| Show il the deblue blue I 1 X A h J circle i 80 I 1 Q I 1 d 4 fly by ELIZABE ELIZABETH JORDAN k X by the century co service CHAPTER XIII continued 22 1 know james too slim jim and codfish hart and sleepy annie A nice mee bunch you are I 1 I 1 looked you all up the day I 1 was waa in new york but I 1 be sure till I 1 got the finger prints yesterday I 1 recognized your friend rickett at the first gl glance ailee by the way he interpolated the district attorney of 0 new york used to be a pal of mine and I 1 saw him send fiend rickett up the river five years ago why I 1 got rid of him so BO promptly I 1 know about your operations in london houses too but though you youre re so BO good on the servant end youre not half so clever a gang of crooks as youre reported to be by the way how about the cook and violet Y dead ones they dont know anything about us 1 I thought so now why you get off with the stuff before I 1 come came and while you had a chance you had been here almost a month we were waiting for the foreign dames stuff we thought that leather bog bag was the ace and at first we coul rint dait get hold bold of it jenks jenka answered doggedly ue ile seemed stunned by the turn of events are you a bull he asked sud bud denly farly no just a plain citizen but a fairly intelligent one jenks and your goings on here attracted my attention that reminds me he asked suddenly how about the leather case you finally had a duplicate made how did you arrange that annie got her lamps on it one day and told me how it looked so you duplicated it and made the exchange thinking you were going to get alaras and such and when yon found that the cuse case held only manuscripts and papers you threw it back into the he ladys room nt no good to us for the first time the man on the floor grimaced we gave you a good jolt with it to help things along he mentioned with satisfaction 1 I thought debbe youdie be sent away on the strength of that 4 so you did and you threw in the locked door for good measure but then you saw raw that the lady got buck back the case without undue delay and nervous strain which was very decent of you As if moved by this tribute the captive reverted suddenly to the personality of jenks the perfect butler we never waste energy doing unnecessary things lings ti sir he said primly and we never injure anybody physically that our method why we wanted to get rid of you quiet like with no harm done and now mow sir air since youve got the whole story and since you got nothing on oil us but it a little joki joke sir rim fro sure have no objection ebion to being n sport yourself and letting us make a nice quiet getaway get away it vont v ont do ao you tiny any good to put us in fin sing sing mr Iller perhaps haps not but it would benefit the he community immensely renshaw Rens liaw pointed out however a mere inere detail at present let us continue out our conversation when were you planning to make your getaway get away with the money and jewels the night you edme d n you yon 1 cold jenks jenka with sudden bitterness and forgetfulness forgetful ness of bla role ill pass over your tills this time I 1 can see how my inopportune must have annoyed you bu you postponed the coup till you could get rid of me and then campbell was taken sick and with doctors coming coining and going and morris here at night you decided to wait a few days longer A new thought struck him what happened the night campbell was stricken 7 he be had bad to do considerable prodding before the question was answered he caught me at the safe la IQ his room jenks admitted atlant at last so that tha was wag it iff I 1 it was planned tor for that night and what campbells warning meant and all ibis hla worry I 1 renshaw rose to tits his feet A sudden gleam in the others eyes triumphant or sardonic Bardon lc or both reminded him of matters he had bad forgotten for a few a anything planned for t to be asked ft casually wally tonight I 1 nawl said eald jenks jenka fiercely of course not I 1 better tell me thel the truth now naw I 1 tell you doln to night renshaw bent tested the strength of 0 the cords gathered up the bound kody body as if it had been an infants and carrying it into the bathroom deposited it on the floor lie he then shut and locked the bathroom door ignoring the whines and curses curses of jenks jenka who alternately consigned him to perdition and urged him to be a sport back in the bedroom renshaw retrieved his second pistol from the floor where it had fallen during the fight and went swiftly down stairs to the study he had bad taken the precaution to doctor the first pistol before he left it under hta his pillow it would be a disappointing weapon to the per son who took it it As he be noiselessly hurried along the dark lower hull hall lie he heard a faint sound in the study ills grip tightened on the revolver in the pocket of his smoking jacket he took out the weapon as lie he nol opened the a tudy study door and hart were in the room in which one electric light burned dim ly under a shade they were kneeling bent over something on the floor and the backs of both men were toward him he brought them upright with a word their hands above their heads their eyes rolling in terrified incredulity he moved slowly toward them keeping thero them covered his eyes taking in the objects that lay jay at the mens feet several bogs bags were filled with plunder and scattered about the floor were bulky articles of silver brought from the dining room and apparently rejected at the lie last moment his him interruption ter had been opportune they were almost ready to recall jenks from his guard duty upstairs and depart turn furn your faces to the wall he ordered you james move six paces to the right hart ill trouble you to take eight steps to the left hurry up tants right he relieved them hem of the revolvers each carried and also took an unpleasant looking knife from hart greedy he observed wheres all the jewelry in the leather bag it was hurt hart who spoke apparently realizing that the game was up ill have to inconvenience you step into that corner closet hurl hart be quick 11 1 hurt dart obeyed without another word iCe keeping ills his eyes on james renshaw locked the closet door and put the key with the bathroom key in his pocket now slim jim he be commanded briskly fuce face about and march into the he hall really this Is 18 almost too easy I 1 sure I 1 could pull it off alone but I 1 wanted to try slim jim obeyed his orders with surprising alacrity his nerve of which lie he had little at the best was gone renshaw locked james into the hall closet muong tie lie hats bats and overcoats first carefully removing from his pockets anything that might assist in forcing the bolt lie he then shut and locked the study door keeping a steadfast eye on the study and hall closet doors lie took up the extension telephone from the hall table and getting a connection with dainley after some delay summoned thet he law to his aid even as he spoke something crashed down upon his head from the staircase above him the force of the blow would have floored him it it had bad fallen straight As it was he staggered under a slanting stroke that almost broke hla his right shoulder in the next moment he be swung up over the stair roll rall and catching the wrists of the furious woman on the stairs held her firmly stupid of you annie he said the good of trying to brain me with a kitchen stool have bare landed in the electric chair for it As it Is have to languish in it a prison cell tor for heaven only knows how long meantime dont hiss at me like that it look pretty end and it do me a bit of harm im feeling too fit in fact I 1 dont know when ive felt so no well or so 80 chatty he added peacefully you better go and look after them women nomen muttered sleepy annie hart chloroformed chloro formed em cm an he aint any too careful about such jobs 1 11 I think youre lying he told annle annie but well see gee come along he propelled her downstairs and ahead of him to the front door and opening this sent a low whistle out into the be dur darkness kness almost before it had ceased the two who had bad been guarding the house stood before him weve got them he said briefly caught them right in the act too one of you watch this woman the other keep an eye on those two doom the chief will be here in a few minutes im going upstairs to see bee what mischief done there he mounted the staircase three steps at a time at veritas Ver itys door he stopped and his breath caught he knew now that anne had bad spoken the truth he opened the door nod and flading finding the electric switch after a slight light but maddening delay lifted from the girls face the me pad lad that till still covered it he felt phyll physically cally III as he ha did no ao and a sudden lust for the life of hart tilled filled blin birn going in turn to the four windows he threw each open through then them poured the bracing tonic of the cold a night ight air and with it came thu the welcome sound of an automobile driven at full speed and rush ing up the avenue toward the bouse Cli chapter apter XIV his H own awn man the police had come and rone gono taking with them their four sullen prim boners doctor morris responding at once to the hurry cull call sent him had successfully treated verity and madame for the aftereffects after effects of chloroform renshaw and done the honors of the house with some natural complacency now in campbells big chat chair r before the rebuilt fire in the living room he listened to morris admiring tributes tribute and thought of the way verity had looked when lie he left her it was a great stunt you pulled off old ronn man renshaw laughed it was rather interesting he be admitted morris hesitated 1 I wonder it I 1 dare to tell you that I 1 know who you are he murmured the other nodded of courser courso you may every one will know in a few days then morris dared the question you feel that you are all right your own man again 1 I know I 1 am I 1 the words were spoken quietly but with entire conviction morris nodded 1 I know it too he conceded anti and stanley knew it before either alther of Us he knew you were well when he sent you here but of course he looking to fo the spectacular performance you have pulled boffl renshaw kenshaw fidgeted a then men rose youre going to look in on an MUSS campbell again before you turn in arent you yes ill go up lip with you and henr your final report he waited nt at the halt open olien loor door of Ver veritas itys room lila him heart pounding fiercely ne ile heard the he doc doctors volve that of the nurse and then the most wonderful voice in the world Is mr renshaw there I 1 want to see him for a moment he went in and bent above her the doctor and nurse moving avny to make room for him at the bedside e all right now he asked gently yes yea 1 I 1 I think so BO but would it he too much if I 1 asked you some her ber voice was almost inaudible nu dible nothing in the world yon could ask me would be too much then then will you if youre not too tired stay somewhere near tier iter voice broke im afraid when youre not near she admitted with a childish gulp he pressed the hand t that hat lay on the coverlet it clung to his as aa it had bad lung clung c in the black hole of the closet all out of the house and on their heir way to jall jail of course you know that flint but I 1 am going to sit elt just 0 outside your door the rest of the night he added gently oh ohl I 1 her face grew luminous th then c n clouded its horribly selfish of me to let you its abominable arenfly when youre so BO tired but when you tire not near I 1 feel as if her lips trembled as aa if I 1 were in a nightmare you yon were you have bare passed through several nightmares this week I 1 felt as aa 1 1 I were in one myself while that infernal gang was plotting around us be all right in a few days anya now will you try to sleep of course I 1 will sleep if I 1 know you are inking care of me her dependence pen dence on him was as outspoken and as unselfconscious conscious as we wees would have been agreed he kissed the little hand and nd released it then observing that the doctor had lett left the room and that the nurse was tactfully occupying herself beyond hearing distance lie he softly added im going to be near you all my life my darling if only you will let me for an instant more he fie looked down on her watching the he slow color flood her beautiful face under his bis look her eyes closed then reopened and at last returned his gaze ila ha took a chair and went into the hall to settle himself for the ho few re hours of the night the lights had been turned out ani and the old house bouse was dark again but as he shut his bis eyes and leaned his bis hend head against her door life and the whole world seemed spread in a glorious panorama before him the renter center of the vision was verity she was everywhere he be looked she him like a circular wall wait his years of illness or of loneliness of darkness were for far behind him far below hini him he could forget them now ahead of him once more lay life and work as well as aa the rapture of the promise he bad read in the eyes of the girt girl he loved TUE ETIM SM END |
