Edgar Rice Burroughs

“ Gaza told her. “Then I will come back and finish packing the few things that it will be necessary to take.”
When the landlady had left, the girl stood staring dully at the black traveling bag that she had brought from the closet and placed on her bed; but she did not see the bag or the few pieces of lingerie that she had taken from her dresser drawers. She saw only the sweet face of her mother, and the dear smile that had always shone there to soothe each childish trouble—the smile that had lighted the girl’s dark days, even after she had left home. ”

“ She returned the things to the desk, locked it, and ran downstairs.
“I will be back in a few minutes,” she called to the landlady. “I shall have to arrange a few things to-night with a friend.”
She went directly to the Vista del Paso bungalow. Crumb was surprised and not a little startled as he heard her key in the door. He had a sudden vision of Allen returning, and he went white; but when he saw who it was he was no less surprised, for the girl had never before returned after leaving for the night. ”

“ Only a small fraction of their stock had the two peddlers kept in the bathroom, and Crumb had now removed that, in case Allen should guess that he had been betrayed by his confederate and direct the police to the bungalow, or the police themselves should trace his call and make an investigation on their own account. He realized that he had taken a great risk; but his stratagem had saved him from the deadly menace of Allen’s vengeance, at least for the present. The fact that there must ultimately be an accounting with the man he put out of his mind. ”

“ You’re as bad as the snow—I hate you both, but I can’t live without either of you. I don’t feel like quarreling, Wilson. Give me the stuff—enough to last a week, for I’ll be home before that.”
He went to the bathroom and made a little package up for her. ”

“ You haven’t the nerve of a rabbit. You needn’t worry—there isn’t any other man, and there never will be. After knowing you I could never respect any man, much less love one of ’em. You’re all alike—rotten! ”