ead and looked at him as though she
had been called. At that moment the orchestra swept their strings in a
minor and swirled off in a mystic dance like that of storm ghosts in
the tree-tops. It caught him up with the girl and for a measure or so
bore them along like leaves, in a new comradeship. To them the light
laughter was hushed; to them the heavy smoke clouds vanished; to them
the Babel of other personalities was no more. They two had been lifted
out of this and carried hand in hand to some distant gypsy region. She
was the first to shake herself free. She started, nodded pleasantly to
him, and turned back to her companion, with a little shiver.

That was all, but it left Donaldson strangely moved. He paid his check
at once and prepared to leave, hoping that in passing her table he
might find his opportunity to stop a moment. But they too rose as he
was getting into his coat and passed out ahead, the young man evidently
trying to hurry her.

On the sidewalk Donaldson found them waiting at the curb for a big
automobile which swooped out of the dark to meet them. Making a
pretext of stopping to roll a cigarette, he paused. The girl stepped
into the machine, but her companion instead of following at once gave
an order to the chauffeur. The latter left his seat and the girl
expostulated. The chauffeur apparently hesitated, but, the younger man
insisting, he hurried past Donaldson into the cafe. Unconsciously
Donaldson moved nearer. He felt a foreboding of danger and a curious
sense of responsibility. He caught a glimpse of the white face of the
girl leaning forward towards her companion--heard her cry as the fellow
stepped into the chauffeur's seat--and, yielding to some impulse,
jumped to the running-board just as the man threw on the power.

The machine leaped forward with a shock that nearly tossed him off. To
save himself he sprang to the empty seat beside the girl. The man at
the wheel had apparently not noticed him; he had plenty to occupy his
mind to control the machine which was tearing along at the rate of
fifty miles an hour.

The girl leaned forward and gripped Donaldson's arm.

"You must stop him," she said. "He has lost himself again! Do you
understand? You must stop him!"

CHAPTER IV

_Kismet_

The machine swirled around a corner at a speed that swung the rear
wheels clear of the ground. It righted itself as a frightened dog
scrambles to his legs, and shot on up the av