Show 3 jL jlouis COPYRIGHT ISO 1007 THE SYNOPSIS mad dan maitland Malt land on reaal ing his ke new w york bachelor club met an attract live tive young woman at the door janitor 0 ha haan hain in assured him no one had been within that day dan d sc a worn wom tin an s finger prints in dust on his desk along with a letter from his attorney CHAPTER I 1 cont aued further and closer inspection de the fact that the imprint had been only recent re centi 15 made within the hour unless maitland were indeed mad or dreaming a woman had stood by that desk and anci rested a hand palm down upon it not yet had the dust had time to settle and blur the sharp outlines maitland Malt land shook his head with bewilderment th dking of the gray girl but no he rejected his halt half formed explanation the obvious one besides what had he there worth a thief while beyond a few articles of and bigotry and his pictures there was nothing valuable in the en tire flat his papers but he had nothing a handful of 0 letters cheque book a pass book a japanned tin dis patch box containing some business memoranda and papers destined event bally tor for bannerman s hands bui bu nothing negotiable nothing worth a burglars while hile it was a flat topped desk of magog any with two pedestals of drawers all locked maitland Malt land determined this lat W ter tact fact by trying to open them with 4 out a key tailing failing his key ring solved the difficulty in a jiffy but the draw ers seemed undisturbed nothing had been either handled or removed or displaced so far as he could deter mine and again he wagged his head from side to side in solemn stu petac fac tion this is beyond you dan my boy and but I 1 ve got to know what it means in the hall 0 hagan was shuffling impatience pondering deeply mait malt land re locked the desk and got upon his feet A small bowl of beaten br brass which he used as an ash receiver stood ready to his hand he took it up carefully blew it clean of dust and inverted it over the print of the hand on top of the bowl he placed a weighty afterthought in the shape of a book 0 hagan baitin sor come hither 0 hagan you see that desk are you sure ah ali faith falth I 1 want you not to touch it 0 ha gan under penalty of my extreme dis pleasure don t lay a finger on it till I 1 give you permission dont don t dare to 6 du st it do you understand 7 very good mr maitland Malt land CHAPTER II 11 post al at bannerman pushed back his chair a few inches shifting pos tion the better to benefit of a taint faint air that tanned fanned in through the open window malt land twisting the the sticky stem of or a liqueur g ass between thump thumb and tore fore finger sat in patient waiting for the law er to speak but bannerman was in no hurry his mood nas as rather one contemplo con tive and genial he was a round and cherubic little man with the lace face of a guileless child the acumen of a sue counsel for soulless corporia eions that is to say of a high order no particular parti cilar ilar sense of humor and a great appreciation of agod eating and maitland was famous in his day as one thoroughly conversant with the ait of ordering a d that which they had just abt discussed had been uncommon in all respects maitland Malt land s scheme of courses and his specification as to details had roused the admiration of the pr mordian s chef and put li m m on his mettle he had outdone himself in his efforts to do justice to mr maitland Malt land a genius and the primordial in its deadly conserva cism remains to this day one of the very few places in new york where good sound cooking is to be had by the initiate therefore bannerman thoughtfully sucked at his cigar and thought fondly of a salad that had been to ordinary salads axis achis 80 horsepower horse power car was to an electric buckboard while maitland Malt land with all time at his purchase idly flicked the ash from his cigarette arru followed his attorney attorneys s meditative gaze out through the win dow because of the heat the curtains were looped bad and there was noth ing to obstruct the view madison square lay just over the sill a dar dara wilderness of foliage here and here made livid green by arc are eights lights its walks teemed with humanity its benches were crowded D aly from its heart came ae cool plashing of the fountain in lulls that fell un account ably in the roaring rustle of restless feet over across broadway raised glittering walls of glass and stone j and thence came the poignant groan and rumble of surface cars crawling upon their weary and unvarying rounds and nd again maitland Malt land thought of the city and of destiny and of the grav girl iri the silhouette of whose hand was a i N the loss of a cool half M mill ill on wh ie le its a drop in the bucket to you you would him imprisoned beneath the brass bowl on his study desk for by now he was quite satisfied that she and none other had trespassed upon the privacy of his rooms obtaining access to them in his absence by means as as her motive momentarily he consid ered t aking bannerman into his con flrence but he questioned the ad disability vis ability of this bannerman was nas so severely practical in his outlook upon life while this adventure had been so madly whimsical i so engagingly impossible bannarn bannermon Ban nermin would be sere sure to suggest a call at the precinct police station it if she had made way with anything it would be different but so far as maitland Malt land bad had been able to determine she had abstracted noth ing disturbed nothing beyond a few sq square iare inches of dust una unwillingly billingly illin gly bannerman put the salad out of mind and turned to the b iciness whose dimmed ate moment had brought them together he hummed softly calling his client to at maitland came out of his reverie vaguely smiling I 1 in waiting old man what s up 9 the graeme business his lawyers have been after me again I 1 even had a call from the old man himself yes 9 the graeme business 9 maitland s expression was blank tor for a moment then comprehension informed his eyes oh yes in connection with the dougherty investment swindle that a it graeme s pleading for mercy maitland lifted his shoulders sig antly that was to be expected wasn gasn t if what did you tell him that I 1 d see you did 3 ou hold put iut to him any hopes that id be easy on the gang I 1 told him that I 1 doubted it if you could be induced to let up then wha wh 9 why because graeme himself is as innocent of wrong doing and wrong in tent is as you are you believe thata I 1 do affirmed bannerman his tat fat pink fingers drummed uneasily on the cloth for a few moments there isn t any question that the dougherty people induced 3 ou on to sink your money in their enterprise with alneta to de fraud 3 0 i I 1 should think not maitland inter ejected amused B it old ir fan an graeme was honest in intention Intent lin at least he meant no harm and in proof of that he offers to bho sho ider youl loss himself it by so u do ng he can induce you to drop furth er proceedings that proves he s in earnest dan for although altho agh greame is comfortably well to do it its s a known fact that the loss of a cool half million while it s a drop in the bucket to you would cripple him then why t he stand to his associates and make them each pay badi bael their fair share of the loof loot bring his liability down to about fifty thousand because they won t give up without a contest in the courts they deny your proofs you have those papers haven t youa sate safe under lock and key asserted maitland sententiously when the time comes ill produce them and they incriminate graeme they make it look as black for him as for the others do you honestly be lieve have him innocent bannerman 9 I 1 do implicitly the dread of ex the fear of notoriety when the case comes up in court has aged the man ten years he begged me with tears in his eyes to induce you to drop it and accept his offer of restitution don t you think you could do it dan no I 1 don t maitland shook his head with decision if I 1 let up the scoundrels get off scot free I 1 have nothing against graeme I 1 am willing to mal a e it as light as I 1 cn ejan for him but this business has got to be aired in the courts the gu ity will have to suffer it will be a lesson to the pub lie lic a lesson to the scamps and a les son to graeme not to lend his name too freely to questionable enterprises and that s your final word is it if final bannerman you go ahead prepare your case and take it to court when the time comes as 1 I sa ill produce these papers I 1 cant can t go on this way letting people that I 1 in an easa aas mark jua because I 1 was un fortunate enough to inherit more money than is good for my whole some maitland twisted his eyebrows in dep cation re of bannerman s attitude signified the irrevocability of his de cislon by bringing his fist down upon the table but not heavily enough to disturb the other diners and laugh ing changed the subject for some moments he gossiped cheerfully of his new power boat bannerman ut attending tending to the incense fri couse quent details with an air of arstra c tion once I 1 or twice he appeared about to interrupt but changed his mind but because his features were so wholly infantile and open and can did the time came when maitland could no longor ignore his evident perturbation now what a the trouble 7 he de banded with a trace ot of asperity cin c yo i forget that graeme b isi ress and oh its it s not that bannerman dis missed the troubles of mr graeme with an airy wave of a pudgy hand that s not my funeral nor yours only I 1 ve been worried of late by yo ir utterly careless hab ts maitland looked his consternation in heaven heavens s name what now and grinned as be he joined hands before him in simulated petition please don t read me a lecture just now dear boy it if youve got something dreadful on your chest wait till another day I 1 in more in the humor to be found fault with no lecture bannerman laughed nervously I 1 iva ve merely been wonder ing what you have done with the malt matt land heirlooms what 9 oh those things they re safe enough in the sate safe out at grem fields to be sure quite so agreed the lawyer with ironic heartiness oh quite and proceeded to take all madison square into his con confidence addressing it from the window here s a young man sole proprietor of a priceless collection ot of family heir looms diamonds rubles sapphires ga lore and he thinks they re sate safe enough in a safe at his country reel rest dence 50 miles from anywhere 1 whit a simple trustful soul it Is why should I 1 bother argued maitland sulk ly its it s a good strong safe and and there are plenty of servants around he concluded largely precisely likewise plenty of bur clars lou ov don dont t suppose a determined criminal I 1 ke anasty tor for inq instance tance would bother himself about a handful of thick thickheaded headed servants do you youa anasty Ani sty with a rising inflection of inquiry bannerman squared himself tc to face his host elbows on table you don t mean to sa you ve not heard of anis ants ty the great he demanded I 1 dare say I 1 baie maitland con ceded unperturbed name rings fa somehow anasty deliberately is said to be the greatest jewel thief the world has ever known he has the of america and europe b by the ears to catch him they have been hot on his trail for the past three years and would have nabbed him a dozen times it only he d had the grace to sta in one place long enough the man who made off with the bracegirdle dia monds smashing a burglar proof into scrap iron to get em am don t you remember 7 ye es I 1 seem to recall the affair now that you mention it maitland ad bitted bored well and what of mr anasty only what I 1 have told you taken in connection with the circumstance that he is known to be in new york and that the maitland heirlooms are tolerably famous as much so as your carel careless ss habits dan now a safe deposit vault umma um m m considered maitland you really believe that mr anasty has his bold burglarious eye on my property 7 its a big enough haul to attract him argued the lawyer earnestly anasty always alms high now will you do what I 1 have been begging you to do tor for the past eight years seven corrected maitland bously its it s just seven years since I 1 entered into mine inheritance and you became my counselor well seven then but will you put those jewels in safe deposit 7 oh I 1 suppose so but whenn NN would it suit you if I 1 ran out to night maitland demanded so abrupt ly atiat bannerman was disconcerted I 1 er ask nothing better 11 bring them in town tomorrow to morrow you arrange about the vault and ad vise me will you like a good fell v 9 bless my soul I 1 never dreamed that you would be so so amenable to disciple nea ma aland grinned boy like and leaning back appreciated bannerman s startled ex pre sion with keen enjoyment W ell consider cons der that for once youve you ve scared seared me im off just time to cat h the 10 20 for greenfields waiter he scrawled his initials at the hot torn tom of the bill presented him and rose sorry bannerman he be said chuckling to cut short a Ilea cleasant sant evening but you t startle me so you know pardon me it if i run I 1 might miss that train but there was tas something else it can wait take a later train then what with this grave peril hang ing over me mea impossible night bannerman discomfited saw malt land s shoulders disappear through the dining room doorway meditated med pur suit thought better of it and reseated himself frowning mad maitland indeed he corn com dented As for the gentleman so so chalao tended he emerged a moment later from the portals of the club still chuckling mildly to himself as he struggled into a light evening over coat his temper having run the gam it of boredom interest per lion ion mystification and plain amusement was now altogether inconsequential quent ial a dangerous mood tor for malt land standing on the cornet ol 01 twenty sixth street he thought I 1 over tai tat ping the sidewalk gently irith his cane should he or should he not car ry out his intention as a declared to bannerman and go to greenfields that same night or I 1 he keep his be engagement with cressy s party TO BE CONTINUED |