er as if they'd been covered with a shiny gray veil that was suddenly pulled off and had caught in the stubble and been torn to rags. Saturday morning the

king out at the streets, all puddles and ruts, when I got a ca

nd on me doing my work according to orders? But the fact is that at this time I was keyed up so high I'd got past being cautious. When a call came for Mapleshade I listened, listened hard, with

e cam and took in

ll's, I knew it well-and Dr. Fowl

husband's very sick. We've had Dr. Graham and he says it's appendicitis an

ler, very ca

ctly,

ried. It's so unexpected. Mr. Dalzell's ne

me the Doctor. "Let me understand. Gra

done. And Dr. Graham suggested you if you'd be so kind. I know it's a favor

to the Junction wouldn't be the quickest. But Mrs. Dalzell said she'd been consulting the time tables and there'd be no train from Longwood to the Junction before two and if he wouldn't mind and would c

e and heard the Doctor tell Mrs. Fowler that the operation had been a serious

er message for Mapleshade that before a week was out was in most every paper i

r getting ready for it. The call was from a public pay station and was in a man's voice-a voice I didn't kn

nce without any questions. If she'd said one word to show who he was things afterward would have been very different, but there wa

er and wanting to know if she'd come to town on Monday and t

t, "the day after to-morrow? No, I c

ot?" h

did, though her voice was so sweet, the

ething el

ou postp

tle soft laugh that came b

m afrai

ething very

mayb

erious-can't I be

uld you

I could hear i

er that head, as a fellow who's got

n. I have no engagement with yo

e thing-is it a

een the man at the other end of the wi

you think?

know," and I kne

sweet as pie, "I needn't tell y

torment me for?" Then he got sort of coaxing, "It isn't kin

know a thing till I choose to

Sunday afternoon

t ti

I'm your humble sl

g out abo

he

another

he was getting madder every minute and yet he was so afraid s

to you awfully. If I run over in my car and get ther

ce. Then she said slow

t the

Maple Lane, by the gate. I won't kee

ty's rath

ny time

there exactly

's a con

d me. I'll be gone"-she began to lau

there on

ix. And, maybe, if you're good, I'll tell you the secret. Good-bye until then-try not

ay another word s

e secret? And who was the man? "Run over in his car"-that looked like someo

were talking so secluded and an East Side tenement girl taking it all in. Little did I guess then tha

ay the twenty-first, a

on Saturday, not a breath of air stirring and the sky all mottled over with clouds, dark and heavy looking. A full moon was due an

and if it did would I stay on over time? I knew those headaches-they ran along sometimes till eight or nine. I told her to go right home to bed and I'd hold the fort till sh

e Hennessey. "Have you got anyt

is is Longwood,

ut seven and we'll go to the Gilt Edg

clean little joint close to the office. But I didn't k

e Exchange. Minnie's head's on the blink

been another row here-yesterday morning. It's horrible; I

ave said money. But I'd learnt considerable since then. "Money don't do it," I said to myself. "Look at the Fowlers with

raised. I thought of my poor father, most killed with work, and my mother ekin

by the radiator, which was making queer noises with the heat coming up. Supper time's like dinner-few

rper, the butler, hearing every word. He said it was the worst they'd

d the Doct

Fowler crying behi

me old

al times she's been gone nearly the whole day. When the Doctor questioned her she'd either be evasive o

, I couldn

bout that? Isn't Mr. Re

g to tell you. I have no right to repeat what I hear as an employee but I'm worried and don't know what's the best thing to do. Mrs. Fowler has as good as told me that her husband's lost

hat she wants and if he makes it so dis

yet. He may recoup h

can't do any good b

't know it. He treats that hot-headed, high-spirited girl like a chi

" might be. Could Sylvia have been planning to run away? I didn't say anything-it's natural to me and you g

eems to cling to me. The other day she told me about her first marriage-how her husband d

eddy? My eyes were fixed on the window and I saw, without noticing particular, the down train from the city draw into

rs to his wife and five millions to his daughter. But if

him open the depot door and come slouching across the street. I knew he was headed for t

ot over the shock of seeing

ing your young la

start and st

lvia?" s

m, warming his coat t

awful surprised and w

he with?"

aid she was going to be away for

urned quiet and innocent to Jim. "Just for a visit to friend

nt back to the station. When the door shut on him we

ost in a whisper, "it's jus

she's lig

ctor being at the Dalzells

ould she

woman, up to the village for something-on Sunday when all the shops are shut. The housemaid told me they'd b

from Mapleshade to the Dalzells'. As I made the connection I

athless and almost crying. She asked fo

appened-something dread

r's voice, small and d

s hard to hear you. Did y

r said, trying

er from him in her desk. Do you hear-her desk, in the top drawer? It told her

t's a hundred and

to take her. It said they'd go by the turnpike to Bloomington and be marrie

e turnpike,

p there and meet the

head them off. What tim

t seven and it's a little after eight now. H

t get round to the part of the pike where I'll

go-can you le

o-night. And not a word to anybody. We don't want this to get about. We'll have to shut the mouth of tha

ot up asking her, as natural as you please, how she felt. Anne did the same and you'd nev

Reddy tearing away through that still, black night, flying along the pale line of the road, flashing past the lights of farms and country

I was. She suddenly stopped short, star

Reddy by the turnpike when Jim D