Evening star., 1936-05-20
INSTALLNrENT XII.

AWAHA WeIlI DdCk W ilci
room and walked to one
of the darkering win.
! dows.
Again there came to her the mem.
ory of the Jail, of Georges face. She
sighed, shook her head restlessly and
turned back into the room to Light
lights and sit down to study her pale
and tear-stained face at the mirror
No use; there was nothing to do
Even confession wouldn't help-even
revelation. Nobody cared. The Cover
nor, and possibly the world, informed
that George Davis had knocked down
and accidentally killed Mayne NAL
lory because the Hollywood actor had
recalled a truth about Davis wife,
would feel no more kindly to the
killer. That wouldn't excuse him or
help free him. Nothing would!
Quite suddenly, as if propelled by
q force outside of herself, she was at
the desk, scribbling a note on Ellen
Martell's handsome writing paper.
ELLEN, darling" she wrote, TN
a death's-head at your party and III
only spoil it for you and every one
else. I'm sorry. but the children ane
the fun and the presents seem more
than can bear tonight; I'm going w
to the city, where I'll see a movie ant
eat a large, unromantic steak anc
I'll surely drive over and see you al
tomorrow. or at latest Wednesday. In
not sure where I'll be, but I'll tele
phone. Merry Christmas to you all
Do forgive me-"
She scratched crooked, tear.
splashed Tam" at the end and pu
the note in conspicuous position
against the lamp. Within a few
seconds she had crammed back intt
her bag everything she had taken
from it, had pulled on her hat ano
slipped into her heavy coat Shit
crossed the upper hall noiselessly
opened a door upon a back stair.
case, noiselessly descended and le
herself out at the side door withou
encountering soul or hearing an.
sound except the joyous racket o
Christmas eve.
The dusk outside was cool and 81
ACAAbB 6doAA Va hSAlI ALOLll IIlC lAI4 dA
windows crossed the gravel drive il
two neat blocks.
She went along the drive to tn
fork, reached the garage Th
thought of George, of all prisoners
and that to escape from Jail must fee
like this, this sense of panic and fea
and elation.
The road to San Francisco wa
lighted and punctuated by flying
smaller lights that came roaring to-
ward her. blinded her and went rush
: ing south. But she did not follow
this highway far Some Z or mile
north of Menlo Park she turned west
ward at sign that said "Halfmool
Bay-15 Miles"
There was a lane leading west to
ward the sea, lonely lane full o
frozen ruts. 1t was unlighted, an,
after the bright, hot Christmas ex
citement of the village, Tam fount
the 2 miles of highway lonel
enough, and the lane itself rathe
formidable. Mrs. Moretti had loni
ago departed to join her family il
the Dalles; Carlos lived up the shor,
2 miles away and came oDan's plac,
only once a day to feed the chickens
There was nobody near but herself
the roar and surge of the sea in The
dark, the clatter of sudden gust Of
wind over the porch roof, wert
strangely unreassuring sounds.
Tam unlocked her door, carried hel
10. - LII
locked up again. The house va;
dankly cold and smelled stuffily oi
old meals and old wood. She hat
forgotten the simple detail Of the
electrict lights being disconnected
somewhere. She had to grope for can
dies in the inky dark; it was nervou:
work finding them in the big, old
fashioned pantry, and imagining that
hands we're cropping and faces grimac-
ing at her in the fearfully silent place
Tam found an enveloping apron ir
the icy adjoining bedroom, laid aside
her hat and coat. set about dinner
preparations courageously He hao
owned this place now for nearly two
years, she had been here often before
with carpenters and paperhangers ano
gardeners, but she realized now sud-
denly that she had neve- been quite
alone before; Mollie had been with
her, or Carlos wife, or kitchen cir
from one of the village families.
Well, it did not matter. In ar
hour she would be snugly asleep ir
the blue blankets that were already
warming in the kitchen. and tomor-
row there would be sunlight and
sanity and time to reflect upon what
she wanted to do. The main thing
was that she was here. and alone
and that she did not have to put or
her velvet dress for Christmas eve
and sit at the long Martell table pre-
tending that her heart had not been
changed to lump of lead.
But the little sense of uneasiness
persisted. Tam reminded herself that
ones fears and the action of robbers
murderers, maniacs rarely struck
upon the same instant; it would be
, absurd for her to be afraid tonight
and for some evil man coincidentally
to have chosen tonight for robbery
Her heart leaped into her throat at
the sound of a voice. But it was
only black cat. as welcome as a
friend in this silent dark hour Tamara
welcomed the cat effusively, fed him
when she ate her own supper, and
when she went to sleep an hour later
on cot dragged into the kitchen fol-
warmth, the cat was settled on hel
feet. The sound of the sea was
friendlier now, and the stoves red eye
, had protective. comforting aspect ir