Show SYNOPSIS atad danma fiand on reach ng his isea ork bachelor club met an attract tl e young woman at tl e door jan tor 0 ilagan assured him no one 1 ad been within thit day dan discovered worn an s prints in dust on 1 is deak along wit a letter from 1 s at orney d ned with bannerman Dan nerman h s at dan set t tor greenfields Green felds to get his family jewels du ng h s walk to t e country seat he m t the wo nan in gray wl om he had seen leav ing 1 bachelors club her auto 1 id bro en down he fixed it by a ruse s e lost him ma fiand on deac ng 1 ome burp sel lady tn gra ack ng t e sate containing 1 gems sl e apparently too him for a veil known croo daniel anasty ma tian 1 opened his sap took the jewels and gm e tl em to 1 er first form n a pi p in ime the real dan anis v t b pol ce of tl e orld appeared on the same mi sion ma tl nd escame he met tl e g rl outs de the house and tl ey i ed on to ne v t in her au to he hid the je ve s and she aromi ed ta meet him that day maitland Malt land r el pd e M S alth 1 doduc ng hi n if 14 a detect ve to sl eld the u I 1 n grav maitland about to sl v hm the jew els supposed lost was fel d bi a I 1 w from snaith s cane T e litter pro ed to be an sty 1 im cl a d he d the ge s anasty nho was milt and s dou ble marq craded as tl e latter CHAPTER V continued t sight of him he thief was con of an inward tremor followed b a thrill of excitement like a wae of heat sweeting through his being his eyes flashed then were dulled imperturbable 1 hall mailed the prey of ennui he waited undecided upon the stoop alle the watcher opi osite catching sight of him abruptly abandoned his ich and hastened across the street excuse me he began in a loud tone while yet a dozen feet away but aint this mr anasty lifted his brows and ders at one and the same time and bowed slightly well my good mana I 1 m a detective from headquarters mr maitland Malt land we got a phone from greenfields long island this morning from the local police scour but ler ah I 1 see about this man you don t mean to tell me I 1 s lall discharge higgins at once just on my way to breakfast wont you join me we can talk this matter over at our leisure what do you say to eugene s 9 it s handy and I 1 dare eay we can find a quiet corner by the way have you the time concealed about your persona anasty a as fumbling in his fob pod et and inwardly cursing himself for hiving been such an ass as to overlook maitland s timepiece deuc ed awkward he muttered in genuine annoyance I 1 ve m my watch it s most one clock mr mait land flattered the man aiom head dropped into step by the burglar s side CHAPTER VI eugene s at two since we don t want to be over hoa d remarked mr anasty it s no ube tring the grillroom downstairs al though I 1 admit it is more interesting just as eh say sir awed and awkward the police de stumbled up the steps beh nd his imperturbable guide it was a great honor in his eyes to lunch in company with a swell man of stodgy common sense and 1 cited ed i catlon that he was the glamour of the maitland millions obscured his berwise clear vision completely and uneasily he speculated as to whether or not he would be able to manipulate correctly the usual display of knives and forks an obsequious headwaiter greeted them bowing in the lobb good aft ernson mr maitland be murmured table for twos good afternoon responded the with an assumed ab str action inwardly congratulating himself upon having hit upon a res caurant where the real maitland Malt land was evidently ki own there were few cir cum stances which he id not turn to profit fewer emergencies to which 1 e could not rise he complimented handsome dan anasty A table tor two he drawled malt land v ise in a corner some chere away from the crowd you 1 now this way it you please mr mait land by the way suggested the birg lar unfolding hs elvietta el viette and glan cing keenly about the room which b good chance a thinly populated by the wa you know you haven t told me our name yet hickey john W hid ey detective bureau thank you A langu d hand blushed tre pink meni card across the table to mr hickel and what do you see that hieb well U cloy became con balous that both un vie d beet were nervously twined ab ut tl e legs of his chair blushed disentangled them and in an attempt to cover his con fusion plunged madly into cons tion of a col mn of table d hote french not one word of which con v the slightest particle of informs alon to his intelligence well he repeated and moistened his lips the room seemed suddenly very ot the tact that an obnoxious electric fan was send ng a current of cool air down the bad of his neck I 1 ain t he declared in ultimate desperation hungry much had a b te a little while back over to the gilse house bar would a bittle drink 9 athani s I 1 don t mind walter bring mr hickey a bottle of 0 o 72 for me let me see cafe au aalt with a grand air and rolls you must remember this is my b mr hickey I 1 make it a rule never to drink anything for six hours after rising anasty selected a cigarette from the maitland case lit it and contemplated the detective s good afternoon responded the masquerader countenance with a winning smile now as to this anasty affair ast night under the stimulus of the cham to say naught of his relief at having evaded the ordeal ot the cut lery hickey discoursed variously and a length upon tha engrossing subject of anasty gentleman cracksman while the genial counterpart of daniel mut M ut land listened with apparent but decap tive apathy and had much ado to keep from laugh ng in his gust s face as the latter earnest un folded his plans for laying the burg lar by the heels from time to time and at inter vals steadily decreasing the hand of the host sought the neck of the bottle inclining it carefully above the thin stemmed glass that hickey kept in al most constant motion and the de s fatuous loquacity flowed as the contents of the bottle ebbed yet as the minutes wore on the b irac ar began to be conscious that it was but a shallow well of information and amusement that he pumped the game fascinating with its spice of daring as it had maril been began to pall at length the masquerader calculated the hour as ripe for what ie had contemplated from the beg n ning and interrupted hickey with scant consideration in the middle of a most interesting exposition you ll 11 pardon me I 1 m sure if I 1 trouble you aga n for the time the fat red sought tai ly for the t bep mep ece the bottle was now empty the hour as an bounced was ten minutes to two I 1 ve aa engagement invented anasty plausibly with a friend at two it 5 oi 11 excuse me 9 garcon 1 then I 1 und stand mister maitland Malt land we en count on yeha an s evelida drooping dio tipi ed bark his chair a trifle and reg crded hid ey with a fair imitation of the whimsical maitland cirille hardly I 1 think wh nota truculently to be fra k with you I 1 have three excellent reasons the arst should be ent I 1 m too lazy D hickey stared and a disapproving head I 1 was aria d of that eh swells adon t never to think cottun of yer duties to an sty airily waved the indictment a ide moreover I 1 have lost hotl mg you see I 1 happened in just at the right moment our criminal friend got nath n for h s pa ns the jewels are safe boason no 2 having retailed n property I 1 hold no grudge against anist 11 I 1 d mno and as for reason no 3 I 1 don t care to have this affair advert sed it tho papers get hold of it they cook up a lot of silly details that 11 elc te the cupidity of every thief in the in arv and mal e me more trouble than I 1 care to ah contemplate hickey s eyes glistened of arse if yeh want it kept qu et he sug s anasty s hand sought his pod et how mucha well I 1 guess I 1 can leave that to you yeh ought tuh know how bad yeh want the matter hushed s I 1 calculate it then fifty ought to be enough tor the boys and fifty wil repay you for trouble the end of hickey s expensive pan e ela was tilted independently toward tie cell ng wonder it it would he murmured gratified anasty stuffed something bulky back into his pocket and wadded another something green and vellow colored into a little pill which he presently flicked carelessly across the table the detectives large mottled paw closed over it and moved toward his waist coat As I 1 was sayin he resumed I 1 m orry yeh dont see yer way to givin us a hand but p chaps yeh re right still it the citizens d only give us a hand in a while ah but what gives you your alv ing hickeyn argued the amateur sophiaa what but the activities of the crimmin element 7 society corn bained ou for the elimination of crime what would become of your job he rose and wrung the disconsolate one warmly by the hand but there I 1 am sorry to have to hurry you away now that you know where to find me drop in some evening and have a cigar and a chat I 1 m in town a good deal off and on and always glad to see a friend at another time and with another man anasty would not have ventured to play his catch so roughly but as he had reel boned the comfortable state m nd induced by an unexpected ad d tion to his income and a quart of champagne had dulled the official ap of sergt hickey mumbling a vague acceptance of the too genial invitation the exalted de rose and ambled cheerfully down the room and out of the door anasty lit another cigarette and contemplated the future with satis fac tion As a diplomat he was inclined to 1 eld himself a success indeed all things hakea under mature considers con sidera t on the conclusion was inevitable that he was the devil of a fellow ith ahat cons skill he had placed I 1 is lani biow the pursuit of tte ma fiand burglar would be abandoned the item suppressed at headd ar fers and it was equally certain that maitland when eventually liberated wo ild be at gaii s to 1 beep his par of II 11 e abair very much in shadow th ventured a mys heal siri e at the world in general one p ct ired the evening when tre infatuated detective should find it con to drop in on the exclusive mr maitland mr anasty Ani sty CHAPTER VII ilium nat on in a breath was self satisfaction banished sim the marq ie rader bro lit his down from the cebilino his thoughts to earth his lg lance to the surface and himself to his feet summoning to his aid all that he pos essed of resource and exp ajlen tripped the word blazed mean in his brain so long had he foreseen and planned against th s very moment yet panic swaged him for but a lit tie instant as swiftly as it had over come him it subsided leaving him sl cocked a shade more pale b it rapid ly reasserting control of his fac illies and with this shade of emotion came complete reassurance his name had been uttered in no stern or menacing tone rather its syllables had been pitched in a low and guarded key with an of raillery and cord aliby in brief the momert that he recognized the vc ce as a woman s he was again master of 1 itself and aware that the result of h s instinctive e to rise and ie t nd himself which had bro h m to a standing position would be in as only the natural action of a gentleman addressed by a feminine acquaintance he was confident that he had not betrayed his primal con ster nation he bowed smiled and with ees in wh ch astonishment swift 1 gave place to gratification and corn 1 lete comprehension appraised hei aho vho had addressed him she seemed to have fluttered to the table basi ie which she now stood s ghaly swai ing her walking costume of gray shot sill ailing about hen in soft tremulous petals dainty chic yell poised serene flawlessly pretty r her miniature fashion anasty rec her in a twinkling his per captions trained to observations as in as those of a snap shot ca nera and well nigh as accurate had i photographed hoto graphed her individuality in delilly upon the film of his memory even in the abbreviated encounter of the previous night by a similar play of educated reason ing faculties keyed to the highest pitch of immediate action he had difficulty scant in accounting for her pres ence there what he did not q lite comprehend was why maitland Malt land had used her so kindly for it had been plain enough that that gentleman had surprised her in the act of sate break ing before conniving at her escape but allowing that maitland Malt land a actions had been based upon motives vague to the burglar s understanding it was bilte in the scheme of possibilities that he should have arranged to meet his at the restaurant that afternoon she was come to keep an ar to which now that an lety came to maitland Malt land had alluded in the beginning of their con well and good once before within the past two hours he had told him self that he was good enough malt land he was be even better now but you did surprise me he de clawed gallantly before she could won der at his slowness to respond you see I 1 was dreaming he permitted her to surmise the ob eject round which his dreams had been w oven and I 1 had expected you to be aag eri watching tor me she parried archly I 1 was mentally but he warned her seno isly not that name maitland Malt land is known here they call me maitland the waters it seen I 1 a bad choice but with your as si stance and discretion we can bluff it out all right I 1 forgot forgive me it now she was in the chair opposite h m bucl ing the lo 10 ver enda of her g ovea into their wr ats no matter nobody headd I 1 very nearly called you handsome dc i she flashed a radiant sn HP at 1 im from bei eath the rim ot hei i t re bat A fire was kindled in anasty u eves hp s of a quickened dr im n ang of his p il es din is maitland Malt land s fiant nan e al he remail ed absently I 1 as much she respond 1 q egiy speculative the burglar hardly heard it t as been md bated that he was q ck witted beca ise he had to be in the very nature of his avocation list new his 1 iain wab work ng la her more rapidly tl an us lal even was one reason why the bigl I 1 had leaded into his eyes TU BE CONTINUED |