Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-03
CHAPTER /
4 Wild Night
.;HE rain came suddenly with an
| intensity that was like Il cloud

/
which it was almost impossible tt
battle.
People fled to right and left, seek
ing the nearest shelter, and down
the street with the wind whipping
her clothes around her slender t1G
ure, there came the figure of ~ glri
She Rugged close against the iron
ratings of the buildings, her heac
held down, her arms at her side
She seemed so small a thing in the
fury of the tempest that it las like
a miracle to see her keep her &oot
ing, and all the while her eyes DAFT
ing right and left seeking a friendly
doorway, anything to get in for q
few moments out of the rain and wet
of the night.
| A taxicab chugged around the cor
ner, skidded on two wheels and then
stopped. Out of it there stepped a
man, who, without looking to right
or left, went up one of the brown
stone stoops two steps at a time.
If he had stopped to look he would
have seen the girl. She had stop
ped for moment and was clinging
| to the railing of the house into
which he had disappeared. Her
! breath came in gasps, she was al
most exhausted. She stood for a
moment clinging there and then, as
| though she were making a last eff
| fort, she tore across the sidewalk,
Wrenched open the door of the taxi
cab and sank down upon the seat
| quivering all over.
The taxi driver was unaware of
| her presence. Behind his protective
canvas curtains, he sat back smok-
ing a cigarette. The roar of the
wind had made it impossible for him
to hear anything like the opening
and closing of the door, and the girl
had stolen up from behind so that
he had not seen her desperate move.
For a long time the girl in the
taxi did not move. Her breath came
in hard gasps and she shivered al
most uncontrollably with the cold
and wet. But after a time she lean
ed over and began to wiring out the
water from her skirt. Then she
| reached up and took off her soqden
hat, shaking it lightly, so that the
dropes of water flew wide.
She was almost incredibly small
and slight. Her hair of an almost
indescribable molasses color was
cropped short on her neck and curl
ed in tight little ringlets all over
her head. Her face was small and
heart-shaped and her eyes were long
and Of a tawny color. They looked
out almost shyly from behind heavy
golden-brown lashes.
Her clothes were commonplace, a
| cheap blue serge dress, rendered
dainty by white cuffs and a wide
white collar now sadly wilted by the
rain. But there was about her an
air of breeding unmistakable even in
her present plight.
After a time she leaned forward
and looked out of the window anX-
iously, but the rain was still coming
down in sheets of water and the
wind had in no way abated. The
taXi-driver had stopped his engine
and there was no way of telling just
how long the occupant of the car
would remain in the house. But
judging by the rain, the girl hoped
that for the present she would be
safe.
| Leaning back in her corner, she
! closed her eyes YEARLY, and then
the incredible happened. Wet through
| as she was, WEAKNESS oVerpOWered
her and in a few moments she was
| asleep. She slept like a child. 1ashes
| dropped against flushed cheeks, lips
! parted softly, but there was about
her face in sleep a haggardness that
! should not have been there. There
were shadows beneath her eyes and
about her mouth signs of unmistak.
| able suffering. Once in a while she
! sighed in her sleep and drew a long
| breath that was almost like moan,
| but she slept on while the rain
abated and the wind died down to a
low whisper.
She did not stir until the opening
and closing of the taxicab door rous-
ed her with a start and she sat up
with sharp little cry of fear.
JOHN STEEL had given the taxi
driver his directions and the
car started as he Ieaped in anq
slammed the door behind him. But
almost simultaneously he realized
that, he was not alone and turning IN
the seat, he confronted the girl cow
erng in corner of the cab
He leaned forward to look at her
and she shrank away from him DIS
though she were afraid of what ne
might do to her. 1t was so dark
that he could not see her face, bur
he could not help being aware OF
the fact that she was in abiect ter.
ror, and his first thought was to r9-
assure her; to make her feel that
she had no cause to be afraid OF
him.
Don't be frightened" his tone
was soothing as though he were
speaking to a child. "If you'll tell
me where you live I'll take you
home; it's still raining a little"
She had regained control of her.
self now, and her voice when she
spoke was like nothing the mau
| seated beside her in the darkness
had ever heard before. 1t was low
and little husky, it had tender lit
tie cadences in it, although the
words she spoke were commonplace
enough.
"Oh, thank you. You see it was
raining so hard and the wind blew
SO that 1 could hardly keep my feet,
[ saw you get out of tie taxi ami
it seemed as if I must get in out of
the rain if I could, but l didn 1
mean to fall asleep; it was stupid.
TT was the most sensible thing
you could have DONE" he said quick
ly. "And now, if you'll tell me
where to drop YOU"
ooh, but that isn't necessary "
she interrupted. "I'n get out any
where. I'm afraid I've made every.
thing very wet and messy. I'm sor-
ry." She stirred restlessly. "WiIl
you ask him to stop the car, please?'
Outside the rain was still falling
gently. There was a giamor ABOUT
the wet, silent streets and the heavy
mist that hung over everything. 1t
seemed to John Steel that the Cir
seated beside him in the cab had d
Witch-like quality about her. She
had appeared out of nowhere and
If he set her down as she had re-
quested she would disappear as she
had come. A sudden desire was born