The San Francisco call. [volume], January 27, 1907, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
MAGAZINE SECTION
The San Francisco Sunday Call.
THE
BETRAYAL
CHIPTEIT I
The Face at the "Wlndoir
LIKE a clap of tbunder, the north
wind, rushing seaward, eaeajftd
suddenly to threaten the ancient
little building with destruction. The
window sashes rattled, the beams
which supported the roof creaked and
groaned, tie oil lamps by which alone
the place was lit swung perilously in
their chains. A row of maps designed
for the Instruction of the young —
the place was a schoolhouse — com
menced a devil's dance against the
wall. In the street without we heard
the crash of a fallen chimney pot.
My audience of four rose timorously
to its feet, and I, glad of the excuse,
folded my notes and stepped from the
slightly raised platform to .^tii*
floor.
"I am much obliged to you for com
ing." I said, "but I think that it is
Quite useless to continue, for I can.
scarcely make 'you f * h^ar. jan d ,1. em,
not at all Eure that the "place is t^ate."
1 epoke hastily, :^|)cj^s
to escape from tlife;' eeeuc . of « niy hu
miliation unaccosti^A. ' One of -my lit
tie audience, however, was of a differ
ent mind. Rising quickly from one of
the back seats, she barred the way.
Her broad, comely face was full of
mingled contrition and sympathy.
"I am so sorry. Mr. Ducaine." she
exclaimed. "It does eeem a cruel pity,
doesn't it? — and such a beautiful lec
ture! I tried so hard to persuade dad
anc the others to come, but you know
how they all love hearing anything
about the war, and — "
"My dear 3liss""Moyat," 1 interrupted,
•I am only sorry that a mistake^
sense of kindness should have brought
you here. With one less in the audi-;
eace I think I should have ventured
to suggest that we all went round to :
hear Colonel Ray. I should like to
have gone myself immensely."
Blanche Moyat looked at me doubt
fully.
"That's all very well," she declared,
"but I think it's jolly mean of the !
Duke to bring him down here the very,
tiigVrt you were giving your lecture.**
*I do not suppose he knew any
thing about that," I answered. "In any
case, I can give my lecture again aay
time, but none of us, may ever have
another opportunity of- h earing Poland
Bay. Allow me—" .. > ' :,- '
I opened the door, and a . storm of,
Bleet and spray stung our .faces. V" Old rf
Pegg, who had been there .to sell' and
collect tickets, shouted, to, us. . -\u25a0 •
"Shut the door Quick, master, or it'll
be blown. to emithereens. * It's a real
nor'easter, and a bad "un-, at 'that.'
Why, the missie'll hardly stand, > 111
ccc to the lights and lock up, ' Master
Ducaine. Better *be getting '\u25a0 hoam
while thee can, for the creeksll run
full tonight." ~**v . . •" \u25a0\u25a0'\u25a0 t
Once out in the : village street I was
spared the embarrassment of conver
sation. We had to- battle the way;
Btep by step. We were drenched with
spray and the driving rain. Tbe'wlnd
kept us breathless," mocking any at
tempt at speech. We passed the vil
lage hall, brilliantly lit; /the shadowy
forms of a closely packed crowd of \u25a0
people were dimly visible through 'the '
uncurtained windows. I fancied. that'
my oompanion's clutch upon my arm '
tightened as we hurried past.
>' We reached a large gray stone
house fronting the street. Miss Moyat
laid her hand upou the handle of the
door and motioned me to enter. v
I shook my head. - .
"Not tonight," I shouted. "{ am
drenched." . .
Bhe endeavored to persuade me.
"For a few moments, at any rate,"
ehe pleaded. "The others will not be
home yet, and I will make you some
thing hot Father is expecting you '
to supper."
I shook my head and staggered on.'
At the corner of the street" l looked
behind. , She -was '_ holding . oh . to j the ;
"door handle^.'sUll .'watching - me,"h*er .*
skirts ' blowing^ab^iitf her". in "istfaugel,
confusionr FoH a*, moment "fl'hadi half -
a mind T.t» 'turn -.badfe": 'The 'deai loneli- 1
ness before rme »'seemedt linbuedn with*
fresh ! horrors^rth'e 'loneliness, fmyi flre-^
less -'grate; and .."". em^y"^larder. ' ;^?: Moyat \
:'atrlea*st^holspitoble.^Tiere*would.*: 'at r lea*st^ho1spitoble.^Tiere*would.*
.eat -and drink./.
coarse •
fcwracsl^-.unvejledrreferences';.to>.niSf';
S*|gliters V and :;his^WshA'to v see'Jthem ;;
•ilskyiandS his <"o'nly|haif-veiied \u25a0 tone 1
B^pafronage-V^iThe^n^n^was^withinr
|& rightß. 4^ Hef w&f\ the/rich^ man sof r
Ehe in^hbbrhood^cornV^^
ic^|h^aoiibr«dei^l|^s^anUunrd
fcmown\
lliiuy^.l^coine;-: frflmjv heaven-/ knew t
tool I tog^ti&er^ WreltKan } fin 1 the'Ctown;^
Batmyixiem^^
his hearty^^ volc^and(siap:on T toeJshpuli^
fler I was 'unbearable:." I \u25a0- 'set '^my-v f ace "-*
hjbmewardi fi, V^jjyT'?. : 'S : > ' ~\ .-'7 - • .v v ';.
V- tfomCilxeij:, village
B^etehe^a^perfectly^raigh
with : 'dikes omeitherfside.^ *No;'sooner'
bad *Ie passed fthe'jiast^ house >and- seti
stra^e]thinVBv^^™S^y^d^whichi;
Wtt3tfiej»ri^trreached^to| the^seat^was*'
om|sts^drxyenp, along » the | ground^ like \u25a0
r clouds* before i;ah;April:tempest.vWhlte^
yjakes spifayi/salt r j and' h^jnindus, -
•Werß'dashediln'to^m
in^driven£up^the?cre?ks,! swept^e'Toad
:ifl^m"a.ny3lac^
;with;fe^; :j h^ad;-leftftke.ma^^^^
.wef e% cpming^lowing.^along- the? high:
:p^th|; whics' : jDdrdered v the r. dike.", \
;an\fth'eCtimer;an^'undertyne:of^
'the-thunder^ofi^e.sea'rushin^in^up^^
ttiellandj". cameCli^Vatdeep/,m^otonf|
ous" refrain* toithe 'rparing. of ,Uie* win^d.'
*" \ battled:? my^Vay^
hatiess,;". soaked . to i'the ; skin;^ yet .finding
ascertain" wild fpleasufev in*^^ the., storm."
'3y3th*e^timeU. ; h*ad v reached',my;n
"dwelfing ' :: T'-.was •^exh*aust^;'/.-'My,C.nair'
and .clothes ,were*iri '-'wildJ-disqr^erAmy.'
boots ;-were ; like'' \u25a0 pul p. -upon- my ;- f eet. >: ;
My. remaining : streysth*£was: expended;
'inc losing tUe'door/^Thej fire iw'as : out,' ;
the '\u25a0' place \u25a0^strucic/ cbld.'Vu-I istaggeredj
toward .the Uneasy v .chaih- •«but<Hhe^
'floor" 1 ; seemed^ suddenly to^heave/nbe^'
neathymy^fe^^i^as
'sic! 1 f icT»thatTf orV Jtwoj daysji^had^had;
'iittfe^toj(^f4nd|thatymyj lar^er^'wasj
My;ilmDa ,were > giving' way, - a
\ inist'Was: before : m3T^ eyes.-and the roar
)of-the?seatßeemedltoibe in my:, ears,
my > brain. J^ My.- hands .went : out ;
>lU£e^ia^biind:- man^s^and ' I -suppose'
; broke :; myr f all. v "*.,There -was* rest ?at
lieast" ln'4the £ ,uncoisciousriess which:
pall upon r my \u25a0
v'only -have been .a : short
ftimejbeforej^l? Opened ;.-my eyes. JSome.
/fcnockingfat \ Vh*e f door, 'but
'i\h&l 'could ' hear the' low panting ; of 'a
.motor 'car ; *\u25a0 the'^flashing \'of .' brilliant
; lamps : , threw] a ;gl earn {of -llghCa'cfoss
\ th'e^flpori of~ myV; room.: Again ) there '-,
• earned aj sharp ; rapping." upon t the «• door. '.
>I f 'rai§*ed» myself * upon\my - f elbow, -but' I i
lina'dfe; ;\no v vattempt \u25a0;.- at<; speech. .' The^
;motor $ was'- the ''Rowchester-Daimler.
Tomnibus^iW^t]did-;these; people want
i,wlth* me?4 l' was* horribly "afraid of be^
'\u25a0 ing: found v in -such straits. - I'jay, (quite'
sti.il/. *and- prayed ", that tljey- might -.go
Jarway.'K'. \u25a0'(\u25a0 'v. '- -\u25a0.• : \u25a0 . '
\u25a0: *•; But\my^ visitor/ whoever- he had
no \u25a0 idea - of j doing "anything '
< of -tthe'sort. :• I:_heard;\the r latch 'lifted;'
JarTdf thej: tall,^bulkj-' :^qrm ,ot: a~fman
j filled | &ej£^?eB&old> • Wiih> himTcame
i:l^/(^nd,^playjngf^h«^vocr^
?r6oin^Be4.d^^papers;,a^;ornamen
flying : around in ." wild confttslon. \u25a0
closed 1 the - door < quickly with " ailittla .
imprecation*.- ISheardl the 'scratching''
of • a match, -saw.; it carefuly> shielded .
In the hollow of the man's hand.;' Then
-it ! burned i clearly^ and I'knewVthatTl ,
was discovered.;. .. ; \u25a0 <• '
Theman was' wrapped w from -head i to ;
foot-in a huge;ulster. ' He: was.soitali
that his cap almost ' brushed my- ceil- j
in gV I ; raised "myselV upon my ,
and looked: at him,; looked ?for the first
; time- at ' Mostyn Ray.\ He" had 'the .'
'blackest^ and "heaviest'eyebrqws I; had '
even • scenr: very ; piercing ! eyes, . and " a
finely ; shaped', mouth, firm i even to
crueltj'.^ \u25a0*" I should "• have ; known ? him
"anywhere^ from; ;thev;picture3 4 ,which (
were filling the.newspapers and. ma«a- \u25a0
zines.^ My .first impression, ;I 'think,
. was" that : theyf had done himbut scanty ;
Justice, ;: v ./- : : . - . ; > • " -: - r V vv * ' :
X.L As; for' me,"- there is , no / doubt r but. <
; that>F was. a : ;pitif.ul object. :. Of color
'\u25a0!"\u25a0 had inever : very^much; and my''faint- " *\u25a0
;ing; fit" "could ; scarcely, have.improved .
.matter's.^ My .•cheeks, - 1 had noticed
\u25a0tba£ morning .when 'shaving,' were" hoi- :
low, and there were black rings un
der "*my "'eyes. • With my disordered
cldthingand hair,"! must indeed have
{Continued \u25a0. oa Nast Pas«r)