Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-22

N 80 .nd the day he had asked her
~ @ Kin, dreamed that he looked
E,.h Wind eyes, and that she was
.n~ ~ Molly moved in her sleep
ksX and then the dream changed,
~ ni'eu. - once more in the strange
~ hotel where they had spent
tragic honeymoon, ana Jonn wa
m et her ansriiy, ana sne couIQ
e'Sis voice impatient ana e1poatu'
"a. childish. behaving like this. !
y. 70 you that it's all over and done
Molly-Molly-,
n: tried to take her IN his arms, put
sfraseled against him--strugsled
sisssteIy; and then she woke, woke
S.k;rs and breathless with SUMO
~ feeling at her throat, and the
~ n sonie one hammering at the
~ snd a mans voice mad with
-, crying out just as Harden had
s1 IN her dream:
'"Molly-Molly!
uciiy started to her feet; 1t was not
lS S,ssm then. 1t was real. only
.sSsr was not here, and that was not
q coice. and the room was full OF
~. sufocating her. binding her.
..Sss fried 10 cry out, but her voice
s,,snsled in her throat; she knew
~, -hst had happened; the house was
~ ~ :. outside the windows the dark
yss lit with a yellow glare; the
4,ss - bowling. but there was an
~, scund mingled with it--a terrify-
fo1r Of flames.
/ =, ,fciiy struggled to the door..her head
s,S srimming; she felt as II her lungs
y. huntins: she fumbled for the key,
NJ Ssr hands felt useless; she thought
~ cried out. but she could hear no
~ and then came the sound OF
sSins wood some one had broken the
',ss n: some one was calling to her
SSssu.h the smoke and darkness.
ENTHUSIASTICALLY |" Two hands gripped
", and caught her UP as she would
~ ALLEN to the floor. ..
5sTHank God, oh. thank God!' That
| ~ Wharton's voice; she recognized
y shrnpsh the mist that seemed carry
~ ~ away with 1t: she clung to him
nerately they we're out on the land
~. - knew, near the staircase. Molly
IA 4 stifIed scream and hid her face.
The stairs were almost gone: the
eide hall below looked like a seethiny
|irrnsce; she shuddcred and tried to
|lnw back.
|oome one-T.ilith. The sound Of that
ESriil hysterical voice seemed to bring
Holly back to herself.
Gne freed herself from the arms that
|hsd her; she painted out:
s"Idlith-you must take her first; she
loesn't know the way: / do. Take her
s-the ether staircase"
molly, for Gods sake"
\ A great billow OF smoke burst up
ward from the hall below: it sent them
hpaft choking and staggering. Molly
|Eroped wildly toward Lilith; she
taught her, pushed her into Wharton's
arms.
,,"saye her, save her-for Johns
saks!' -,
The old wheel of thought had started
ence more in her brain.
eff II were not for me John woull
marry Lilitb; II I were out of the way
John would marry Lilith---'
4 Over and over again, over and over
Aeain-even when her senses began to
fail, those words stood out In her brain
clearly as il some one had stamped
them there in letters Of gold.
, She had fallen now--she was lying
ihce downward to try to escape the
lmoke and choking breath of the flames.
She had forgotten all about the other
Stlircase; she had forgotten every
thing; the dream was coming back: II
xas ali a dream. and John was with
her, holding her in his arms, kissing
her. telling her he loved her such a
sxeet dream. such wonderful dream.
II only one need never awaken!
Then suddenly there was a crashing.
rendlng sound; outside in the wild
night even the wind seemed to pause
for a moment to watch the ruin Of the
Grand old house. before it went madly
on Its way again, helping the flames,
adding to the completeness of destruc.
ton; and then a. mass of flames and
.parks shot upward to the sky. and
aolly's dream faded and went out into
utter darkness.