tousled head against his arm.

The conductor came again, and touched Achilles on the shoulder and bent
to him. "You change here," he said. He was pointing to a car across
the square--"You take that," he said. "You understand?" He shouted a
little--because the man was a foreigner--and dark--but his tone was
friendly. And Achilles got to his feet, guiding the sleepy child down
the rib-floored car that shook beneath them.... And the conductor and
policeman watched the two figures vanish through the door--and smiled
to each other--a friendly smile at foreign folks--who travel in strange
ways--and go among us with eager, intent faces fixed on some shining
goal we cannot see... with the patience of the centuries leaning down to
them, and watching them.

XXXVI

THE TELEPHONE AGAIN

In the middle of the square, Achilles stopped--a lighted sign had caught
his eye. He hurried the child across the blur of tracks to the sign, and
opened a door softly. A sleepy exchange-girl looked up and waited
while Achilles's dark fingers searched the page and turned to
her--"Main--four-four-seven--"

She drawled sleepily after him--"Go in there--number four."

Achilles, with the child's hand in his, entered the booth and closed the
door. Little noises clicked about them--queer meanings whispered--and
waited--and moved off--the whole night-life of the great city stirred in
the little cage.... "Go ahead--four!" called the girl lazily.

Achilles lifted the black tube. The child beside him pressed close, her
eyes fixed on the tube. Achilles's words ran swift on the wire, and her
eager face held them--other words came back--sharp--swift. And the child
heard them crackle, and leap, and break and crackle again in the misty
depths--and she touched Achilles's arm softly--"They must not hurt Mrs.
Seabury--?" she said. "You tell them not to hurt Mrs. Seabury!"

Achilles's hand pressed her shoulder gently. "Yes--I tell--they know."
It was a swift aside--and his voice had taken up the tale--"That
woman--you not take that woman.... You hear? Yes--she good woman!"

"Tell them to look in the cellar!" said Betty. She had pressed closer,
on tiptoe. "There is a hole there--under a barrel--and a barrel in the
garden. You tell them--"

His eye dropped to her. "In cellar? You say that?"

"Yes--yes--" Her hands were clasped. "They took me there! You tell
them!"

Achilles's eye smiled. "Hallo--_you look in cellar_!... What you
say?--no--I don't see