The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-11-07
Chapter 34 A FIRE ESCAPE

HalDdId lC1J llCl b0NA corner of Eighth avenue and, hav- ing, instructed the driver to wait, walked the remaining half block nn 58th street to the apartment house Henderson had named. htAt the outer door she found the name of Rita Gilmore. At the actu- al sight of that name her throat tightened. Proof that part, at least, of Henderson's story was true! !, Her hand went out to the neli' hovered around it. then, with arnb- tle, jerk, pressed it. She Dit hef lower lip while she waited for the lock to commence clicking. Pres ently, when the door showed no signs of opening, she pressed the bell again. Again no response. Sne walked out of the vestibule and hack into the street. Far too over wrought was she to go home. That nipht--somehow- must ascer- tain the truth, whatever it might be.
 tePerhaps. even had they been in. they might not have chosen to an- swer the bell. How, then, was she to verify the story?
 ieHer glance strayed into the court yard. There she noticed the fire escape. Why not? She felt cap able that night of anything.
 siShe moved towards it, as though jmpelled. Furtively she glanced about to make sure no one was watching. The next moment, with mIch the air of a thief not quite neryed to his business, she had swung herself onto the bottom landing and was climbing rapidly and breathlessly. < At the third floor she stopped and crouched in an aperture row of .unlighted windows faced her. Evidently they had not beer at homel A few minutes longer sht waited, then, with the annoying feeling that she had done a stuplc and unnecessary thing, she was or the point of descending when 2 light suddenly showed in one of the windows.
 Immediately she saw the silhou- cite of other lights popping uI against the drawn shades. But II one room only, the room immedi' ately facing her, had broken bline not been drawn. This room sh saw to be kitchenet.
 Apparently a tall, dark girl, hal switched on the. lights. Barbar' watched her moving about tn room, getting cups and plates dow out of the cupboard as though pre- paring supper. From the distance Barbara could see that she wa striking, with her thin, tapering fie ire and her wealth of stralgn black hair. Her frock was plac and of some soft, flimsy material So absorbed was she in the gl that it was minute or so befol si,e noticed that a man had con into the kitchen. :. At first, whe She saw him, she though of him some figure in a horribly fantast nightmare.
 Her lips moved in a strangi cry. For there could be no m taking that tall lean figure toWe inc above Rita. Undoubtedly, U man was Ray!
 .a Barbara swayed dizzily, her na digging into the railings. 5 watched him help the girl set [ table and prepare supper. Appa entity absolutely at home! This itself killed the last struggling ho in Barbara's heart.
 Ray, her Ray, at this hour night calmly taking supper m U woman's apartment Raw had refused to stay the night WI her. pleading excessive work. s choked over bitter laugh. What fool to have kept on believing him X. to have kept on hopi
 They were sitting down to sl per. bread and cheese and cocoa, a gay orange checkered cloth. Fl laughed and talked as they Barbara watched them through U meal in a dogged, persistent mi s,er. each moment allowing her to sink deeper into a mood ol bitter cynicism.
 t Fantastic schemes came to 6upposing -somehow-she were eex inside that building and W ffoht into that apartment! W would happen? Herself she VIC I be charming, freezingly charm insisting on sitting down to tnble with them and finishing meal.
 Absurd conversations floa' through her mind, politeness tn s3txh irony. How nice of nfi1s Gilmore, to undertake to kfter my husband while he is a from mef' If only Henderson ' there to join theml
 Then. she was convinced
 would have had the nerve to 1T
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