Show i iiii i RB C 0 Z aa pil I 1 1907 aa THE r 0 wi i f 14 SYN SYNOPSIS mad dan maitland on reaching his new york bachelor club met an attract tive young woman at the door cantor jan tor 0 hagan ahsu ed him no one had been within that day dan disco ered a worn a i s finger prints in dust on I 1 Is desk along with a letter from his at attorney torne maitland d ned tied wl wi I 1 bannerman h s at torney dan set r t tor for greenfields to get I 1 s family je jewels aels burng dur ng its walk alk to tl e co seat I 1 e met the young woman in gray v t om he had se n leav ing 11 8 bachelors club her auto had broken do he ile fl it ed it by a ruge she lost h m maitland on reach ng home surprised lady in gray cracking tl e safe containing h s gen s S e ap parentis took him for a well known crook daniel an sty half ha maitland ocene I 1 hs safe took the jewels and ga e them to I 1 er first form ng a part in crin e tl TI e real da anasty sought by pol ce of the tho world appeared on the same mission maitland overcame him he met the girl 0 icide the house and tl ti 3 sped on to new yo k in I 1 er au to he had the jewels and s e p om sed to meet h in that dav ma ala t and received a mr air ana tl ng I 1 himself as a dete detective etive to shield tl e girl in gray ma aland al out to sl si ow I 1 im tl e je e v els suppo supposedly gedly lost vas felled by a blo v from snaith s cane T 4 e latter p 0 ed to be anasty h myself and I 1 e secured t e gems anasty who was maitlan Is 1 s do ble i anquera led as the latte the cr minal kept Matt maitland land s engagement v w i h the g rl in gray he ile gan gave e I 1 er tl it e gems after fall ng in love at first sigl t they were to meet and d vide the loot ma t land re i ed and regretted miss ng his en engagement an san n asque masquerading rading as maitland narrowly avo ded capture through mysterious t p the g rl in gray grav visited ma aland s apartments du ing I 1 alls Is absence and returned gems being d s q co covered ered on return maitland will out cash ca called I 1 led up his I 1 ome and 1 1 card eard a woman s vo ce expostulating anasty d as ma maitland t land told her his real ident ment ty and realizing himself bricke I 1 tried to wr wang ng from her tie tle local on of the gems CHAPTER X cont aued by the powers I 1 forgot for a mo ment so you thought me maitland eh eha 9 well I 1 im in sorry I 1 d dant t under stand that from the first loure 1 on re so quick as a rule vou on know I 1 confess you duped me neail this afternoon afeei noon that I 1 supposed vou ou were wise and only afraid that I 1 d give yo i what you deserve if they had sent any one but that stupid ass bicley hid ey to nab me id I 1 d be in the cooler now As it was you 1 I andly selected the very best kind of 0 a house for my purpose I 1 went nent straight up to the roofs and out through a bu bolink round the corner but the shock of discovery with attendant revulsion of feel ng been too much tor for her she suddenly 1 in the chair eyes half closed face pallid as a mask of death f anasty regarded her in silence for meditative instant then taking the lamp strode down the hall to gintry returning presently with glass brimming with an amber tinted effervescent liquid champagne he anno meed I 1 his lips wish I 1 had maitland Vait land s means to gratify my palate he knows good goo wine w n here my dear gulp this down own placing fhe he glass to the girl s lips and raising her head that she might swallow without strangling As it was she choked chol ed and gasped but after a moc mor ent began to show some signs of having benefited by the draught a faint color dawning in her cheeks that s some better bommen commended d ed the burglar not unkindly now if you please well we 11 stop talking pretty and ge down to brass tacks buck up now and answer my questions and don dont t be afraid I 1 im in holding no great grudge tor for what you did this after noon I 1 appreciate pluck and grit as much as anybody I 1 guess though I 1 do think you ran it pretty close peach ing on a pal after you d lifted the jewels by the way why did you do it ita because but you would rit t under stand it if I 1 told you I 1 suppose not I 1 in not much good splitting sentimental hairs but malt land must have been pretty decent to you to make you go so far speaking of which where are don t sidestep we understand one another I 1 know you ve brought back the jewels where have you stowed them 9 rhe wine had fulfilled its mission endowed her with fresh strength and renewed spirit she was thinking quickly every wit alert I 1 won t tell you wont ehe an admission that they re here you know androu and you may as well know I 1 propose to have em lair means or foul take your n r where are I 1 have told you I 1 wouldn t tell 1 I ve known know pluckier women than you to change their minds under pres sure he ile came nearer bending over face close to her eyes savage and gripped her wrists none too gently tell me let me go he proceeded calmly to imprison both small wrists in one strong bony hand better tell let me got go she panted struggling to rise his voice took on an ugly tone tell I 1 she was a child in his hands but managed nevertheless to rise As he applied the preg pressure sure more cruelly to her arms she cried aloud with pain and struggling desperately knocked the chair over it went down with a crash appalling ly loud in that silent house and at that hour and taking advantage of his bis instant of consternation she jerked free and apran toward the door he ile J 0 J H s vo ce took on an ugly tone was upon I 1 er in an instant however hard fingers di digging ging into her dors dars you little tool fool no sl e cried no no no let me go you you brute abruptly he tho ight better of his methods and released her merely put ing himself between her and the door way don t be a little fool he coun meled you kid mel up that row and vou boull 11 have us both pinched inside of the next five minutes defiance was on her tongue s tip but the truth in his words gave her pause palpitating with the shock every outraged instinct a quiver she subdued suad led herself and tell fell back eying him fixedly they re here he nodded thought fully you wouldn rit t have stood for that it if they t and since they are I 1 can find them without your as si stance sit down 1 I shant touch you again she had bad scant choice other than to obey desperate as she was her strength had been severely overtaxed and she might not presume upon it too greatly fascinated with terror she let herself down into an easy chair anasty thought for a moment then went over to the desk and sat himself before it kays he commented rapidly in ying what he saw how d you get hold of them they are mr maitland s he must have forgotten them the burglar chuckled grimly coincidences multiply it is odd that harp 0 hagan was coming in with a can an of beer while I 1 was picking the lock and caught me he wanted to know it I 1 d missed my train for green fields and I 1 gave him my word of hon or I 1 had moreover I 1 d mislaid my ke ej s and had been ringing for him for the past ten minutes he swallowed every word of it by the way here s a glove of yours you certainly man aged to leave enough clews about to I 1 insure asure your being nabbed even by a new york detective he ile faced about tossing her the glove and with it so keen and pene brating a glance that her heart sank for fear that he had guessed her se cret but as he continued she re gained confidence I 1 could teach you a thing or two he suggested pleasantly you make about as many mistakes as the aver age beginner and on the other hand you ve got the majority beaten to a finish for cuteness you re as quick as they make them she straightened up uneasy op pressed bye by a vague surmise as to this tended thank you she aid said breathlessly but hadn haan t you better plenty of time my dear maitland has gone to greenfields and we ve sev eral hours before us look here little woman why rhy don t you take a tumble to yourself cut out all this nonsense and look to your own interests 7 I 1 don t understand you she fal ered but if I 1 in talking about this maitland affair cut it out and forget it you re too 00 oo good looking and valuable to bour self to lose your head just all on ac count of a little moonlight flirtation with a good looking millionaire you dont don t suppose for an instant that thebes s anything in it for yours do yol YO I 1 you re nothing to maitland Malt land just an incident next time he meets the baby stare for yours you can thank your lucky stars he happened to have a reputation to sustain as a vil lage cut up a gay sad dog always out fa foi i a good time and hang the expense O 0 otherwise t he d have handed you yours without a moment s hesitation I 1 in not doing this up in tin foil and tying a violet ribbon with tassels on it but I 1 im in handing it straight to you some thing you don t want to forget you just sink your hooks in the tact fact that youre you re nothing to maitland Malt land and that he s nothing to you and never will be and ou on won t lose anything except illusions she remained quiescent for a little hands twitching in her lap torn by conflicting emotions fear of and aver sion slon for the man amusement chill horror bred of the knowledge that he was voicing the truth about her the truth at least as he saw it and and as maitland Malt land would see it Illusions 7 she echoed faintly and raided her eyes to his with a pitiful attempt at a smile oh but I 1 must have lost them long ago else I 1 t be here and what you are that s what I 1 in telling you she shuddered imperceptibly looked and up again her espres slon inscrutable her voice a tremble between laughter and tears well 9 eli eha the directness of her query figuratively brought him up all stand ing canvas flapping and wind out of his sails what are you offering me in ex change for my silly dream she in quiren a trace of spirit quickening her tone A fair exchange I 1 think some thing that I 1 wouldn t offer you it you hadn haan t been able to dream lie he paused doubtful clumsy go on she told him faintly since it must come as well be over with it see here he took heart of desperation you took to maitland Malt land when you thought he was me why not take to me for myself 9 1 im in as good a man better as a man than he it if I 1 do blow my own horn you side with me little woman and and all that and I 1 II 11 treat you square I 1 never went back on a pal yet why brightening with enthusiasm as his aze gaze appraised her with your looks and your cleverness and and my knowl edge of the business w we can sweep the country you and I 1 oh she cried brea breathlessly i essly well start right now he plunged on misreading her right no now 7 with last nights night s haul you 11 chuck this addled sentimental pangs ot of constence la hand over the jewels and and hand em back to you the day we re married all set and as handsome a wedding present as any woman ever got she twisted in her chair to hide her face from him fairly cornered at last brain a whirl devising a hundred maneuvers each more helpless than the last to cheat and divert him for the time until until the consciousness of his presence near her of the sheer strength and might of willpower will power of the man bore upon her heavily she was like a child in his hands helpless she turned with a hushed gasp to find that he had risen and come close to her chair his face was not a foot from hers his eyes dangerous in another moment be he would have his strong arms about her she shrank away terrified no not no she begged well and why note well tensely how do I 1 know this afternoon I 1 outwitted you robbed and sold you for tor for what you call a scruple how can I 1 know that you are not paying me back in my own coan oh but little woman he laughed tenderly coming nearer it Is be cause you did that because you could hold those scruples and make a fool of me for their sake that I 1 want you don t think I 1 in capable of playing with you it takes a woman to do that don t you know he bent nearer and his breath was warm upon her cheek don t you know that you re too rare and fine and precious for a man to risk come now not yet she started to her feet and away walt wait there theresa a a cab the street without was echoing with the clattering drum of galloping hoofs at this hour she cried aghast could it be no fear Desi besides there its stopped in front of this house no three doors up the street at least something you yon must 4 learn and I 1 can beach each you to judge distance by sound in the darkness but I 1 tell you she insisted retreating before him it s a risk there did you hear thata that was the dulled crash of th t front door anasty stepped to the table on the in stant and plunged the room in dark nes steady he told her evenly steady it can t be but take no chances go to the trunk closet and get that window open it its malt matt land grimly well follow what do you mean what are you going to do doa leave that to me I 1 ve never been aught caught yet cold fear gripped her heart as in a fl flash a s h of intuition she divined his in e n t ion quick he bade her savagely don t you want I 1 can t see she invented where t s the door I 1 can t see here through the darkness his finger fingers found hers come he said ah ali her hand closed over his wrist and in a thought she had flung herself be fore him and caught the other in the movement her hand brushed against something that he was hold ing and it was cold and smooth and hard ah ali no no she implored not that not that with an oath he attempted to throw her oft off but trail frail strength magnified by a fury of tear fear she joined issue with him clinging to his wrists with the tenacity of a wildcat though she was lifted from her feet and dashed this way and that brutally mercilessly though her heart tell fell sick within her tor for the hopelessness of it though CHAPTER XI dan quixote leaving the hotel maitland Malt land strode quietly but rapidly across the car tracks to the sidewalk bordering the park A dozen nighthawk cabbies bore down upon him yelping in chorus he ile motioned to the foremost jumped into the hansom and gave the fellow his address five dollars he added it if you make it in five minutes an astonished horse roused from a droop eared lethargy was yanked al most by main strength out of the cab rank and into the middle of the ave nue before he could recover the long whiplash whip lash had leaped out over the roof of the vehicle and he found himself stretching away up the avenue on a dead run yet to maitland Malt land the pace seemed deadly slow he fidgeted on the apat at in an agony of impatience a doen dozen times feeling in waistcoat pocket for his latch keys they were there and bis his fingers itched to use them by the lights streaking past he knew that their pace was furious and was haunted by a fear lest lost it should bring the police about his ears cars at 1 twenty ninth street indeed n ee a dream ream ing policeman startled by the uproar emerged hastily from the sheltering gloom of a store entrance shouted after the cabby an inarticulate ques tion and getting no response un sheathed his night stick and loped up up the a avenue canue in ln making the locust sing upon the pavement at every jump TO BE CONTIN CONTINUED UrD A wise man should not refuse a Un kindness driess herodotus lj y AA towa |