Show X rp DA stand up you houndle PICTURES by fluff MEAR LL CC SYNOPSIS mad dan maitland Malt land on reaching his new york bachelor club met an attract five young woman at the door jan tor 0 hagan assured him no one had been within that day dan discovered a worn wom an s finger prints in dust on h s desk along w th a letter from I 1 Is attorney maitland Malt land dined with bannerman h s at torney dan set out for gr to get his fam fain ly jewels during his walk to the country beat he met the young woman in gray whom he I 1 ad seen leav ing his bachelors baci bacle elors lors club her auto had broken down he ile fixed it by a ruse sh she e lost him maitland Malt land on read ing I 1 ome surprised lady in gray cracking the safe containing h s gems she s he apparently took him tor for a well inov n crook daniel anasty halt half hypnotized maitland Malt land ocene I 1 his safe took ti 11 e jewels and gave them to her first forming a part nersi ip in crime the real dan anasty bought by police of 0 the world appeared on the same mis mission s ion maitland Malt land overcame him he met the gir outside the house and the they y sped on to new york in her au an to he h had ad the jewels and she promised r lse d to meet him that day maitland r received eel ed Q a mr snaith introducing h aselt as a detective lo 10 shield the girl in gray maitland about to slow sl ow him the jew els ela supposedly lost was felled by a blow from snaith s cane the latter proved to be anasty himself and he secured the gems anasty who was Maltin Malt land ds s dou don ble masqueraded as the latter the criminal kept maitland Malt land a engagement with the g rl ri in gray he ile gave her the gems after falling in love at first sight they were to meet and divide the loot malt land revived and regretted missing his engagement anasty masquerading as maitland Malt land narrowly avoided capture through mysterious tip the girl in gray visited maitland Malt land a apartments during his absence and returned gems being d s covered on return maitland Malt land without cash called up his hone hon e and heard a woman oman s voice expostulating anist sed as maitland Malt land told her his real identity and realizing himself tricked tried to wring from her the location of the gems then he proposed marriage A c ash was heard at the front door malt land started for home CHAPTER XI continued in the cab maitland Malt land turning to watch through the rear peep hole was thrown violently against the side as the hansom rocked on one wheel into his street recovering he seized the dashboard and gathe gathered himself together ready ito spring the instant the vehicle paused in its headlong career through the cabby s mis inder understand stand ing of the address in all the horse was reined in on its haunches some three houses distant from the apartment tuil building ding malt land found himself sprawling on his hands and knees on the sidewalk picked himself up shouting you 11 waita to the driver and sprinted madly the few yards separating him from his own front door keys ready in hand simultaneously the half winded po eiceman lumbered around the fifth avenue corner and i i man detaching himself from the shadows of a neigh boring doorway began to trot loutish ly IY across across the street evidently with the intention of intercepting maitland at the door he was hardly quick enough malt land did not even see him the door slammed in the man mans s face and he panting harshly rapped out an im and began a frantic assault on the push button marked janitor As tor for maitland he was taking the stairs three at at a clip and had his pass ley key in the latch almost as soon as his feet touched the first landing landin 9 an in stant later he thrust the door open and blundered blindly into the pitch dark ness of his study loi 11 ai a thought ife he stood bewildered and dismayed by the absence of light he had thought somehow to find t the he gas jets flaring the atmosphere was hot and foul with the odor of kero sene u the blackness filled with strange sounds and mysterious moving shapes A grunting gasp came to his ears and then the silence and the night alike were vere split by a report accompanied by a tl streak of orange flame shooting from the middle of the room its light transient as it was gave him some inkling of the situation un he flung himself forward ready to grapple with that which first should meet his hands something soft and yielding brushed against his shoulder and subconsciously in the auto hypnosis of his excitement he was aware of a man mans s voice cursing and a woman s cry of triumph traill trailing ng off into a wail wall of pain on the instant he found himself at grips with the marauder for a mo ment both swayed swaged dazed by the shock of collision then maitland got a toot foot ing on the carpet and put forth his strength the other gave way slipped and went to his knees maitland s hands found his throat fingers sinking deep into flesh as he bore the fellow backward A match flared noiselessly and the gas blazed overhead A cry of aston ashment choked in his as he recognized his own features duplicated in the face of the man whose throat he was slowly and relentlessly constrict ing anasty he had not thought of him or connected him with the sounds that bad had thrilled and alarmed him over the telephone wire coming out of the void and blackness of night indeed he had hardly thought any coherent thing about the matter the ring of the chegis girls not had startled him and he had somehow thought vaguely chato hagan had surprised her in the flat but more than that he glanced swiftly aside at the girl standing still beneath the chandelier the match in one hand burning to ward I 1 er finger tips in the other an asty s revolver their eyes met and in hers the light of gladness leaped and fell like a 4 living flame then died to be replaced by a 1001 of entreaty and prater so moving that his heart in it its unselfish chivalry went out to her who or what she was howsoever hov damning the evidence against her he would believe against belief shield her to the end at whatever hazard to him self ai whatever what eier cost to his fortunes love is unreasoning and unreasonable even when unrecognized his 1 senses seemed to vibrate with redoubled activity to become abnor ddlly acute for the first time he was conscious of the imperative clamor of the electric bell in 0 hagan s quarters a as well as of the janitors s rich brogue voicing his indignation as he opened the basement door and prepared to as bend instantly the cause 0 of the dis tur bance flashed upon him his strangle hold on anasty relaxed he released the man and brows knitted with the concentration of his thoughts he stepped back and over to the girl lifting her band hand and gently taking the revolver from her fingers below P Q hagan was parleying through the closed door with the late callers maitland could have blessed his hotheaded irish stupidity tor for the delay he was causing already anasty was on his feet again blind with rage and crouching as it ready to spring only restrained by the sight of his own revolver steady and threatening in Malt maitland lands s hand for the least part of a second the young man hesitated choosing his way then resolved resol in accents of determination stand up you hound he cried back to the wall there and thrust the weapon under the burg lar s nose the move gained instant obedience mr anasty could not reasonably hesi best tate in the face of such odds and you maitland continued over his shoulder to the girl without demov ing his attention from the burglar into the alcove there at once and not a word not a whisper not a sound until I 1 call ou she gave him one frightened and piteous glance then unquestioning slipped quietly behind the port leres to anasty again turn your pock ets out commanded maitland quick aou ou fool the police are be low lou your freedom depend depends on your haste anasty s hands flew to his pockets emptying their contents on the floor maitland s eyes sought in vain the shape of the canvas bag but time was too precious another moments moment s procrastination and that will do he said crl crisply spay without raising his voice now listen to me at the end of the hall there you 11 find a trunk closet from which a window I 1 know naturally you would now go got anasty waited for no repetition of the permission whatever the mad ness of mad maitland he was con berned only to profit by it never be fore had the long arm of the law stretched hungry fingers so near his collar he went springing aown down the hall in long soundless strides vanish ing into its shadows As he disappeared maitland j stepped to the door raised his revolver and 1 pulled the trigger twice the shots detonates deto detonated natel loudly in that confined space and rang coincident with the clash and clatter of shivered glass A thin cloud ot of vapor obscured the doorway sway ing on the hot still air then parted and dissolved dissipated by the en trance of four men who thrusting the door violently open struggled into the hallway blue cloth and brass buttons moved flushed and perspiring beneath a the hel met a revolver poised benac angly in one hand locust as ready in the other othe r behind this outward and visible manifestation of the laws law s majesty bobbed a rusty derby cocked jauntily back upon the red shining forehead of a short and thickset per son with a black mustache 0 higan s agitated countenance loomed over a dusty shoulder and the battered silk hat of the nighthawk brought up the rear come in everybody maitland greeted them cheerfully turning back into the study and tossing the ver shreds of smoke still curling up from its muzzle upon a divan ohagan agan he called on second thought jump downstairs and see that all new york doesn doean t get in let nobody in As the janitor unwillingly obeyed policeman and detective found their tongues A volley of questions to the general purport ot of what s th deanin of all this herec assailed maitland as he rested himself coolly on an edge of the desk he responded with one eyebrow slightly elevated A burglar what dd you supposed 9 that I 1 was indulging in target practice at this time of nighta which way d he go goa 9 back of 0 the flat through the win dow to the fire escape I 1 suppose I 1 took a couple of shots after him but missed and inasmuch as he was armed I 1 t pursue hickey stepped forward glowering unpleasantly an pleasantly at the young man yeh go along he told the uniformed man nd see t f he s tellin the truth ill stay here nd keep him company his ills tone amused Matt maitland land in the reaction from the recent strain upon his wits and nerve he laughed openly and who are youa he suggested smiling as the policeman clumped heavily away hickey spat thought thoughtfully full into a satsuma and sneered I 1 s spose pose yeh never saw me maitland bowed affirmation I 1 im m sorry to say that that pleasure has heretofore been denied me uh huh bull agreed the detective sourly I 1 guess that s a hot one too he scowled blace ly in maitland Matt land s amazed face and seemed abruptly to swell well with mysterious rage my name s hickey he informed him ven and don dont t yeh lose sight of that after this it s so methin it won t hurt yeh to re remember memer guess yer mem ry s taking a vacation huha my aly dear man said maitland you speak in parables and it if you II 11 par don my noticing it with some un called for spleen might I 1 suggest that you moderate your tone for he continued facing the man squarely if you don t it will be my duty and pleasure to hoist you into the street 1 I got a of yeh doing it growled H hickey ackey still t see seeing ng as yeh never saw me before I 1 guess it won t do no rd h harm rm for yeh to connect with this and he turned back his coat uncovering the official shield of 0 the detective bureau ah ahl commented maitland polite ly A detective how interesting fire escape winders winder s broke all right this was the policeman re turned and some one s let down the bottom length of 0 ladder but there ain aln t nobody in sight no interjected hickey nd there wouldn t ve been it if you d been waltin in the back yard all night certainly not maitland Malt land agreed blandly especially if my burglar had known it in which case I 1 fancy he would have chosen another route by the roof possibly yeh know so methin about roofs yeli self don donchuk chuh suggested hickey well guess yeh 11 have time to write a book about it while yeh he ile stepped unexpectedly to malt lands side and bent forward some thing cold and hard closed with a snap around each of the young mans wrists he started up face aflame with indignation forgetful of the girl hidden in the alcove what the devil he cried hotly jingling the handcuffs ah ali come off hickey advised him 4 yeh can t bluff it forever you know come along and tell the sarge all about it daniel maitland Malt land esquire Es quire allas handsome dan anasty gentle man burglar ah ali cut that out young 0 fellow yeh re foxy all right but yeh ve pushed yer run of luck too hard hickey paused perplexed fifi finding ding no 10 words wherewith adequately to voice the disgust aroused in him by his prisoner xe e demeanor something tar far from seemly to his mind the humor of the situation had just d dawned upon maitland Malt land and the young man was crimson with appreciation go on go on he begged feebly A don t let lot me stop you hickey don t please let me spoil it all your sher lock holmes hickey lg is one of the I 1 finest characterizations I 1 I 1 have ever witnessed it Is a privilege not to be underestimated to be permitted to play baffles to you but seriously my dear sleuth with an unhappy attempt to wipe his eyes with hampered fists don dont t you think boure ou re wasting your talents 7 9 by this time even the policeman seemed doubtful he ile glanced askance at it the detective and shuffled uneasily As for the cabby who had blustered in at first with intent to demand his due in no uncertain terms apparently Malti maitland ands s bearing coupled with the inherent contempt and hatred of the 41 nighthawk tribe for the minions of the law had won his sympathies completely lounging against a door jamb gulte quite at home he genially puffed an unspeakable cigarette and nodded approbation of maitland Malt land s every other word but hickey hickey bristled bellig bently terentiy fine he declared acidly fine and dandy I 1 take off my hat to yeh dan anasty I 1 may be a bad actor all right but yeh got me beat at the post then turning to the policeman I 1 got him right look here drawing a folded newspaper from rom his pocket he spread it open for the officers s in spec lon tion yeh see them pictures now on the level Is it natural 7 the patrolman frowned doubtfully giacini from the paper to MAltI and the cabby stretched a curious neck I 1 maitland Malt land groaned inwardly he had seen that infamous sheet now listen the detective ex pounded with gusto twice to day this here maitland or anasty meets me once on the stoop here nd he s malt land nd takes me to lunch sepa next time its in harlem where I 1 ive ve been sent with a hot tip from the c amis s ner s office to find anasty nd he s still maitland nd surprised to see me I 1 ain aln t sure then but I 1 in doln doin some heavy chinkin all right I 1 lets him go and shadows him after a while he gives me the slip nd I 1 chases down doan here waltin tor for him to turn up corn com jag down on the car I 1 buys this paper nd sees the pictures and then I 1 in on see uh huh grunted the patrolman scowling at maitland the cabby caressed his nose with a soiled forefinger reflectively plainly a bit prejudiced by hickey s exposition one minute maitland interjected ees twinkling and lips twitching how long ago was it that you began to watch this house sleuth five minutes before yeh come responded hickey ignoring the insult now tool iou o 0 a long time to figure this out |