ntirely from the
vague depression.

The day had been grey; when she left the house a drizzle had begun to
wet the flagstones, and every lamp-post was now hooded with ghostly
iridescence.

She walked because she had need of exercise, not even deigning to
unfurl her umbrella against the mist which spun silvery ovals over
every electric globe along Fifth Avenue, and now shrouded every
building above the fourth story in a cottony ocean of fog.

When finally she turned westward, the dark obscurity of the
cross-street seemed to stretch away into infinite night and she
hurried a little, scarcely realising why.

There did not seem to be a soul in sight--she noticed that--yet
suddenly, halfway down the street, she discovered a man walking at her
elbow, his rubber-shod feet making no sound on the wet walk.

Palla had never before been annoyed by such attentions in New York,
yet she supposed it must be the reason for the man's insolence.

She hastened her steps; he moved as swiftly.

"Look here," he said, "I know who you are, and where you're going. And
we've stood just about enough from you and your friends."

In the quick revulsion from annoyance and disgust to a very lively
flash of fright, Palla involuntarily slackened her pace and widened
the distance between her and this unknown.

"You better right-about-face and go home!" he said quietly. "You talk
too damn much with your face. And we're going to stop you. See?"

At that her flash of fear turned to anger:

"Try it," she said hotly; and hurried on, her hand clutching the
pistol in her wet muff, her eyes fixed on the unknown man.

"I've a mind to dust you good and plenty right here," he said. "Quit
your running, now, and beat it back again--" His vise-like grip was on
her left arm, almost jerking her off her feet; and the next moment she
struck him with her loaded pistol full in the face.

As he veered away, she saw the seam open from his cheek bone to his
chin--saw the white face suddenly painted with wet scarlet.

The sight of the blood made her sick, but she kept her pistol
levelled, backing away westward all the while.

There was an iron railing near; he went over and leaned against it as
though stupefied.

And all the while she continued to retreat until, behind her, his dim
shape merged into the foggy dark.

Then Palla turned and ran. And she was still breathing fast and
unevenly when she came to that perfect blossom of vulgarity and
apotheosis of