When his signal remained unanswered a second time he called her
by name, and she heard him coming up.
"Anna!" he repeated.
"Yes?"
He was startled to hear her voice so close to the door. In the
dark she heard him fumbling for the knob. He happened on the
padlock instead, and he laughed a little. By that she knew that
he was not quite sober.
"Locked you in, has he?"
"What do you want?"
"Has Herman come home yet?"
"He doesn't get home until seven."
"Hasn't he been back at all, to-night?"
She hesitated.
"How do I know? I've been asleep!"
"Some sleep!" he said, and suddenly lurched against the door.
In spite of her it yielded, and although she braced herself with
all her strength, his weight against it caused it to give way. It
was a suspicious, crafty Rudolph who picked himself up and made a
clutch at her in the dark.
"You little liar," he said thickly. And struck a match. She
cowered away from him.
"I was going to run away, Rudolph," she cried.
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