lf to Larry and me. Something eery, here.

"Come on," Larry muttered. "Let's get her out of here."

* * * * *

I had indeed no desire to investigate anything further. The girl let
us help her through the window. I stood in the entryway holding her
arms. Her dress was of billowing white satin with a single red rose at
the breast; her snowy arms and shoulders were bare; white hair was
piled high on her small head. Her face, still terrified, showed parted
red lips; a little round black beauty patch adorned one of her
powdered cheeks. The thought flashed to me that this was a girl in a
fancy dress costume. This was a white wig she was wearing!

I stood with the girl in the entryway, at a loss what to do. I held
her soft warm arms; the perfume of her enveloped me.

"What do you want us to do with you?" I demanded softly. McGuire, the
policeman on the block, might at any moment pass. "We might get
arrested! What's the matter with you? Can't you explain? Are you
hurt?"

She was staring as though I were a ghost, or some strange animal. "Oh,
take me away from this place! I will talk--though I do not know what
to say--"

Demented or sane, I had no desire to have her fall into the clutches
of the police. Nor could we very well take her to our apartment. But
there was my friend Dr. Alten, alienist, who lived within a mile of
here.

"We'll take her to Alten's," I said to Larry, "and find out what this
means. She isn't crazy."

A sudden wild emotion swept me, then. Whatever this mystery, more than
anything in the world I did not want the girl to be insane!

Larry said, "There was a taxi down the street."

* * * * *

It came, now, slowly along the deserted block. The chauffeur had
perhaps heard us, and was cruising past to see if we were possible
fares. He halted at the curb. The girl had quieted; but when she saw
the taxi her face registered wildest terror, and she shrank against
me.

"No! No! Don't let it kill me!"

Larry and I were pulling her forward. "What the devil's the matter
with you?" Larry demanded again.

She was suddenly wildly fighting with us. "No! That--that mechanism--"

"Get her in it!" Larry panted. "We'll have the neighborhood on us!"

It seemed the only thing to do. We flung her, scrambling and fighting,
into the taxi. To the half-frightened, reluctant driver, Larry said
vigorously:

"It's all right; we're just taking her to a do