The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-11-10

ward it. When she sees Bannis-
ter she is embarrassed. He offers
her the cab and she agrees to
ride with him to her destination.
Tbs girl drops her handbag and
Ranrister sees that it contains a
revolver.
NOW GO on WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER II
In moment more they had
passed the street light. Bannis-
ter stared at the girl but in the
darkness her features were only
vaguely outlined. lie said, This
is YOURS, isn't it," and held out
the revolver.
Her Thank you," was low
pitched but clear-voiced. She
slipped the gun back into her
handbag.
Tf that thing happens to 5e
loaded" Rannister said with some
feeling, 81 hope you'll be care
ful with it,"
ooh, it's not loaded"
But was it? She might have
igiven the same answer even
though the cylinder was filled
with bullets. She might n d
probably would--have said the
same thing if she didn't want a
complete stranger wondering why
she was going about carrying q
| loaded revolver in her handbag
Bannistcr looked at the CIR
again closely. Suddenly he want
ed very much to know why she
had come out alone on this
stormy evening, why she was go
/ ing to the Hotel fremont. He
felt almost as though he were
being swept into an adventure.
But that was nonsense. "Hel
names probably Hattie Smith,
he told himself. "She's late fol
a date with her boy friend who:
a collector for the gas compan!
and she forgot her umbrella"
He didn't believe any of those
things but he wanted to curb the
| suddenly rising eXhilaration he
felt. Exhilaration, alas, that wa
doomed to be short-lived, sure t.
be disappointed.
He turned again, this time
catching the girls quick, side
! wise glance aud knew she hat
been watching him. Banniste'
said, with an attempt at casua
pleasantly, "Well, we might tall
about the weather, l mean
down my neck, standing there il
the street"
am sorry" the girl told him
Her voice trembled. There wa
no doubt Of it now. Il didn'
know it was your cab. l dldn'
know there was anyone"
"Of course you didn't" Ban
mister interrupted. "But there
certainly no reason why two PEG
pie shouldn't ride in a cab mad'
to hold five. As a matter o
fact, | like company"
That was q mistake; he coult
tell it instantly. The girl did no
draw away. There was no IN
creasing of the distance betweel
them, but she seemed all at one
to becomc remote. He notices
then that she was sitting rigidly
clutching the handbag with bot
hands.
Well. damn it, she didn't Nee
to be afraid Of him! If she didn'
want to talk he certainly WASH
going to try to make her.
Unexplainably, Bannister wa
annoyed. They rode in silenc
for several blocks after that
They had reached the bushes
district and the streets hat
grown wider, brighter. Present
ly the cab rounded a corner am
the marquee above the hotel en-
trance, lined by electric bulbs
came into view. A moment NOR
and the cab had halted there.
Bannister was on the sidewalI
instantly. He put out a hand TO
the girl but she ignored it. Il
the strong GLOW of the electricit.
she stepped forward-a slender
greenclad figure. "Thank you,
she said, turning to the man
"Thank you so much"
Just for an instant his eye
met hers-gray eyes, wide-se
beneath dark lashes. But Davi'
Bannister noticed neither tn
color of those eyes or thel'
shape. He knew as he looked in
to that face-so strangely white
so strangely tense-that he wa
looking into tragedy.
Then the girl in the green sui
was gone.
There was the fragrance o:
freshly baked mullins and crisp
Drowned sausages over the break
fast table, to which was added
one more pungeant aroma as Kate
Hewitt poured coffee into cup
of eggshell porcelain.