Show A ay 0 U ay COPYRIGHT 1007 Z marihill SYNOPSIS effa wad d pun in maitland Malt land on reaching hla his new york bachelor club met an attractive me young y woman at the door janitor 0 fim gun its assured ura lit him no one on I 1 had d that ly dan discovered a woman ans finger prints in lust dust on hlo his desk along with a letter from his lit attorney maitland Malt Malti land and dined with a knerr an hi biln attorney loran D dan an se net t ou out or r to get et hit family m fly jewels tin during his hl walk to the country seat neat lie met the young 0 ling woman in affray whom ith 0 tn he had seen leaving 1 his bache h rip jora r c club i b ner her auto had b broam rok down dorthe tHe nad it it ily iby a ruse she sha lo lot bosti sti jil him in maitland Malt land on reacel n ir home surprised lady in gray the safe safa co containing his gems gem she app apparently took ook him film for a well known crook damici daniel anisey ank hypnotized mateland M MAtt land oien fd lilg life safe afe took ook the r elom the a jewels and gave them to lie her r first rn anga ga a part in fit crime the real pan dan ani anesty at Y sought oui ht by police of the worm world appe appeared a r 1 en 0 n the same name mission maitland ove overcame r ca m a him tie lie met the girl outside the house and nd the they y ep sped ed on to new york in her auto lle lie h had T d the h jewula owe to and she he kroml prom sed lodl to mt meet h him in that day maitland Malt land r ce calved y ea a ar air snaith 11 introducing in d u ing himself n as u dot detective to shield tea tha h girl in gray bray maitland Malt land about to show sho W hlin him the J els 18 lout was an belh felled d by a blow from froin analtha Sn altha a cans cane T the he latter proved to be ba anisey hi himself and he the firms corns who was wa Mal double doule le masquera masquerades masqueraded ded as the latter atter the criminal kept Matt lands with the girl in gray lie he gave tier her the hemn after falling in love at first sigh lt lit I 1 they ramm were to mee meet t and divide the loot land revived and regretted his engagement anista masquerading n as maitland Malt land narrowly avoided capture through mysterious tip the girl in gray visited maitlandt Malt Mait lands apartments during lils lili absence and returned gems CHAPTER vill VIII continued but where to put them that ho might find them without delay it must be no conspicuous place where would bo be apt to happen upon them doubtless the janitor was trustworthy hut but still misplaced opportunities breed criminals it was all a risk to leave tle treasure there without the protection of steel walls and time locks but it a risk that must be taken she dared not retain it longer loneer in III tier iier pon poa session Be aslon and she sha would contrive a way la in the morning morn liiK to communicate with maitland Matt land and warn him tier her gaze searched the area where tho the lamplight fell ell soft yet strong upon the dark shining wood and heavy brass desk and paused nr ar rested by the unusual combination of inverted bowl and superimposed super imposed book A riddle to be road read with facility in a twinkling she had uncovered the incriminating hand print incriminating if it collide could ba bo traced that to la to say oh she ahe cried softly and laughed ai a little ittle oh how bow carelessly care lessl fine brows puckered she pon pondered derea the matter and a ended by placing hr her own hand band over the print this oue fitted tho be other exactly how he must have wondered lie he la Is sure to look again especially jf if no eed ded to conclude the sentence quickly she ho placed bag and case squarely ontoh on top of the impression tho te bowl over all and the book upon the bowl then drawing from roni tier her pocket A pair of 0 long gray silk bilk gloves draped one across the book and head tilted to one side aide admired the effect it seemed decidedly an artistic effect admirably calculate Ll rt to attract attention she bhe was satisfied to the point of being pleased with herhalt her hers salt falt a fact indicated by an expressive lutter flutter of 0 slim allm fair hands bands and now to work time pressed and A cloud dimmed tho the radiance of 0 tier her eyes irresolutely she ahe shifted in her chair troubled j frowning frown lne lips woefully drooping and algred and a still small whisper broken and wretched disturbed the quiet ot of the study 1 I can hotl 01 0 1 tau can not to spoil it all now when yet yd she must she must forget herself ind bud bleed her determination with will the memory that an others happiness hung in the balance depended upon her success twice she had ii tiled kd and failed this third time she must succeed and bowing her head hand in fit token of tier her resignation she turned back squarely to face the desk As an slip did so tho the toe of one small shoe caught against something on the floor causing a lull dull JIng Ipg sound wie she stooped with a low exclamation and straightened up tip a small bunch of keys in her handi band eight or ten tit if them dangling from a silver ring iaulanda maulanda Ma Ulanda keys ha must have dropped them there forgetting thera them altogether A find of value and one to save her a deal of trouble skeleton keys alq are to so exas pera tingly slow particularly when used d by inexpert hands bands dut but how to bring brin g herault to mali malio o se of these alls fair la in war and this was waa a sort ot of war a war ot of wits at least but one should fight with ones own arms not pilfer the enem nys and turn them against him to uze these keys to ransack maitlandt Mal Mait lands desk seemed an action ever more blackly dishonorable than this clandestine visit this midnight fordy foray swinging the notched metal slips from a slender alender she content platea them and laughed ruefully what qualms of coas conscience clence in a burglar self confessed site she was waa there fur for a purpose a recognized nefarious purpose granted then why quibble she would not quibble blo she would be firm resolute determined cold cola blooded unmindful ot of all kindness and cOur taxi and sho she would uso use them accomplish her bar purpose and have lono finally anally aria and for emeji the whole hateful busini snI 1 I 1 1 l I 1 alipo no gesn under the name of mr daniels there was ABS a 0 bright spot of color on either cheek and a hot light 0 of anger in her eyes as she set about her task tank it bould never be less hideous never less lesa immediate the desk drawers dr aw qs yielded easily to the eager ke keis a one by one sha had thein open and their coa contents tents explored expired vain repetition ot of yesterday yeste iday after fruitless task but she must insist be sure she must leave no stane unturned maitland Malt land manor was closed to tier her for ever because ot of last night but here she was waa safe for a few short hours horns and free to make assurance doubly doubli sum bine there the tha dispatch box the black japanned tin box which had proved obi obdurate lurate yesterday sho she had come prepared to bre bita kits lock this his time if need bo be Malt Al altlan lands ds spared her the necessity she lifted it out of a lower drawer and put it la in her lap the smallest key tilted the lock at th the q first attempt the lid came up tip and perhaps it la in not altogether discreditable that one should temporarily forget ones compunctions in the longde long de berred moment of triumph the girl uttered a little cry of joy crash the front door downstairs had been slammed she was on her feet in a breath with fear yet not so overcome that she forgot tier her errand her success As she stood up she dropped the dispatch box back into the drawer without witt lout it a sound and opening her handbag hand bag stuffed something ng into it no tinie time to do more a dull rumble of 6 voices was distinctly frightfully audale tin in the clio stillness of the house aces of men conversing together la in the me inner vestibule ono one laughed lau shed and the laugh seemed to penetrate her bosom like a knife then both strode across the tiling and began to arcond as was clearly told her by footsteps sounding deadened on the padded carpet panic stricken she ahe turned to to the student lamp and with a quick twirl and upward jork jerk of the chimney catch tho the flame A reak of smoke immediately began to foul the close hot air and slie knew that it would leliac her but was wan helpless to stop atop it besides she was caught tripped damned beyond redemption unless tin less ii n less it I 1 wro not maitland after nil all but ono of 0 the other tenants unexpectedly ret resumed arned pd and bound for another hat fiat futile hope upon the landing by the dour door the footsteps ceased and a key grated in the wards of the lock blind with terror her sole sale thought an instinctive impulse to laide hide and so BO avert discovery until the last possible instant and on the bare chance of something happening to save her tho the girl caught up her skirts and fled flad like ilko a hunted shadow through the alcove through the bed chamb ch ambert ept thence down the hall bull toward the dining room and kitchen offices the outer door was being opened ere she had reached the hiding place she had in mind the trunk closet from which she remembered remarking a window opened upon a fire escape it was ble A n chance she closed the door grateful that its latch slipped silently into place and fairly thing flung herself upon the window painfully bruising cpr pr sott soft hands in vain endeavor to raise the sash bash it stuck obstinately would not yield too late she remembered that she had bad forgotten to draw the fatal oversight ya A sob ot of I 1 arp chol chahe teil tn III her throat already footsteps were hurrying down the hall a line of light brightened underneath tho the door doir voices excitedly keyed bandied question and comment an on in mistakable irish brogue minging wah a clear enunciation which she had bad put too great reason to remember re m ember tie att e belr had passed into th the e next neat row she could hear bear Ol ohagan lagan announcing no wan here sor eor then its the dining room or the trunk closet come along one last frantic attempt lint hot the window catch rusted with long disuse stuck panting sick with ar the girl leaped away and crushed owr b r self bolt into a corner crouching on abe the floor behind a heavy box her dark cloak drawn up to shield her head and the door opened A flood of radiance from ethdl the lk lighted student lamp fell athwart the floor the girl lay close and still holding her breath ten seconds perhaps ticked on into nto eternity seconds that were in themselves r eternities then no one here heie Ol lagan the door was closed and through its panels more faintly came faith and a nd the murd hering davvie muad lie vo now flew th coop afore ye come insor the rid gh I 1 tried to rise to make afulu for or the window but it was as though her limbs had turned to water there was wait no strength in her and the th blackness swant visibly before tier her eye eyel radiating in dia ting away in whirling streaky cr circles liven even such raso resolution ut toil and stron strong will ill as was hers hera could not prevail agama against t that hat numbing deathly exhaustion iler her eyes closed and tier her head fell back baick against the wall it II seemed but an instant though it was in point of tact fact a full alv civo aln min utes ero era the sound of a voice oice again roused her 11 she looked up dazzled by ti tisish ush of warm light ile he stood in the doorway holding the he laine high above his head hla face pato palo grave and shadowed as aa I 1 ho he peered iowa down at tier her 54 11 1 I have sent Ol tagan lagan aw aay lie he said gently if you will pl 1 I ame to 0 conie come now CHAPTER IX procrastination the cab which picked maytland Malt Valt I 1 land up at his lodgings carried him but a few blocks bloch to the club at which he be hanl had the previous evening entertained IIA lawyer Malt 31 altland land had selected tt it is aa the one of all the clubs of which he and bannerman rianner maii were members wherein ile he was least likely to m t th the latter neither frequented its solier precincts by habit its severe andi and clai classical building on a borner ot 0 son avenda overlooking the square Is but the outward of an in ution to be a member of which la Is a duty but emphatically no great pleasure to the sons of lit a new york family 0 of any prominence rut but in its management the younger ae generation aeration ne ration holds no suffrage gut Trago and la is not slow to declare that the primordial ir rightly named characterizing the individual members ot the board of 0 governors as antediluvians prehistoric monsters who have never learned that laughter lends a savor to 10 existence ada and d so it is that the younger genera tad n which Is understood to include maitland Malt land and bannerman Uan nerman while it religiously pays its dues and has the name of 0 the primordial engraved upon its cards shuns those deadly respectable rooms and seeks its comfort elsewhere maitland Malt land found it dull and depressing enough that same evening something before seven the spacious and impressive lounging rooms were but sparsely tenanted ten anted other than by the milled Miu led corps of servants and the few ew ment members era w who 0 had ad lent the open doors th the excuse of 0 their presence were of t the h a elderly t type ype ili that ii hides bides itself behind a newspaper in an aa easy chair and snorts when addressed address td the young man strolled disconsolately enough into tho the billiard room thence dogged by a specter of loneliness to the bar and finally in sheer desperation to the dining room where he selected a table and ordered an all evening paper with his meal when the former was brought him he sat up tip and began to take a new in terest in life the glaring headline head line linen that met his eye on the front page proved as bracing as a slap in the face the mateland Malt Matt land jewels he read halt it aloud daring attempt at bur burglary g mad alad Af Malt altland land catches illand handsome dan anisey in the act of cracking ilia his safe at Malt 31 altland land manor which was which doth both principals disappear the news story was exploited as a beat it 11 could have been little else r since ince nine tenths ot of its exclusive do tails had been born full winget winged fron from the fecund imagination of a busy to porter to whom maitland Malt land had refused art an interview int arview while in his big bath some three hours earlier maitland Malt land dincov ered with relief that boiled down to essentials senti als tt it consisted simply of tho the statement that somebody presumably himself had caught somebody presumably surn ably Aul aulsay sty burg burglarizing arising the 11 II arary sate sale at Malt Af altland land manor that thal morning that one of the some bodies no one knew which had overpowered the other and left him in charge of the butler who had presently permitted his prisoner to escape and then than talked for publication it was not to flits this so much that malt land objected it was the illustrations that alternately saddened and maddened the young man the said illustrations lust rations comprising blurred halftone reproductions of photographs taken on the maitland Malt land estate a diagram of the library as fanciful as the text it illuminated and two portraits side by side of the heroes himself and anisey excellent likenesses both of the originals and of each oher ocher mr air Malt At altland land ill did d not enjoy hla his dinner anxious and preoccupied he tasted the dishes mechanically and when they bittl all passed before him took life his thoughts atad abd a cigar to a gloomy corner of the smoking room where he sat for two solid hours debating the matter pro and con and |