The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-02-02

The rain had stopped Tor a no
ment and as Ransone drove across
the square by the cinema the
whole place came suddenly to LIE,
with people rushing out Of shops
and houses TO take advantage Of
ne respite servants on errands,
women bound for the bazaar, mer-
chants bartering. washerwomen
hurrying to the great tank. From
the square he turned past the
music school into the Engineering
School Road Il was actually
called Beaconsfield Avenue, but
nobody ever used that name. Il
was always spoken Of as Engineer
ing School Road
And then, as # the chain Of a
gigantic shower bath had been
pulled, the rain began again IN
flood. and a little ahead Of him on
the right he spied the figure Of
Miss Dirks trudging along in a
macintosh and mans felt hat.
She must have been thinking Of
something very far away as she
trudged along through the rain,
for when he drew up beside her
and called out she looked at him
in a startled way, almost without
recognition, as If she had come
IseA,
Can l give you a lift?' he
asked.
She did not smile. She said:
Good morning. No, thank you.
like walking. l get so little
exercise"
AS she spoke her face grew
suddenly flushed in the most ex-
troardinary way.
He had put his foot on the
clutch to start on his way TO FL
kautara when she spoke again.
Its funny" she said. Il was
just thinking of you" Then she
coughed and said. Gould I come
and see you this afternoon >"
His first impulse was to make
an excuse, but pity for her and
checked him. Something
about her made him feel suddenly
very English. He was aware of
the closeness of his blood to that
Of the grim spinster and he felt
suddenly their loneliness in this
rain-drenched town, where nothing
was what it seemed to be. He
saw that both of them were in a
way exiles from everything that
touched them closely.
He said: of course. But
could save you the trouble.
Gould come to you
But she objected quickly: NO.
/ had better be at your house.
At home we wouldn't be alone"
Again she coughed. You see, it's
'ather personal
All right as you like.
What time? Will you come for
ca ,"
Yes. That will be fine. I
get away from school be-
ore then"
I'll expect you about s."
The flush went suddenly out of
Ter face, leaving it the color of
leath. She said: It's very kind
# you. Good day" and awkward
y abruptly, she turned and went
IN her way.
When she was dressed and every
me had gone away. even Bates,
1dwina went into Esketh's room
md sat for long time, watching
md thinking. She did not sit be-
ide the bed, but in chair across
he room. from which he appeared
o her effectively, far from any
'ond of any kind. He did not stir
When she came in and gave no
ign of knowing that she was
here. He simply lay, blosted and
leavy, his face swollen and more
,urple than it had been three
lours earlier.
Major Sefti had told her that
he should not enter the room
Until Esketh's illness had been
diagnosed If it were
Hague. he said it would be danger
'us for her. But she had no feel
ne about the danger because, deep
within her, there was a conscious
less. like the belief which some
oldiers have in battle, that moth
ng would touch her. And she
vas by nature a gambler. II she
vas to have the plague, she would
lave it anyway.
She had been driven to return TO
he room by kind of horrid fas-
,ination which Esketh, i'll and I'M