Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-30
ADAMS GARDEN[
A NOVEL
By N WILco PUTNAM
A NOVEL:
CHAPTER xx.-continued.
By NINA WILCOX PUTNAM

.
CHAPTER Hx.-Continued.
She ran from the house, and
stumbled as she opened the gate, the
letter still clutched in one hand.
Then as she raised herself, coughing,
and, choking back tn. thin trickle,
of red from the corners of her mouth,
a familiar sound Came to her ears
a vibrant humming, loud yet low, a
sound she knew and hated. Slowly
h urned into the street, gathering
her fast ebbing strength for a last
tremendous effort. and looked up the
grounds, the doors Of the hangar
stood open. with the beautiful, white.
winged Curtiss humming loudly like
some great beetle from another
planet. preparing for flight. At the
sight of it, something broke inside
Pearl. 1t was as though a terrible
tightness in her head had been sud-
denly given exquisite release, and on
the instant she began to run toward
the cleaning thing there on the green
sward. despair and hope combined,
lending her momentary strength. 1t
seemed a thousand miles to the cor
ner, vet h covered the space with
almost incredible ,swiftness. Then
the steps, then the lawn. Near the
machine, drawing on a pair of gloves.
stood a slim, boy-clad figure in khaki.
1t was Evelyn, who turned in amaze
ment to the disheyelled figure which
Pearl presented. Dumbly Pearl held
out the letter and then found her
voice. ~ ~
III you didn't write this, he'll be
dead in half an hour" she gasped.
Read it quick! There! I knew you
meyer wrote it. It's a hoax! I over
heard it all. For Cprist's sake go
and stop him before he gets there.
He's one early. There's a meadow
this side, where you can land. Don't
you see. !? Hurry! Hurry!!"
What do you mean?" asked Eve.
She looked very white. and every
nerve seemed to spring to attention
in he attempt to understand quickly
and completely.
Then Pearl told her the story,
pouring out in a torrent of words,
confused yet clear, in a voice that
scarcely seemed her own. She al
most wondered if she could make
Eve understand, SO desperately did
her haste and fear confuse her; yet
the cold, set look on the face, of the
other girl made her go on. desperate
ly, determinedly telling everything
even the story Of her own unwanted
love, and how and why she had gone
back to Red-with all that followed.
Before she had quite finished she be-
came more coherent. for Evelyn was
moving toward the machine, calling
something unintelligible to the ma
chinist who came running out Of the
hangar. Then Pearl heard herself
crying loud and shrill.
You'll be quick. you must get to
him in time, you must! You've only
twenty-five minutes-hurry!"
/ you telephone the police as soon
as I'm gone!" commanded Eve. Her
voice "a even but terribly tense. At
the very frame Of the a%eroplane she
stopped, and put a hand on Pearls
shoulder.
And he never loved you?" she
tasked. And Pearl, understanding,
shook her head.
"Only took me in when I was sick
and alone, and was kind to me-" she
said, simply. You needn't be afraid
of that"
THANK you-whatever happens"
said Eve, and turned to the aero
plane. & -
TO Pearl she seemed like some
wonderful boy, some creature from
another world. so white and erect
and full of self-command. Only her
eyes burned, black and fierce, and
terrible! Then she crouched between
the spreading wings and called some
word which the humming of the en-
CINE drowned completely, but the
gesture which accompanied it was a
taxable. The little wheels were
turning. the machinist was running
beside it down the sunny slope. Then,
incredibly the thing lifted into the
air, higher, higher, swifter, swifter.
1t was like a dream, like a strange
fever-dream that people have in ILL
ness. Up,~up 1t went, the sun catch
ing under the white wings, throwing
golden and purple shadows about the
little figure in the center. The air
vibrated with its going, it's song. . .
Pearl threw back her head to watch
it, and it seemed as though her very
soul went with it, up, up and out into
the blue air, fateful. singing to Adam.
:. . It was headed north, now,
above the river, hanging in that mag
ical fashion between sky and water,
a dream thing a fever thing. I.
mare, from which she would present
ly awake, struggling and scream
The white wings were greying in
the distance and the .machinist was
muttering vague words Of admira-
ton. He seemed a fool, a babbling
thing without the least understand
ing of what hung on this marvellous
flight. Smaller and smaller the ma
chine became, disappearing with in
credible swiftness. A mere speck
now. going yer toward the streak
Of green woods which lay along the
tops of the Palisades over there. =. .
A little. toy-like thing, incredible as
a potent factor in this dreadful melo-
drama Where was it now?
Gone, gone! No. for an instant it
showed again. small as a tiny bird:
then the grey of the cliffs folded it
into complete invisibility. A strange
trembling seized upon her. Her
limbs seemed made of water and
there was a roaring sound in her
ears. +. !. 1t was growing cry dark.
What had become Of the sun? How
had it grown so dark. Adam! She
must keep. up her strength. Adam!
How dark it was, how dark . /.
and things went around 30. . I.
1t must be the morphine, No, she
had given that to Red. It must be
night. So why didn't they tell he II
Adam was dead? Why didn't they
tell her before she went to sleep?.No,
she must not sleep yet, not yet, not
until she heard about Adam. About
Adam who loved Eve, yet she must
hear about him, she must, even II he
loved Eve. She must wait to hear
about him: she must wait she must