Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-31

She breathed freely again. Her own part,
infinitely more dangerous. did not alarm
her SO greatly. Still, there was need for in
finite caution. If the waiter should come.
Well, she must risk it.
Tightly across her face she adjusted her
veil. She forced herself to look again upon
the dead man. Yes; 1t would deceive-she
thought-any one. Suicide! Inchoately the
thought possessed her that it fitting
ironic justice that Halsey, who had intended
to kill himself, should seem to have done so.
Then she was through the door, carrying
the key in her hand. No one was in the cor
ridor outside. She locked the door with the
key that had been on the inside. That would
gain for her at least moment Nor was
there any one on the stairway; she descended
rapidly.
Behind counter, before his desk sat the
clerk who had told her the location Of the
room where Mr.. Carver" had been awaiting
her. He did not look up as she approached.
but after she had passed by him and had
reached the door Allayne heard him stir.
In another moment waiter would be knock
ing on the door upstairs.
Yet. because it was VITAL she mastered
panic. She managed to impart to her stride,
as she walked through the rain to where her
car was parked, that exact appearance Of
haste which the rain justified, yet which
would not look like the panic Of guilt.
She was sufficiently mistress OF herself to
spend a half minute draping a handkerchief
over the front number plate. She haG not
another one, so she scooped up in still-gloved
hands, mud from the driveway and spattered
the rear plate. 1t would have to do!
Then she stepped into her car. The engine
3y,,,,, I;ota In OF In a
clutch and started down the driveway. AS
she did so she heard a cry from the main
door of the inn. She slipped into high and
pressed down upon the acceerator. The little
car bounded ahead; she was going bit too
fast around the corner into the main road
and her rear wheels skidded. She dashed
before she could straighten out the wheel
into a post, atop of which was letter box
She saw the post go over, saw furry OF
white articles blown in the breeze, and then
she was speeding, reckless of the slippery
surface, down the road.
hundred yards from the driveway she
reached Rosa. She stopped the car. leaped
out, and took off the handkerchief from the
front plate. 1t was dangerous, but not so
dangerous as to leave it there, exciting in
slant suspicion in the mind Of any motor.
policeman, If such one was abroad this tor
rental afternoon. Then, urging Rosa into
the car before her, she drove swiftly toward
town. |R
On the outskirts Of the town Rosa insisted
on being put down. Apathetic at first, will
ing even to die, Rosa had become trans
formed. Now she wanted to live. Halsey,
though she didn't know it, had been spir-
itual weight upon her soul. That weight was
gone now. The fact that she had killed him
would substitute no other weight. She was
o1o {oI two ~ ~nrIi al
sions Superstitious, mystical though she
undoubtedly was, Halseys end would not
haunt her. In her blood was the impulse to
slay that which had wronged her; it was
righteous, just. So she was made.
Suddenly she was callous.
Mice getaway we made" she said "All
/ got to do now Is grab train and-for-
get it."
"Can you?" demanded Allayne. For she
was sustained by no calousness; she was sus-
tanned only by the primitive impulse Of self
preservation, and that impulse covers name
and fame as well as body.
"Can II" Rosa almost laughed. I'll say
I can"
Alayne shrank from her. The woman
sensed it and touched Allayne's arm.
You and l are different" she said. "You
got what they call pride. You're lady.
Well, I'm woman. III swallow all the pride
in the world; till / can't swallow any more.
Then-well, you know what I'll do. You saw
me DO it, And | won't worry about it. Benny
Halsey got a lot less than was coming to
him. ] stood it for years--I loved the man.
Then hated him. Now L don't even do that.
He's nothing. Not even a memory"
And Allayne, though she could not under
stand, believed her.
PVT hot doo el,.
manded, she stopped the car.
"Do?" echoed Rosa. L" Well, I'm going to
do what Benny and I have done coupla
hundred times-beat it. By the time the po-
lice have tied me up with Benny I'll be so
far away that it'll take telegram four years
to catch up with me. Thanks for the money.
Good-by."
Alayne stared at her. There were hun
dred pieces Of advice that she wanted to give,
but Rosa scorned them. Halsey was only
half an hour-or slightly more-dead. Yet