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Show "I Want You to Keep Your Mouth Shut." session was less clear; and yet it was reasonable, after all, to presume licit Maitland should prefer to hold ids own. Possibly Anisty had seen t.lia girl slip the canvas bag'into Maitland's pocket while the latter was kne?liaff and binding his captive. However that was, there was no denying thai lie had trailed the treasure to its hiding hid-ing place, unerringly; and succeeded i'l taking possession of it with consummate consum-mate skill and audacity. When Maiiland Maii-land came to think of it, he recalled distinctly the trend of the burglar's inquisition in the character of "Mr. Scaith," which had all been calculated to discover the location of the jewels. And, when he did recall this fact, ami how easily he had been duped, Mait-land Mait-land could have ground his teeth ic melodramatic rage but for the circumstance cir-cumstance that when first it occurred to him, such a feat vas a physical impossibility, im-possibility, and eyea when ungagsetT the operation would have been painful to an extreme. Sipping the grateful drink which. O'Hagan presently brought him, the young .man pondered the case; with no pleasure in the prospect he foresaw. fore-saw. If Higgins had actually communicated com-municated the fact of Anisty's escape to the police, the entire affair was likely to come out in the papers all ef it. that is, that he could not suppress. I'ui even figuring that he could silence-Higgins silence-Higgins and O'Hagan no difficult tas'k. though he niight be somewhat late.-with late.-with Higgins the most discreet imaginable imag-inable explanation of his extraordinary conduct would make him the laughing stock of his circle of friends, to say nothing of a city that had been accustomed ac-customed to speak of him as. "Mad. Maitland" for many a day. Unless Ah, he had it! He could pretend ' (so long as it suited his purpose, at . all events), to have been the man caught and left bound in Higgins' care. Simple enough. The knocking over ot ' the butler would be ascribed to a natural nat-ural ebullition of indignation, the subsequent sub-sequent flight to a hare-brained notion of running down the thief. And vet even that explanation had its iliificuT-ties. iliificuT-ties. How was he to account for tu' fact that he had failed to communicate communi-cate with the police knowing that his treasure had been ravished? It was all very involved. Mr. Mail-land Mail-land returned the glass to O'Hajnn and, cradling his head in his hands, racked his brains in vain for a sut.isv factory tale to tell. There were so many things to be taken into consid-eiation. consid-eiation. There was the girl in gray. Not that he had forgotten her for an instant; his fury raged but the higher at the thought that Anisty's inteifor-ence inteifor-ence had prevented his (Mailland'sV keeping the engagement. Doubtless the girl had waited, then gone away in anger, believing that the man in whom she had placed faith had proved himself unworthy. But that telephone call? "O'Hagan," demanded the haggard and distraught young man, "who was that on the wire just now?" Being a thoroughly trained servant., O'Hagan had waited that question in silence, a-quiver with impatience though he was. Now, his tongue unleashed, un-leashed, his words fairly stumbled on one another's heels in his anxiety to-get to-get them out in the least possible itat "Sure, an' 'twas a leddy, sor, be the v'ice av her, askin' were ye in, and mesilf havin' seen ye go out no longer ago thin wan o'clock and yersilf savin' not a worrud about coniiu' hack at all a! all, pwhat was I to be tellin' her,, aven if ye were lyin' there on the k-van k-van all unbeknownest to me, which the same mesilf can not " "Help!" pleaded the young man feebly, smiling. "One tiling at a time, please, O'Hagan. Answer me one question: ques-tion: Did she give a name?" "She did not, sor, though mesilf " "There, there! Wait a bit. I want to think." Of course she had given no name; it wouldn't be like her. What was lie thinking of. anyway? Jt could not have been the gray girl; for she km.-w him only as Anisty; she could nevr have thought him himself, Maitland1.. But what other woman of his acquuiu-tance acquuiu-tance did not believe him to be out of I own ? With a hopeless gesture, MaiUar, gave it up, conceding the mystery too deep for him, his intellect too feeble to grapple with all Its infinite ramifications. ramifica-tions. The counsel ho had given O'Hagan seemed most appropriate to his present needs: One thing at WW h-jr,l.,,-y W. I . ilrl lill,,iri,IBTIMI H i ll I tl SYNOPSIS. "Mad" Dan TTaitland. on reaching his New York bachelor club, met an attractive attrac-tive young woman at the door. Janitor O'Hagan assured him no one had been within that day. Dan discovered a woman's wom-an's finger prints in dust on his desk, along with a letter from his attorney. Maitland dined with Bannerman. his attorney. at-torney. Dan set out3 for Greenfields, to get his family jewels. During his walk to the country seat, he met the young woman in gray, whom he had seen leaving leav-ing his bachelors' club. Her auto had broken down. Me fixed it. By a ruse she "lost" him. Maitland, on reaching home, surprised lady in gray, cracking the safe containing his gems. She, apparently, took him for a well-known crook. Daniel Anisty. Half-hypnotized. Maitland opened hie safe, took therefrom the jewels, and gave them to her, first forming a partnership part-nership in crime. The real Dan Anisty. sought by police of the world, appeared on the same mission. Maitland overcame him. He met the girl outside the house and they sped on to New York in her auto. au-to. He had the jewels and she promised to meet him that day. Maitland received a "Mr. Snaith." introducing himself as a detective. To shield the girl in gray. Maitland, about to show him the jewels, jew-els, supposedly lost, was felled by a blow from "Snaith's" cane. The latter proved to be Anisty himself and he secured the gems. Anisty, who was Maitland's double, dou-ble, masqueraded as the latter. The criminal kept Maitland's engagement with the girl in gray. Anisty feared for the safety of the gems. CHAPTER VII. Continued. He nodded, eyes to hers, fascinated, with an odd commingling of fear and hope and satisfied self-love. "Now I am unconnected with the affair. No one knows that I had any hand in it. Besides, no one knows me that I steal." Her tone fell lower. "The police po-lice have never heard of me. Dan!" "I believe " "I could get away," she interrupted; ''and then, if they stopped you" "You're right, by the powers!" He struck the table smartly with his first. "You do that and we can carry this through. Why, lacking the jewels, I am Maitland I am even wearing Maitland's Mait-land's clothes!" he boasted. "I went to his apartments this morning and saw to that, because it suited my purpose pur-pose to be Maitland for a day or two." "Then ?" Her gaze questioned his. "Waiter!" cried Anisty. And, when the man was deferential at his elbow: "Call a cab, at once, please." "Certainly, sir." The rest of the corps of servants were at the other end of the big room. Anisty made certain that they were not watching, then stealthily passed the canvas bag to the girl. She bent her head, bestowing it in her hand-bag. "You have made me . . . happy, Dan," came tremulously from beneath the hat brim. Whatever doubts may have assailed him when it was too late, by that remark re-mark were effaced, silenced. Who could mistrust her sincerity? "Then when and where may I see you again?" he demanded. "The same place." It was a bold move; but she was standing; the w-aiter was back, announcing an-nouncing the cab in waiting, and he dared not protest. Yet his pat riposte commanded her admiration. "No. Too risky. If they are watching watch-ing here, they may be there, too." He shook his head decidedly. The flicker of doubt was again extinguished; for undoubtedly Maitland had escorted her home that morning; her reference had been to that place. "Somewhere else," he insisted, confident that she was playing fair. She appeared to think for an instant, in-stant, then, fumbling in her pocket-book, pocket-book, extracted a typical feminine pencil stub its business end looking as though it had been gnawed by a vindictive rat and scribbled hastily on the back of a menu card: "Mrs. McCabe, 205 West One Hundred Hun-dred and Eighteenth street. Top floor. Ring three times." "I shall be there at seven," she told him. "You won't fail me?" "Not if I'm still at liberty," he laughed. And the waiter smiled at discretion, a far-away and unobtrusive smile that could by no possibility give offense; at the same time it was calculated to convey the impression that, in the opinion of one humble person, at least, Mr. Maitland was a merry wag. "Good-by . . . Dan!" Anisty held her fingers in his hard palm for an instant, rising from his chair. "Good-by, my dear," he said, clumsily. clum-sily. He watched her disappear, eyes humid, temples throbbing. "By the pewers!" he cried. "But she's worth it!" Perhaps his meaning was vague, even to himself. He resumed his seat mechanically and sat for a time staring dreamily into vacancy, blunt fingers drumming on the cloth. "No," he deciared at length. "No; I'm safe enough ... in her hands." Once secure from the public gaze, the girl crowded back into a corner of the cab, as though trying to efface herself. her-self. Her eyes closed almost automatically; auto-matically; the curve of laughing lips became a doleful droop; a crinkle appeared ap-peared between the arched brows; waves of burning crimson flooded her face and throat. In her lap both hands lay clenched into tiny fists clenched so tightly that it hurt, numbing her fingers a phys-jeal phys-jeal nain that, somehow, helped her to "Well, well?" he demanded with that impatience characteristic of the illiterate illit-erate for modern methods of communication. communi-cation. "Pwhat the divvle ails ye?" "Rayspicts to ye, ma'am, and 'tis sorry I am I didn't know 'twas a leddy." "He's not." "Wan o'clock, there or thereabouts." "Faith, and he didn't say." "Pwhat name will I be tellin' him?" "Kape ut to yersilf, thin. 'Tis none of me business." "If ye do, I'll not answer. Sure, am I to be climbin' two flights av sthairs iv'ry foive minits " "Good-by yersilf," hanging up the receiver. re-ceiver. "And the divvle fly away wid ye," grumbled O'Hagan. As he turned away from the instrument instru-ment Maitland managed to produce a sound, something between a moan and a strangled cough. The old man whirled on his heel. "Pwhat's thot?" The next instant he was bending over Maitland, peering into the face drawn and disfigured by the gag. "The saints presarve us! And who the divvle are ye at all? Pwhy don't ye spake?" Maitland turned purple; and emitted a furious snort. "Misther Maitland, be all thot's strange! Is ut mad I am? Or how did ye get back here and into this fix, sor, and me swapin' the halls and polishin' the brasses fernist the front dure iv'ry minute since ye wint out?" Indignation struggling for the upper hand with mystification in the Irishman's Irish-man's brain, he grumbled and swore; yet busied his fingers. In a trice the binding gag was loosed, and ropes and straps cast free from swollen wrists aud ankles. And, with the assistance of a kindly arm behind his shoulders, Maitland sat up, gf inning with the pain of renewing circulation in his limbs. "Wid these two oies mesilf saw ye lave three hours gone, sor, and I c'u'd swear no sowl had intered this house since thin. Pwhat does ut all mane, be ail thot's holy?" "It means," panting, "brandy and soda, O'Hagan, and be quick." Maitland attempted to rise, but his legs gave under him, and he sank back with a stifled oath, resigning himself him-self to wait, the return of normal conditions. con-ditions. As for his head, it was Ihreat-ering Ihreat-ering to split at any moment, the tight wires twnne-inf infprnnlh- hptwpon hlc endure the paroxysms of shame. That she should have stooped so low! Presently the fingers relaxed, and her whole frame relaxed in sympathy. The black squall had passed over; but now were the once tranquil waters ruffled and angry. Then languor gripped her like an enemy; she lay listless in its hold, sick and faint with disgust of self. This was her all-sufficient punishment; punish-ment; to have done what she had done, to be about to do what she contemplated. con-templated. For she had set her hand to the plow; there must now be no drawing back, however hateful might prove her task. The voice of the cabby dropping through the 'trap, roused her. "This is the Martha Washington, ma'am." Mechanically she descended from the h?nsom and paid her fare; then, summoning sum-moning up all her strength and resolution, reso-lution, passed into the lobby of the hotel and paused at the telephone switchboard. CHAPTER VIII. Dance of the Hours. Four p. m. The old clock in a corner of the study chimed resonantly and with deliberation; de-liberation; four double strokes; and while yet the deep-throated music was dying into silence the telephone bell shrieked impertinently. Maitland bit savagely on the gag and knotted his brows, trying to bear it. The effect was that of a coarse file rasped across raw quivering nerves. And he lay helpless, able to do no more toward endurance than to dig nails deep into his palms. Again and again the fiendish clamor shattered the echoes. Blinding flashes of agony danced down the white-hot wires strung through his head, taut from temple to temple. Would the fool at the other end never be satisfied that he could get no answer? Evidently not: the racket continued mercilessly, short series of shrill calls alternating with imperative roils prolonged until one thought that the tortured metal sounding-cups would crack. Thought! nay, prayed that either such would be the case, or else tli at one's head might at once mercifully merci-fully be rent asunder. That anguish so exquisite should he the means of releasing him from his bonds seemed a refinement of irony. Yet Maitland was aware, between be-tween spasms, that help was on the way. The telephone instrument, for obvious convenience, had been equipped with an extension bell which rang simultaneously in O'Hagan's Quarters. When Maiiland was not at home the janitor-valet, so warned, would answer the calls. And now, in the still intervals, the heavy thud of unhurried feet could be heard upon the staircase. O'Hagan was coming to answer; and taking his time about it.. It seemed an age before the rattle of pass-key in latch announced him; and another ere, all unconscious of the fTgure supine on the divan against the further study wall, the old man shuffled shuf-fled to the instrument, lifted receiver from the hook, and applied it to his ear. time. And obviously the first thing; that lay to his hand was the silencing of O'Hagan. Maitland rallied his wits to the task. "O'Hagan," said he, "Ibis man, Snaitb, who was here this afternoon, called himself a detective. As soon as we were alone he rapped me over the head with a loaded cane, and, I siifv-ppct, siifv-ppct, went through the flat stealing' everything he could lay hands on. Hand me my cigarette case, please." " 'Tis gone, Bor 'tis not on the desk,., at laste, pwbere I saw ut last." "Ah! You see? Now for reasons e? my own, which I won't enter into, I don't want the affair to get out and become be-come public. Yon understand? I want you to keep your mouth shut, until I give you permission to open It." (TO BE OONTINUKPJ temples; while the corners of his mcuth were cracked and sore from the pressure of the gag. All of which totted up a. considerable debit against Mr. Anisty's account. For Maitland, despite his suffering, had found time to figure it out to his personal satisfaction or dissatisfaction, dissatisfac-tion, if you prefer in the interval between be-tween his return to consciousness and the arrival of O'Hagan. It was simple enough to deduce from the knowledge in his possession that the burglar, having hav-ing contrived his escape through the disobedience of Higgins, should have engineered this complete revenge for the indignity Maitland had put upon him. How he had divined the fact of the iewels remaining in their owner's uos- |