Evening star., 1924-09-07

over the salt bay Swayed in the faint
stir of the penetrating Winter wind.
1--WE been making the curtains for
the living room." Alice said suddenly.
II left the ends SO that we could fix
them for any length of window.
Denny, We
EAR away there sounded across the
L cold night air the first plaintive
bars of Annie Laurie" in a tenor as
fine and clear as the song of some
little bird, sweet yet sharp and nee
dle-like-horrible in it's sweetness.
The man caught the girls wrist.
a precirics had yawned before them.
Hes come" Denny said in a
hoarse whisper.
1.-The Nightingale"
Its him. It's just like him. He's
fiend, tell you. Stand up, Alice
stand up, dear. He's followed us.
Maybe this is the end. Stand up,
Alice. Be a brave girl"
The birdlike song ceased suddenly
with a sharp. high note.
Remember this, Alice" Denny
whispered hoarsely, i've loved you,
just you. You wouldn't forget that,
would you?"
From her throat there came a
wordless sound of fear and grief.
But Immediately she SAID:
I'm not a coward. Denny. Pm a
woman. I'm your Alice
The silence seemed to pulsate. The
little stenographer, facing the crisis,
did her best to think and her best to
pray.
"The boat-the wboat-Denny."
she whispered.
NO oars" he said.
His hand was on the weapon in his
pocket.
"Oh, he has me cornered," he went
on. He don't mind the risk OF it.
What he wants is the torture of it.
| He wants it to be me, but he don't
care if it's him. That's the Night
| ingale."
Denny
"What is it?'
"You mustn't-you mustn't kill"
She clutched at his shoulders. 1T
would leave me alone just the same
alone in life-all. all alone. YOU
| Thou shalt not kiln"
Again the tenor voice, thin, pene-
trating, issued forth from the Night
ingale's lips. The song went on, pip
ing upward. 1t came toward them
where they stood outlined against
the silvery light.
He could kill me. but l can't place
him." Denny said hoarsely. It'll all
|
dark is filed with song-filled with
song"
| Thou shalt not KILL" Alice said
again. Denny, listen. Denny
| 'I hear, little girl" he answered.
DO you love me? Give 1t to me-"
The song from the dark ceased
suddenly.
Its like him." said Denny, breath
ing hard. He knows there is no
| r~~ iS
song-it's like him-just like him"
The girl had thrown one arm about
her man. With the fingers of the
other hand she was clutching, clutch
| ing, clutching. Her fingers moved
like things of separate Intelligence
inSinuating, restless, persistent per-
sonalities. They crept into the hand
which grasped the newly-purchased
revolver. They loosened the strong
fingers.
Denny"
What"
| "Give it to me-.
He yielded like a man dazed. With
a quick motion of her hand, she flung
the chilly weapon over the edge OF
the pier. 1t fell into the water with
a splash-a startling interruption OF
the still night.
"What have you done?" her lover
gasped.
"Oh, now Denny, you'll always be-
long to me-" she said. Even If he
kills you, maybe some time we'll be
together once more. You're my
Denny"
THE man dropped his hands limp
at his thighs. The voice of the
Nightingaie took up the melody y
! in nrrf nj
needlelike sweetness.
Through his thin, red lips" said
Denny.
Nearer now" gasped Alice. staring
at the misty darkness till her eyes
burned.
The song ceased The moon, low
in the sky, appeared to brighten be-
hind them, the shadows fell away
and out of the smother of dark, like
a figure developing upon a photo
graphic plate. came the outline OF
the Nightingale.
The girl threw herself in front OF
her lover.
We'll, here I am,'' whined the
Nightingale, sliding toward them
You expected me, Denny" The other
man did not speak. You know what
come for, eh? You two, And me
three years-knawing on the lining Of
my own mouth-sometines till il
bIed-up there. Nice moonlight, eh.
| No shadows of bars on the f1ool
here, eho Get out from in front OF
that man. Alice Coran.'
| II won't"
PLENTY of time" replied the Night
| ingale, with a sneer.
His voice broke out again to a
little flight of terrible melody, and
as he sang he came nearer until Alice
could see that his arms were crossed
and the tgleam of a revolver barrel
resting easily in the curve of on,
elbow, became visible-and nearer