The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-26
Continued From Yesterday

headlights streaming uncannily
through space-then blackness-and a
terrific crash.
And now the other car had come TO
a stop almost opposite where she lay.
DangIar and the two chaueurs.
shouting at each other in wild excite
ment, 1eaped out and rushed to the
edge of the enbankment. And then
suddenly the sky grew red as a great
tongue-flame shot up from below. 1t
outlined the forms of the three men
as they stood there, until, abruptly,
as though with one accord. they rush
ed pell-meu down the embankment
toward the burning wreckage. And
as they disappeared from sight Rhoda
Gray jumped to her feet, sprang for
Danglar's car, flung herself into the
drivers seat, and the car shot for
ward again long the road.
A shout, a, wild chorus of yells, the
reports of a fusilIade of shots reached
her; she caught a glimpse of forms
running insanely after her along the
edge of the embankm ent-then silence
save for the roar of the speeding car.
She drove on and one. Somewhere,
nearing a town, she saw train in the
distance coming in her direction. She
reached the station first, and left the
car standing there, and with the torn
veil over her face again, took the
train.
She was weak, undone, exhausted.
Even her mind refused its function
further. It was only in subconsci-
Gus way she realized that, where she
had thought never to go to the garnet
again. tn garnet and the role of Gypsy
Nan were, more than ever now, her
sole refuge, The plot against Cboran
had failed, but they could not blame
that on "Bertha's" non-appearance;
and since it had failed she would not
now be expected to assume the dead
woman's personality. True, she had
not, as had been arranged. reached
the Silver Sphinx at eleven, but there
We're a hundred excuses she could give
to account for her being late in keep
ing the appointment so that she had
arrived just in time, say, to see Dang
lar dash wildly in pursuit of a woman
who had jumped into the car that she
was supposed to take!
The garnet! The garnet again
and Gypsy Nan! Her surroundings
seemed to be prompted by some pure
ly mechanical sense. She was con-
scious only that finally, after an inter
minable time. she was in New York
again; and after that. long, long after
that, dressed as Gypsy Nan. she was
stumbling up the dark, 1adder-like
steps to the attic.
How her FOOTSTEPS dragged! She
opened the door, staggered inside,
locked the door again. and staggered
toward the cot. and dropped upon it;
and the gray dawn came in with mig
gardly light through the grin1y little
window panes, as though timorously
inquisitive of this shaw1ed and disso-
lutte figure probe and motion1ess, this
figure who in other dawns had found
neither sleep nor rest-this figure who
lay there now as one dead.
XVIII
THE OLD SHED
Rhoda Gray opened her eyes, and,
from the cot upon which she lay, star
ed with drowsy curiosity around the
garret-and in another instant was
sitting bolt upright, alert and tense,
the full flood of memory swept up
on her.
There was still a meager light
creeping in through the small, grimy
window panes, but it was the light of
waning day. She must have slept,
then, all through the morning and
the afternoon, slept the dead, heavy
sleep of exhaustion from the moment
she had flung herself down here few
hours before daybreak.
She rose innpulsively to her feet 1t
was strange that she had not been dis
turbed, that no one had come to the
garnet! The recollection of the
events of the night before were crowd
ing themselves upon her now. In
view of last night, in view of her
failure to keep that appointment in
the role of Danglar's wife, it was
very strange indeed that she had been
left undisturbed!
Subconscious1y she was aware tf15t
she was hungry. that it was long since
she had eaten, and, almost mechan-
ically, she prepared herself something
now from the store the garnet possess
ed; but, even as she ate, her mind was
far from thoughts of food. From
the first night she had come here and
self-preservation had thrust this mis-
cradle role of Gypsy Nan upon her.
from that first night and from the
following night when, to- save the
Sparrow, she had been whirled into
the vortex of the gangs criminal ac-
Invites. her mind raced on through
the sequence of events that seemed to
have SPAWNED some vast, immeasur-
able space of time until they had
brought her to-last night
Last night She had thought it
was the end last night, but instead
The dark eyes grew suddenly hard
and intent. Yes, she had counted upon
last night, when. with the necessary
proof in her possession with which to
confront Danglar with the crime Of
murder, she could wiring from the
man all that now remained necessary
TO substantiate hey own story and clear
herself in the eyes of the law of that
robbery at Skarbolov's antique store
of which she was held guilty-and
instead she had barely escaped with
her life. That was the story of last
night.
Her eyes grew harder. Well. the
way was still open, wasn't it? Last
night had changed nothing in that
respect. Tonight, as the White Moll,
she had only to find and corner
Danglar as she had planned to do
last night She had still only to get
the man alone somewhere.
Rhoda Gray's hands clenched
tightly. That was all that was nee
esSary-just the tantiation or ner
own story that the plot to rob
Sl-a r.hnlnr 1ar At The door Of Dangla r