The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-11-19
Ihe-G@EDEN:z.E EEATE4ER
 bv Robert Bruce AsrMahs

looked out listlessly.
 She had no notion where she was or how long she was to be there. She was quite obviously in the power of a dangerous man, who had said that she was "in with us" permanently. What did 1t all mean? What was going to happen to her?
 Looking down, Jean saw a fam- iliar figure walking slowly toward the house from the outbuilding where they had left their car. She felt sudden wave of relief. Sandyl He would make things right.
 She hurried downstairs, reach" ing the porch just as he did. He smiled in greeting and sank into chair, still weak from his wound. She dropped into a chair beside him and leaned toward him.
 "Oh Sandyl I'm so glad you're fere," he cried. i've been so-- 50 frightened!"
 He raised his eyebrows. Why? Whats the fnatter?"
 "Oh, it's all so - so queer. This man Red made me get in the car and made me come - Sandy, you told me yesterday he'd promised to see that got back to Dover to. day" t... ..4f.
 Sandy grinned and clasped his hands comfortably behind his head. "What's the matter with this placer" he asked. Nice and quiet and pleasant-like, isn't it?"
 She looked at him in hurt srr- prise. But Sandy, I can't stay here" she began. He grinned ironically.
 "Oh, yes you can, baby" he said softly. "oh, yes, you can."
 Dusk had come, and the silence that enfolded the queer, lonely house seemed to Jean to be oppres- sive and ominous. She stood at the border of the lake. beside the ruined boathouse, feeling more lost, more helpless, more frightened and more bewildered than she had ever expected to feel in her whole life.
 She was virtually @ prisoner. This man Red and his satellites were - she knew not what - some- thing cruel, desperate and lawless, surely and Sandy was no longer the frank, open-minded and attentive lover of the old days. He refused to help her get away. laughed ct her fears and scruples, and calmly took 1t for granted that her fortunes were tied to his now, inrrevocably.
 Suddenly, on impulse, she turned and walked rapidly from the lake to the lane that led to the outer world, impelled by despairing conviction that only by immediate flight could she save herself. She stumbled on through the dusk, making Q detour to avoid the car- riage house, and plunging into the gloom of the lane when 1t entered the woods with feeling of relief.
 It was pitch-dark under the trees, Branches and branches caught at her dress. Her high-heeled slip- pers were worse than useless for travel over this uneven ground. Fear clutched her heart in an icy grip. Struggling on in the dark was like racing over @ treadmill, or running in a nightmare; yet she went on stumbling, half-sobbing hystericals ly, conscious only of an overwhelm' ing desire to get away from this place and these people, back to the old, safe, familiar world she had left = the world of people like her father and Larry Glenn |. and Bobby Wallace.
 A shadowy figure took shape iD the darkness ahead of her, and tho binding light of @ fiashlight fell on her; and harsh voice said "Well, sister, where you going2'
 She came to e halt, almost par- alyzed by fear. The man with the flashlight stepped up to her, and as he moved she could see the muzzle of an automatic shotgun which he carried under one arm.
 Turn around and go back where you come from,p he said. "I1l just walk along behind, to make sure you get there."
 Feeling duly that she had played her last card and lost, Jean turneq like an automaton and started back. The light went out, and the guard plodded along close behind her.
 They went a few rods. and she found strength enough to protest. ''What right have you to do this9" she asked, stopping and turning to face the man. "Who are you? Who are all these people? Why can't I go away if I want to?"
 There was 6 short silence. then the man chuckled drily.
 ''You mean you don't know who the big red-head is?" he asked.
 "No, of course I don't know who he is."
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