Show y I The Tb T s e f ec 1 I IASON B Pk V ITH awoke s suddenly JASON J to the blackness of the night wu t strange und and yet fa familiar millar feeling that thal something was wrong He Hc sat upright in bed and list listened listened ened Jor a The heavy dark darIt darkness ness hemmed ja Jt bY the low walls and coiling colling of bJ room room seemed to bc bear 1 down upon hIm and deaden his sense ot of hearing It Was only ter n a of ef effort fort that l Ito e hear henr the Ufe clock upon the which seamed to bo be run running fling ning races with the same sound came from his watch under the pillow Everything seemed emed t as usual but still he sat listenIng straining hIs e eyes es in ht vain to see aee A faint smell as or of heated metal gradually became apparent but the sense of a presence other than his own made felt re h lie called trl tn fling tUng Impediment In hIs came not tram from fear faar but from habit There was as n a sudden hash flash and then thon the glare of n a dark lantern and a taU tall figure rose from a M ching in the farther corner of the room fOlly fly rove Jove it sad sahi Us Its little Bunny Beckwith Dont shoot old man inns Dont you ou know me meI I cant very ery Welt well shoot replIed Ja In Inson Jason son because In my revolver is down downstairs stairs in tItO te drawer of the library to ta tabie ble bie and your our vol Is familiar but I cant quite recall let me ma on tho 10 electric light will wUl you ou That lantern Is rather rathor blinding Ho He groped for tor a second on Oil the wall at the tho ot of his bed found the switch and the boom was sUddenly filled with witha a soft lIght The stranger carefully shut oft o Ms Js and removed a mahI black m k t tint nt fitted closel to toh tIie h his Re Ho waSil was u t tall ll man the bOd bold strong ot his forehead or and the tho long iong trong of jaw W were t ted by bya il a pair of eyes which were ere s glancing restlessly about seeming to ip see seo everything at and unu resting on nothing v very ry long bug Beckwith stared at hint him Give me l it moment he said and aud I Iam nm am sure to remember you ou Why you ou aloIt cant Loring Tom Pont It Is was the answer though not exactly th the Tom that YOU knew so many years ago It Ir you OU recollect I was top ot of our class my junior year ear earYes Yes yes rejoined the other what a funny old world it Is to be sUre He sat Bat staring at the visitor his hish h hands clasped round his knees his hair tossed and rumpled and an expression of amazement In life his round blue eyes OnlY ho he 1 you ought to vear ar that mask thing o over r the other part of your f face Q 1 That at jaw of yours Tommy is prominent to be easily casBy forgotten n The two men stared at each other rt re Oe 8 seriously then a look or of amusement be began to grow about the cornerS ot of mouth I recollect he went on our last meeting You had secured a girl I wanted for onie very cr particular social function and I was dis ang angry But my grudge against you ou was In iii the tho little supper Wo we had that wh when n we swore tornal friendship and wept loudlY on being forcibly p parted for the night That was ne ly twenty years ago said Loring thoughtfully and our tonight differ different eat ent lie He stood at the side of the bed looked down at BeckwIth You were alwa always s such a cont ding little chap Beck ho he saId finally Whenever Ive thought of you Ive 10 remembered the time that three of us tot yoU to wall seven miles mUes In that bad storm by tell lug you ou some beautiful and elaborate of fiction Ive tar far gott gotten n what It was about but you were easy Beck BeckI I 1 was assented Dock Bock cheerfully but what of oC it Como Come lra and let Jet me give you to oat Te can call better botter then He threw back the covers and touched one foot gingerly to th the Cold bare floor But Loring pressed him gently back on the pillows If Its all the same to you lie sam said well stay here Not that Im averse to prowling about other peoples houses In hi the tho nl night ht but Im not u used d to being 1 by m my host Besides Im not hungry Oh I very well Just me a pipe wUl you ou There are cigarettes and tto b baco on the table Light up Tommy Tomm and make malte yourself St home hom And If you will open that cupboard over there you OU will find something more thU than smoke Loring foraged until he had found the tobacco but shook his 1118 head at the con contents contents tents or of the cupboard Sot Not just now lie he said though I wont vont deny that a man usually talks better with n a glass in his hand baud Hores heres your pipe Beck now lets be soCIa sociable le leHe He sat sal down on the edge of the bed d tucked tucke under his elbow the pillow Beck Beckwith Beckwith with gave him and lit a cigarette The smoke curled up hi light thin cloUds Would you ou mind me said Beckwith as he examined critically the carving on his consumed with curiosity to ow you OU c crime me meto to be are one arent you your ou Hi r am a house breaker at your our answered Loring Why Oh I ont dont just drifted this way My talents to lie He in this direction It an accident that YOU veil happened upon my place Not entirely I heard that ol were to be alone and to pay you a Visit though I count on Oil your receiving me You awoke to soon BeckIn another minute I should have left you What hat Would you mU have left me asked th Ironically My wa t h for Instance at t least I 1 have safe un under del m my pillow Lorfn smiled I have have only your purse lie he saId u your studs and a age which you OU were weta careless enough to on all aid which looks a ml might ht have llave come from n a jew oler It did said Beckwith its Ils a ring that I got ot for fOl m my Y coming home tomorrow He smiled slightly as lie he thought of the solid old family plate and jewels safely locked up In the library below Sorry I cant give it back bacle said Loring but I need the money mone There Thore was a 0 pause The smoke was floating In misty l layers yero around them Loring looked curiously around the tho room which was not much largon than thon n a ships cabin and fur cur rushed with utmost plainness It was in fact the only oasis of elm whiCh Beckwith hind had k kept pt tor himself In the desert ot of crowded ornate ness niSs with WhIch hl hi wife had Oled their house By the Wa way said ald curl sud denly denh how did you get gat In WIndow answered Loring toward the end of the room roomI r I thought I lo kea It It You did dla but the lock work You ma may connect this with the tho fact act that tomorrow you wilt will have no maid to serVe your Beckwith rah d his eYebrows Such an excell it maid too h ho murmured regretfully wish you t interfere with a mans domes tie tic arrangements You dont tully fully up ap the th difficUlty of getting good servants 18 The rhe smoke motte and Beck silence lengthened into pensIve pensie pass Lo Look k here her Tom he sold said III I wIsh you would me why youre In this IOU ou were nota not a half balf bad clia u know and Suppose L should ld tell YOU sal sali Q ring that I bud flut n a f who wh riIs starving and that Uta t r I eanie after aner your money tonight to save sove her I life i Wh Why I should believe you ou said n Lofing smiled Yo tP such a tru trusting Ung old chap chapI he h said Why I 1 canIn cagIn meus a upon OUI r You coUld I suppose to arouse I the tho nel o have havethe I the heart to shoot you your r yoU pUt ut it that wn way Tom re piled pHe 1 mu t tell you ou that 10 rung the burglar alarm at the head ot m ny led and the police should b be h here rc non I have been en endeavoring tu to detain you until their lIl an rival rial This nn an all air of conscious clever cleVel 1050 SD that looked queerly out of place in conjunction with his usually and candid eX Exactly returned the oth other r Un Unmoved moved d but yoUr burglar alarm work worl either DIther Dont you Ou give me credit C for r an any foresight at all Beckwith looked resigned and some somo somewhat what n In 11 case h lit said fir I shall have haO to buy my Wife ring In the morning nut But anyway Tommy y you U ht got away I h have ve appeared against you I 1 believe belleve you ou Beck ot of course COurs But you oU go trusting p peo o pie as yu iU do tg Its bad policy Now that maid of you yours for dare daro daros daresay s say y you have given her Innumerable op of with Mrs She Sho was such uell a good food maid oh b Do kUh plaintively Silo have been n a good maid answered Luring but she certaInly a good maid Tom Beckwith said suddenly I dOnt know how you got II i this and t I dont but why dont you yoi got out of oC it Dlo it it cant Da pay IU Ill get you work to do If mont moneys s what you want theres it L place In the bank It if oud care to tt ke itlo it L ring look looked d at his friend admit You Ill are game he ha said but I wont take advantage ot of yoU like that Be Besides Besides sides I like the thit lire Ufe Its an art In hi Ina hia a wa way anti and you ou can follow it with all the devotion you U would give to any other art And thom be beyond yond ond everything I need excitement and get ge It Again there thelO Was sll nce Li t tile e tiny room t tIle e shaded lights glimmered through the thick blue haze ot of like Uke street lamps In a London tog fog Sud denly on the stillness there came a 11 soft Loring rose roge and 8 over oer to th the w window draWing a aside the curtain and peering out with his hand handover handover over Ills eyes asEd Beckwith startled Probably your OUI maid answered Lor IngOl ing or my maid rathor She was to let me mc know when the tho coast was clear In III ease case r I get awa away before she did She told me inc that your butler had been watChing her pretty closely Hes undoubtedly a good servant You had b better raIse Ids his wages I I 1 will said Beckwith when ho be becomes comes back I let hit him him go away for tto night Oh I sa say Tommy did dirl you oU know that too You are a 11 cleVer chap He looked at Loring with admiration in his I eyes oyes Butare you going g now I would like to see you ou again Tommy It if your professional duties duUs forbid a call by daYlight perhaps some seine other night Loring shrugged his shoulders Not likel likely lie he said ald carelessly ly In Im leaving Leeds getting I too small for tor tue me Im for fOt London with plenty of leisure And nd what Is more to toi i tile ot of c sh I Hb spoke in a rather repressed yet et exultant tone that caUsed Beckwith to toI I look at a bUn jilin sharply I Ar re you u quite sure that you will get safely away lie he eked ked to toI I prevent nt me for 9 from pining a of you Into the hands ot of the and haVIng the I watched Oh yoU wont do that Be Beck an sered Loring gently At least not hot When he ItcH I tell you Why I am really here Say on said Beckwith VaU fl Its unprofessional but J I I vill You see I belong to it a small and nd brotherhood whose object isto put It with shocking ft acquisition of othiel othel peoples property I Th They y h hind d d 1 you as a 3 victim of at their rather unkind att attention antI and somehow Beck just for lOr the sake of I I old I want you to lose property and perhaps Ute life by us We V mo t of desperate and there thero Is uchi uch a thing as an overseal OUS defense of even ones onea own posses I Now when It comes to shoot I wont dwell On It It pleasant Beckwith moved his shoulders un Not HNot so very lie he assented And so I volunteered to them I knew the tho house or the dog or I s something They vilh think rye tailed failed I when I go back with only these De Be Because cause Beale If sonic some on else had come you would undoubtedly be parting with the valuables In your our safe sare down stairs of which you are thinking at this mom out nt with BU ouCh h flattering and hopeful calmness leaned forward with a sharp exclamation devil did you ou know t that he cried TrIcks of tim tho trade ade Lor Loring LorIng ing and Im sorry but Ill have llave to take your jour purse I cant go back absolutely absolutely empty handed Take it said Be dl my watch too He dragged It from beneath the and thrust it h into to LOrings hands Here everything rw Ive got Its uncommonly good of you Toni Tom tto spare me as you have r I have those jewels and th that silver tar for anything ng I own I LOring droP dropped pad the articles into his 1 capacious V I must go now he said aid Im awfully obliged tto YOu an answered Beckwith and youve tn Jn creased my faith in Dont talk so loud please Loring interrupted Im going to raise the He threw up the sash and looked ed cau out before preparing to descend Dont break your our neck said Beck Beok BeckWith With In a loud whisper Good night Beck Loring replied Ho He with on one leg JeS throWn Over Oer the sUl YoP been very decent about philosophical in fact vell the rest of the night and think of tue me In the morning He SWUng himself free from the win window window dow and in iii a 0 moment Beckwith heard hearda I a soft thud IlS as he like a oat on oh the turf below Beckwith slept late next morning He awoke to an unaccustomed In Inthe Inthe the house and thC there was us no answer to hIs summoning bali H HO had forgotten n nth th the absence ot of the butler Tile events of at the tha came brick to hIm dIm an and dreamlike and he reAlized their truth onlY when ho thrust his hand under th the and grop groped d In vain aln lot for his watch Somewhat sl sleepy opy and very e hungry lie he went ent down to the library where he WiltS WAS wont to find th morning paper pape ready to his hand He ot Opened the doer and paused starIng upOn the threshold Chairs Were pushed about in uncouth order books and magazines brushed hastily from the table lay lar In heaps upon tile the floor BOor and the little safe ate Us Its doors swinging wIde was enl empty t Beckwith stood and looked his half cigarette hanging limply from b between tween his fingers then ho walked sl slOwly hito the room and ad up on ottO Qt ot the a It h had d been used to mum the found of th the bl s rind and j q cutt JO with Jagged Jagge d hol holes s from re thisel With Wilh his fingers he the edged of the tho m r SO it was nil aU a lU ruse t and t I while ad b en at fairs with him hIlt hIa 1 had been buSy husy on the bol below w The whistle undoubtedly had b been p a signal O Of sue t I do r r rAs 7 I As lie lOoked au anti l realized a hurt hurts s hse of tHe of it aU all caIne over oer him It if only Loring had not told that only he had not posed ns as a f rescuer cur and friend I He e finally at the tha sound or of a 8 stop b behind him mn with a alook look his butt r Clear this lip p 11 lie said faid shortly and waived lIved nn an in il cigarette Ko No the tho police polk Tell leU them to look Jook for attall mm man lUta with a jaw I 1 c care r t e I ou G th them sir vui the met And tell dl them went ent Q 1 the th ct lo 0 WR b the I Lundon t H he e YU was going to d nits Bits |