Show ISEF IA STORY H AEA A AND M ft S vy S by HAROLD macgrath author Autho of the man on box etc lh with drawings by harrison fisher F copyright 1905 by bobbs merr ICO 1 co CHAPTER VIII vill cont continued aued 4 she slipped it mechanically over her finger 0 but you my dear mr cornstalk t he cried pried turning his shining eyes 0 upon me while his fingers deftly re placed the gems in the bag I 1 have no jewelry I 1 replied toss ing aside the cigarette but you have something infinitely better I 1 am rather observant in friand s curio curi shop you carelessly ex i a wallet that was simply chok I 1 ing to death with long yellow bo bos s jou you have it still will you do me the tap honor stretching out his slim cwhite hand 1 I tooted looked at 10 william villiam he nodded there gasn wasn t the slightest chance tor for me to argue 0 o I 1 drew out my wal let I 1 extracted the gold bills and made a neat little packet of them it urt hurt like the deuce to part with 1 them but game william isn t he hea most men would have flung the wallet at W my head r oh he is game sir ever you doubt it sir said the amiable wil wit liam I 1 have some silver in change I 1 4 A suggested with some bitterness far be it that I 1 should touch sil sit ver he said generously did this r P rogue besides yo i will need some thing to pay for this little supper and the fare back to new york my bills disappeared into his pocket you will observe that I 1 trust you implicitly 1 I haven t even counted the money r william sniggered and is there anything further 9 I 1 inquired the comedy was beginning to weary me it was so one sided 1 I 1 am in no particular hurry the rogue answered his sardon ts smile a returning it is so long since I 1 have chatted with people of my kind I 1 scowled J pardon me I 1 meant from a social point of view only I 1 admit we would not be equals in the ee ele of the pres bater and then followed a scene that re minds me to this day of some broken t fantastic dream a fragment from some bewildering nightmare I 1 CHAPTER IX for suddenly I 1 saw his eyes widen and flash with anger and apprehend sion quick as a 3 passing sun shadow t ills his hand swept the candelabrum va f om the table he made a swift back ward spring toward the door but he iwas was a little too late the darkness tie he had created was not intense enough tor for there was still the ruddy A aglow glow from the logs and the bosom i of his dress shirt made a fine target besides the eyes that had peered into the window were accustomed to the night blang diang the glass of the window shivered and jingled to the floor f and a sharp report followed the f rogue cried out in fierce anguish and reeled against the wall william whipped out his revolver but even from his favorable angle he was not quick enough the hand that had dl erected the first bullet was ready to direct the second A all this took place within the count t of ten the girl and I 1 sat stiffly in our chairs as if petrified it was all so swiftly accomplished drop it t said a cold author dative voice and I 1 saw the vague out lines of Hag gertys face beyond the broken windowpane window pane wiliam knew better than to hesi fate late his revolver struck the floor dully and a curse rolled from his lips immediately a heavy body pre itself against the door which crashed inward and an officer fear lessly entered a revolver in each hand this tableau which lasted ful ly a minute was finally disturbed by the entrance of haggerty himself don dont t be alarmed miss he said heartily its all over I 1 im m sorry tor for the bullet but it had to be done the rascal has nothing more serious than a splintered bone I 1 am a dead shot A fine night triumphantly it s been a long chase and I 1 never was sure of the finish you re the clever est rogue it has been my good fortune to meet this many a day I 1 don t even know who you are yet well well well round that up in time not till the candles again sputtered with light and ld william was securely handcuffed and disarmed did I 1 decol lect elect that I 1 possessed the sense of mo me y 7 tion rhe smoke of powder drifted across the flickering candles and there was a salty taste on my tongue horrible cried the girl covering her ler eyes the n aster rogue and his valet were led out into tb assembly room and we reluctantly followed I 1 saw it all now when haggerty called up central at the club he u bained the last call had been from nj til learning that it came from holly wood inn he tool his chance the room was booi filed with servants ad a d stable hands the shot hav ing lured them from their beds the wounded man was very pale he sat with his uninjured hand tightly clasped aboe the ragged wound and a little pool of blood slow v formed at his side on the floor but his e eps ees es shone brightly A basin of water and some linen cried the girl to moriarty Mor larty and send all these people away to yer rooms ivery one of ye snapped moriarty Mor larty sv sweeping his hands no place tor for ye be off he hurried the servants out of the room and presently returned with a basin of water some I 1 nen and balm we watched the girl as she bathed and bandaged the wounded arm and once or twice the patient smiled hag gertr looked on approvingly and in william williams s eyes there beamed the gen tie tle light of reverence revel ence it was a pic pie ture to see this lovely creature play ing the part of the good samaritan moving here and there is her exquisite gown ah ali the tender met deicy cy I 1 knew that come what might I 1 had strange ly found the right woman the one woman you re a good little woman said the rogue his face softening and a good woman is the finest thing god ever pla ed upon earth had I 1 only found one he turned whimsically toward me are you engaged to mar ry this little no surely aou ou love her 44 I 1 A 1501 I 1 we watched the girl surely I 1 do I 1 looked bravely at the girl as I 1 spoke but she neier nener gave any sign that she heard she pinned the ends of the bandages carefully and what brought you to thise asked haggerty looking down at his prisoner the prisoner shrugged you youve ve the making of a fine man in you went on haggerty generously what caused you to slip upa that subject Is taboo replied the thief but I 1 want to beg your par don for underestimating your cun ning it was all due to a chance shot at the telephone I 1 kept you g lessing merrily too my admiration Is wholly yours sir returned haggerty picking up the telephone exchange book he rang and placed his lips to the transmitter calling a number hello it this the chief of the blank shire policed yes well this is hag gerty that idea I 1 hinted to you was a mighty good one prepare two strong cells and have a doctor on hand what oh you will find your horse and carriage at moriarty s good bye my money was handed over to me I 1 returned it to my wallet but with out any particular enthusiasm its bad business wlliam wiliam said I 1 its all in the game sir with a look at haggerty that expressed in finite hatred in our business we can t afford to be careless or to talk too much supple dented his master smiling talk my friend rounds me up with a bul bui let in the arm and a long sojourn be hind stone walls never talk thank you too mr cornstalk tor for the saving grace of humor it if it were possible I 1 should like to give miss hawthorne the pick of the jewels this is a sor did world ye er car r is coming shouted moriarty running to the window so the girl and I 1 passed out of hoi hol lywood inn leaving haggerty with his mysterious prisoners I 1 can t reason it out even to this day but I 1 was gen dinely sorry that haggerty had ar rived upon the scene for one thin thing g he had spoiled the alamo ir of the ad venture by tingeing it with blood and on the way to the car I 1 wondered what had been the rogues rogue s post pst v what hat had turned him into this hardy perilous path he had spoken of a woman peri perl aps that was as it they are al ways behind good actions and lad heigh ho once we were seated in the lonely car the vie girl biake down and cried ab u it if her heart would break it was only the general le ie action bit the sight of her tears unnerved me don t cry girl don t I 1 whispered taking her hand in mine she made no effort to repulse me I 1 am sorry the rascal was a gallant beggar and I 1 for one t have been sorry to see him get away there there youre you re the bravest kenderest ten derest girl in all this world and when I 1 told him I 1 aimed ou on god knows I 1 meant it it is one of those inexplicable things you say I 1 have known you only eight hours I 1 have known you always only I 1 had not met you what are eight hours what is convention we two have lived a life time in these eight hours can cant t you see that we have to shoot a human being she sobbed her hed tell fell against my shoulder I 1 do not belbie bel she was conscious of the fact and I 1 did not care a hang for the conductor I 1 patted her hand enco ragingly it had to be done he was in a des predicament and he would have shot haggerty had the detective been careless in his turn and he wouldn t have acied to malm maim eitl old ei what a horrible night it will vill ha int me as long as I 1 live I 1 said nothing and we did not speak again till the first of the blank shire lights flashed by us by this time her sobs lad cea ceased pd I 1 know I 1 hanen t done anything especially gallant to night no fight ing no rescuing and all that the they just moved me around like a piece of stage scenery A smile flashed and was gone it was a hopeful sign but the results are the same you have admitted to me that you are neither engaged nor married wont won ti you take me on on approval mr cornstalk it all seema so like a horrid dream you are a bravel brave man and what is bette a sensible one for you submitted to the able with the best DOs possible sible grace but you talk of love as readily as a hero in a popular novel I 1 never go baca said I 1 it seems incredible doesn doean t it that I 1 should declare myself in this fashion 7 9 listen for my part I 1 believe that all this was written my tom tomfoolery foolery in mon quin s my imposture and yours the two identical cards the adventure from beginning beg bev nning to end suppose I 1 should say the girl be gan looking out of the window that in ane restaurant you aroused my cu rosity that in the cellars my ad mi ration was stirred that the frank in which you expressed your regard for me to to the burglar J 1 awakened what I 1 cried eagerly nothing it was merely a tion hang it I 1 love you are you still the capuchin or sim ply mr cornstalk 7 I 1 have laid asia all masks even that which hides bides the heart she turned and looked me steadily in the ees well said I 1 it if I 1 took you on on approval what in the world should I 1 do with you in case you should not suit my needs you could return me said I 1 laugh ing but she t THE END |