The Washington times., 1937-09-24
ty-four past eight. Six minutes to
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go before Lila came out.
As he watched the door, Riker's
heart began to beat every bit as
much as on the night when, gun
in hand, he had waited for the de-
fenseless bank clerk.
With shaking fingers he lit a
cigarette, not once taking his
eyes from the house.
At last when Lila emerged,
Riker was so stirred by some
strangely new emotion that he
felt dizzy and his throat grew
thick and choked.
There goes my kidd" he said,
forgetting she was also Jenny'S.
Straining his eyes, he watched her
walk down the steps, through the
gate, out to the path and suddenly.
although nothing had been fur
ther from his thoughts, he was
seized with a desire to follow her.
Immediately, he recognized this
for a mistake; following people,
even innocently, often led into
trouble.
GREAT URGE
But now the urge to do so was
so great, that with hardly any
hesitation, he threw away his Gig
arctic and crossed the road.
On his rubber-soled shoes. Riker
padded softly behind his daughter.
devouring every detail Of her op-
pearance.
She seemed about Jenny's
height. with Jenny's light hair,
too, but as she stepped out
briskly her walk reminded him of
one of his own sisters. Jenny had
been a tirnid little thing who
moved as if she were afraid.
The kid favored his side Of the
family, Riker thought proudly. A
snappy dresser, too. He approved
her dark blue suit, her small hat
trimmed with flowers worn a
trifle to one side.
A few cars passed by, but there
were no pedestrians at this hour
Of the day, so Riker found it easy
to keep just so far in back of Lila.
His eyes bored into her body,
his mind tried to reach out to
hers. He wondered about her life,
whether she was good at her job,
whether she had a boy friend,
what she did with her evenings.
He wondered what she was
thinking of now, and what she
would do or say if she knew who
walked so noiselessly behind her.
He wondered, too, how he
should best contrive to meet her.
Properly, Of course. 1t must be,
Miss Riker, my friend Mr.. Day.
He had learned that Lila went to
st. Marks Church.
He, too, would go to st. Marks
Church and with some of his easy
money rent q pew. Churches in
the country were always throw
ing sociables and Riker visualized
an agreeable scene in which he
would shake hands with his own
child and say:
IDEA APPEALS
PLEASED to meet you I'm sure.
Did you say the name was
Riker?" In fact, this idea ap-
pealed so strongly to him that in.
voluntarily he exclaimed aloud.
At once Lila quickened her pace
and as though disturbed, glanced
around uneaSily. AS she did so,
Riker glimpsed her profile. The
Riker nose and short upper lip.
His daughter all right.
A Riker through and through.
He supposed her eyes were gray
like his, too. He wished he knew.
Eyes were SO important in q
woman.
Soon they reached the town
and it was more difficult to keep
just so far behind Lila.
But, in a minute he saw the
shop in which she worked; he'd
watch her until she walked in
side the door, then he'd beat it
to st. Marks and see about rent
ing a pew.
The traffic held them up and
Riker managed to stand so close
to Lila that he could see her small,
pink ears, placed like Jenny'S
tight against her head.
He could see too, the little ten.
drills of wavy hair, curling on her
neck, all so like Jenny that by
half closing his eyes, it was easy
to imagine his wife standing be-
fore him once again.
Also standing by was a police
man, an alert young chap with a
most observing glance. Riker shot
him look. wise guy, amt you"
he sneered, contemptuous and
secure.
All at once without the slightest
warning. Lila turned upon her heel
and Squarely faced her father. who
as she did so experienced most
curious and battling sensation.
He no longer saw the street, the
people, the passing cars; even the
law embodied in the person Of the
young policeman disappeared. It
seemed to Riker as if the entire
: present slipped away, and he
whirled back. 20 years back and
once more he was in the hospital
looking down at Jenny with the
tiny babe in her arm.
But, this time he was forced to
: meet her eyes for they were look
ing at him now from Lila's face.
Officer" said Jenny's daughter
pointing to her father. there's