would end.
his question was quickly answered.
Without vuQrnir1e <hnvr 81 a.. =
hedge of some sweet smelling shrub.
Wendell received the full force Of the
blow as he was propelled through the
shrubbery on to what was apparently
the lawn of gentleman's place.
The jinrikisha stuck in the hedge.
II am all right" quavered the girls
voice out of another momentary cessa-
ton Of sound
"Goodr' muttered Wendell, reaching
over and lifting her from the vehicle.
perhaps we can find shelter In the
house."
They stumbled down path and into
a portico, where they paused to take
breath. Wendell flashed tiny electric
light and disclosed the doorway to q
temple. The large cedar doors were
closed, but a smaller door further
along the portico admitted them to the
hush of small temple.
Incense was drifting Iazily from
bronze koro on the votive tables. A
large statue Of Buddha doomed In the
background. There was the sickly
scent Of dying blossoms. Somewhere
up in the roof deep throated bronze
bell doomed solemnly as the wind
swayed it to and fro.