The Blood Red Dawn

machine died with disconcerting suddenness The r

ng himself back into his seat. "I

at had been said since he

moments," replied Claire, easil

med that even the stalled car would be compelled to yield to its force. Claire had never seen it ra

.. an hour ... two. Still the rain swept from the sullen sky. Twice Stillman made a futile attempt to remedy the trouble with his engine, and twice he retired defeated to the shelter of the car. Claire was relieved that she was in the company of a man who did not emp

e frank acceptance of her employer's hospitality? But these vagrant questions were the spawn of a colorless spirit of social expediency which fastens itself on weak natures, and in Claire's case they died still-born. She had been too well schooled in loneliness to lean heavily on the crooked stick of public o

t twelve-thirty," she finished. "Sure

. "I'm afraid that's out of the question, so long as the rain keeps up, Miss R

Stillman was right. The storm was

nd brought a downpour so violent that what had gone be

ured Claire. "Southeaster always break

Pungent odors floated up from the rain-trampled stubble of the hillsides, the air

s exhaustion. Stillman switched on his pocket-light and began to invest

lutely and no mistake. I guess we'd better strike out and walk. No doubt we'll get a lift i

ore they had gone a hundred yards their shoes were slimy with mud. It appeared that Stillman had been something of an aimless wanderer for m

ession of a man waiting vaguely for opportunity-like some traveler pacing restlessly up and down a railway station platform in expectation of the momentary arrival of a delayed train. She tried to imagi

ore than inclination must have push

's insinuating questio

out his wife

t that it must be, otherwise the man tramping at her side would have wrestled so passionately against fate as to have come awa

nough to watch the stolid, easy-going British public awake to the

didn't like being so frightfully messed up in the process. I want a chance to strike b

ied. But he was still sober on this colossal subject of war ... a bit judicial, always well poised. He had his sympathies, but they did not appear vit

ion rose to her lips as if his answer might unlock t

hilled her; then his reply b

can't decide for themselves. The obvious duty

ting for! It might come to-morrow ... next week ... in a year ... never! But when it did come he felt that he must be there, ready. She wondered whether he loved his wife very much, and she found herself hoping that he did.... It would help, som

y-five ... just five minutes late for the

ar. "This is luck!... I guess we'll have to rout out the Sherwins. It's

Sherw

ls. They have a bungalow at the

I couldn't think of it, Mr. Stillman

respectable, and the suppressed grumbling of the old shrew whom they routed out confirmed their estimate. She didn't approve of couples who dragged God-fearing old women out of bed at unholy hours in the morni

virginal seclusion and thrust her at once into the primitive and elemental open. She felt like one who was coming out of voluntary exile to the pathos of a deferred heritage. Before her stretched the eagle's horizon, but she had only the fledgling's strength of wing. She lo

completely as sorrow from the face of a smiling child. The sun touched the open

upon an early

fornia Street crowd," she said to herself, a

e greasy doughnuts and gulping coffee. The steward, taking note of Claire's hesitation, came forward and led her to a seat at one of the side tables. She was about to take advantage of the chair which he had drawn out for her when she heard her name called. She turned. Miss Munch's cousin, Mrs. R

Flint's all night," Mrs. Richards began

returned Claire, her v

bowl and powdered her grapefruit sparingl

very

st impossible to get servants these days to consider suc

rifle too eager. "I suppose it is," Claire assented, placing the

but, servants or no servants, I don't believe I could let a guest of mine leave the house without break

a feeling of faint amusement. "Perhaps Mrs. Fli

ds exclaimed with

re's order of toast and coffee that

, boldly. "Why, I never remember the time when my mother remained away overnight ...

he Flint family it was not right for her to give Mrs. Richards's dangerous tongue any further

Mrs. Flint remained away from home last night. As a matter of fa

hat morning, but Claire was conscious that there was more

ued, stung to incautious exasperatio

smile. "I didn't know you had friends in Sausalito," she s

ight in a lodging-house .

y I.... Why, I hope you don

ossible to be ignored. Claire knew that she was trapped

und herself snapping back too eagerly at her tormentor. "We tried to make the last b

e done Mr. Flint's cold any good,

don't quite see what t

' I somehow got t

re threw a cool, even glance at her antagonist. "I made

rd time, and in this instance her

t mattered. She was quite sure that the truth could not harm Stillman, and she was equally sure that her position in life was too obscure to stand out conspicuously against the darts of Mrs. R

ed her fingers hurriedly into the battered metal fing

t a quick start ... before the crowd gets too thick. I've got a million errands to do before nine o'clock. And I do want to