The Other Side of the Door

; and muffled in my long cloak and lace scarf I managed to slip out in the wake of a group of these-hoping they would not no

la and Laura had seized me by the shoulders and bodily thrust me out of doors I could not have f

oked upon me as though I were inhuman. Had all the laws of the universe been suddenly turned upside down? Ought my lips to have been sealed instinctively by what I saw? Ought I to have been struck d

after one o'clock, and what made our progress really dangerous, something had gone wrong with the carriage lights. They dwindled and went out when we were but a block on our way, and n

out of th

oked to the long roofs and walls of the convent, all a dull monotone scarcely distinguishable from the night. Only on th

ed that I was alone, and driving across a lonely part of the city. The voices seemed to be approach

, and make a cross-cut to Mason S

s about. In the mud the wheels and hoofs made only a soft "squshing" sound. We turned away int

aight on down Powell, probably for some of the North Beach resorts; but, as with voluble talk and laughter they passed the opposite curb, I noticed a singular thing-one man who dropped out of the group silently as if uno

spoke softly to the driver. "Stop! K

d to be coming straight toward the carriage. No, they were passing to the left of it. It was probable that this pe

and suddenly in the little upthrown illumination I saw the lips holding tightly the cigarette; a little higher the flame s

igarette failed, and I saw it drop like a glow-worm to the ground. I was looking again into nothing

ling of a child playing at conjurer who hopes, yet knows no miracle can happen. The shock was the greater then when, after

m the shadow, as courteously, as formally, as if it we

on him, and the risk he ran was more than I could bear. He hesitated one more heart-breaking

the downward sway of the carriage, and the sweeping of a serape over my feet; and I had released his wrist and knew he was sitting op

heels were turning, and I saw the arm of my otherwise indistinguishable companion move darkly against the paler square of glass as he closed the car

e you goin

go. Tell me quickly

hose first words of his to me in the police station; why he had encouraged me so recklessly with my testimony, and then fled, and of all those other puzzling inconsistencies in his behavior. But now that my opportunity and he were both here there boiled up in my brain my latest, most bitter perplexity of all, the one that had been pres

k nothing of the sort. You did quite right, and I a

I stammered, "from the way you looked at me first when-when you ran out at

e on the other side of the street, do you know what you seemed to me? You seemed to me like the reminder of everything good I had ever hoped for or believed in, looking at me acro

gh the court, to think you had to touch such things, even to know that they exist. I could not forgive myself! But what are y

use-because I couldn't bear it. I heard them talking behin

the point of a finger, "Believe me, that i

ave given anything, in that mo

," he went on steadily, "remember you only

from which his voice came. "If you wanted to co

brink of the mystery. When at last he spoke his voice sound

. But I feared you had been troubled about giving your evidence, and I am glad of this one chance to tell you that you have helped rather than hurt

rstanding of how or why it happened, I found myself crying, with my face in my hands. My ears were filled with the sound of my own sobs, but through

! But I love you for it. I have loved you since the moment I saw you staring at me as if I were the devil. I loved

ing of comfort in it. All the misery I had kept shut up in my th

you feel differently ab

ng to do," I whispered, mu

you know I can't stay here? Whether I shot the man or not I am forfeit. I have to go. But befor

darkness, there was his face above me, great, shadowy hollows for the eyes, and a soft, gray

ttle I looked up at him quite contentedly, with a feeling of peace at my heart that I had not felt since I had first seen him. "Of course I believe you," I said. "I was only so frigh

rimly. "Yes, that

ll tell them how it really happen

here is nothing here for me." Yet all the while he lo

aid. "Doesn't it matt

llows of his eyes, not a glimmer of light moved in them that I could see,

a queer, shocked, half-awed voice. "You don't know what you are talking about, child

what had become of you I have been understanding it, and I am glad

are too good for it!" Then he said slowly, measuring every word as if he meant I should clearly understand: "This

emently. "You must not! Y

en. She has chartered a lugger to take us to Mexico. It is lying out in the bay, now, on the other side of Chestnut Street Hill. She has slipped me out of her house with a group of her peons for a screen. I am go

for some reason the thing were irrevocable! And yet I couldn't understand why. There was no r

ny one happy. It has only kept making things worse and worse fo

this, just as you were bound to speak the truth in court. You won't understand it I know, for to you the world is black and white, and each incident stands by itself. But as a man lives these inc

em looks right, because it's like the others," I said. "If you go back to the big wrong that starte

t, astonished, incredulous, and half ashamed. "Out of the mouths of babes-" I tho

I kept my eyes upon him as if in such a fashion I could hold

uch unexpected finality that all

pair. "Yes, yes, you will go back, if not for my sake then for your own, and tell them

now there seemed to be more of tenderness than of incredulity i

"They will, if only you will

far away from what is right ever to get back. If I should try I would only succeed in doing some one els

hinking. At last, turning to me again, as if there had been no interval between his words, "But this much I can do," he said. "Even if I can not quite get back to the great wrong, I will go back as

hen how will they ever

y wo

u will be-" I be

hand held me quiet. "Suppose I can't make it come out right-don't you think it is better to make a stri

hispered.

e seen you I can't go on. After being with you only for this

re clasped tightly in my lap but my heart w

ward me, "Now, have I you

ed him more than my

oyal heart; but this promise shan't cost you anything. I shall answer

ou from going back. You don't know what

he will not stop me. I must send her a word to te

to have you go near the house. I

rite a line and slip it under the gate. We mus

quick, for already, the first pale change, which is scarcely dawn but only that fading of the deepest blue of night, was in the sky. He fumbled in all his pockets, and in the folds of his sash. We explored the seat

ut. It was my dance program. I had quite forgotten about it. One side of it was scrawled thickly wit

m of his hand, "I wonder if you have any idea

had seen him hesitate; so I knew that he needed all my strength. He bent his head and began to write slowly and laboriously because of the swinging

ught that this order would have come upon him as a surprise. But he only turned his head slowly toward me, and then as slowly back agai

my eyes with my hand. "Do you want to rea

rom where I sat I could hear the beat of the brass knocker. A moment passed, with fear thick at my heart; then he was back again. He gave the direction to the driver before he got in, and the cab

drop me at Montgom

owned. I thought he was going to object. "Let me stay with yo

cold, gray twilight we were driving downward through the city. The farther we went the more a strange and calm feeling settled upon me, and the mor

looked at him anxiously. "What is

e. "Don't you know?

ent through me, keen as physical pain. Something that was not my mind at all seemed to b

ped my fingers, bent his head and touched them with his l

and in spite of his gay Mexican trappings, with an air of somber resolution. So I saw him