Dangerous Days

Herman Klein, watch between forefinger and thumb, climbed heavily to

Anna's room. She heard him pause outside the door, and her heart almost

stopped beating. She had been asleep, and rousing at his step, she had

felt under the pillow for her watch to see the time. It was not there.

She remembered then; she had left it below, on the table. And he was

standing outside her door. She heard him scratching a match, striking it

against the panel of her door. For so long as it would take the match to

burn out, she heard him there, breathing heavily. Then the knob turned.

She leaped out of the bed in a panic of fear. The hall, like the room,

was dark, and she felt his ponderous body in the doorway, rather than

saw it.

"You will put on something and come down-stairs," he said harshly.

"I will not." She tried to keep her voice steady. "I've got to work, if

you haven't. I've got to have my sleep." Her tone rose, hysterically.

"If you think you can stay out half the night, and guzzle beer, and then

come here to get me up, you can think again."

"You are already up," he said, in a voice slowed and thickened by rage.

"You will come down-stairs."

He turned away and descended the creaking stairs again. She listened for

the next move, but he made none. She knew then that he was waiting at

the foot of the stairs.

She was half-maddened with terror by that time, and she ran to the

window. But it was high. Even if she could have dropped out, and before

she could put on enough clothing to escape in, he would be back again,

his rage the greater for the delay. She slipped into a kimono, and her

knees giving way under her she went down the stairs. Herman was waiting.

He moved under the lamp, and she saw that he held the watch, dangling.

"Now!" he said. "Where you got this? Tell me."

"I've told you how I got it."

"That was a lie."

So--Rudolph had told him!

"I like that!" she blustered, trying to gain time. "I guess it's time

they gave me something--I've worked hard enough. They gave them to all

the girls."

"That is a lie also."

"I like that. Telling me I'm lying. You ask Mr. Graham Spencer. He'll

tell you."

"If that is true, why do you shake so?"