Show U OU va N CP SYNOPSIS mad dan maitland on reaching his hl now New rork Tork bachelor club mot met an attractive tl byoune oman at ih tha d door janitor off OlI Asan an d ilin hlin no ono one had been within that elay day dan discovered a worn ans tinner ginger prints in dust on hla his desk n long with a letter frown ml ills attorney A aatland f dined with bannerman lili his attorney pan dun set bet out for orf to get ill lila family jewels Malt maitland land on oil reaubin Z homr surprised lady in gray ciack lne na the tha safe containing contain ini him gems sh sho apparently are took hlin him for a well known aw j dnniel 1 a met anasty halt hyp h 1 noticed noti no t zed ea mill Wa cailland hand Illand opened ilia fate mafin took to l the jewels and gave them I 1 to her 0 rl firma forming it partnership in crime th 1 1 real van dan annaly aught by pollee police 0 of the world appeared appeared anisis maitland Malt land overcame him lie and the IN girl went to new york in her auto lie ahal the jewels jewel she w WM to meet him unit that say day A mr snaith introduce d hini an ail a detective to the girl in rray gray maitland about to show him tho jewels jewel lot lost wan filed bened by a a blow from rom hV cane the latter proved to bo be anasty himself and he secured the tha gems who wan Mait maitlandt lands double ms masquerades masqueraded masquera Iu erade ded to is the latter the criminal kept malt lands landi engagement with the girl in gray lie ile gave tier her the kem gems the girt girl in tray gray visit visited d Mait maitlandt lands apartments during his i abse abi enca nce and returned gems Mi Ulland without cashi cash called up his home boma and heard A woman voice expostulating A 1 ax as Malt Al altland land tried to w al brorn ner the location 0 the kema gems A crash was heard at the front door maitland Malt land overwhelmed file crook allowing him to escape to shield tho the young woman the tha girl in rray gray made joung her er escape jumping into a cab an instant later by working a rii ruse anasty was wan at her side aide I 1 to took her to attorney ban ner niang ians office thern there by torture he tried in vain to wring from her the location of 0 the gem ire if left ifft ft her tt a A and phoned n only n i T g romen tag tn the lie worda cloned tell mr malti a n I 1 ue under the tha brass brai bowl the hiding place in the latter rooms room when anisey hearil her words 11 also won was revealed na an a crook lla lie and anisey met et out to ef escure cure the kerns gems and leave town thi the girl was till imprisoned CHAPTER XV the price slowly maitland returned to the study and replaced the lamp upon hla his desk anti and stood briefly la in silence long fingers stroking ghis his well shaped chin hla his face a little thin and worn look ing a gleam agleam of pain la ili hla his eyes ile iio sighed so she was goriel gone lie he laughed a trace harshly this surprise was nothing more than he might have of course he had been a joalto expect anything elso of o her ber ho he was enjoying only hla his just deserts both for having dared to bellome tivit that the good la in human nature particularly la in womans comans nature would respond to decent treatment and for having acted on that asinine theory so she bho was gone without a word without a sign ile he sat down at the desk sidewise one arm extended along its edge fingers drumming out a dreary little tune time on tho the hard polished wood and thought it all over from the beginning nor spared bim himself self why after all should it be otherwise why should sha have stayed why should he compliment himself by believing that there theio was aught about him visible through the veneer acquired in a score an and odd beirs years of purposeless existence to attract a young and pretty womans comans heart lie ile enumerated hla his qualities specifically and condemned them all im primis he was a conceited ass A fascinating young criminal had but to toss her head at hilra to make him think that she was pleased alth him to make him forget that she aha was vat what she was and believe that because he was vas willing to stoop she aha was willing to climb arid and ho he had betrayed himself so BO mercilessly t how she must have laughed in her sleeve all the time while ho be pranced and bridled and himself under her eyes blinded to his own idiocy by the flame of a sudden infatuation bow she must have bave laughed laug hedl undoubtedly she had laughed and measuring afir depth or his challow ali allow ness nesa had determined to use him to her ends why not it had been tier her business her professional duty to make use of him in order to accomplish her plundering and because she had not dared to ask him for the jewels when he left her in the morning she had bad naturally returned in the evening to regain them very confident doubtless doubt lesa that even eien it if surprised a second time she would get off scot free unfortunately for her this afef tow low anasty hail had interfered mauland presumed cynically that he ought to be grateful to anisey the unaccountable scoundrels undrell why had he returned how the girl had contrived to escape was of at courso co inora easy to understand inder der stand recalled that sudden clatter of hoofs in ili tho the street and he had only to make a trip to tho the window to verify his bis suspicion that the cab was gone she had simply ov overheard orli pard hla his concluding remarks to the cabby and taken pardonable pardo advantage of them maitland Malt land had bad tooted footed the bill she was waa welcome to that however ile he maitland Malt land was well rid of the whole dam damnable nuble business yes and all what were the alt jewels to elm DC be yond their sentimental associations lie he did not hold them greatly in prize or of course once they had been worn by his mother he would spare no ex oense oena or effort to trace and collect recollect re theta for that tha t dim sainted ni morys lake but in this case at least the traditional usage of the Hall Malt lands never be carried out it had bad een faithfully observed ved when after bals als mothers death the tones stone hail had lj aw maitland woke up he questioned sharply been removed train their set settings tints and stored away but now they would never be bd reset even een should lie contrive to reassemble them to adorn tho the bride ot of tho the maitland heir for he would never marry of 0 course not was young enough to believe and to extract a melancholy sat If catlon from this puzzled and saddened his bind mind harked back forever to that carking question why had bad she sha returned 7 what had brought her back to the flat bat it if she and anisey were confederates as one was inclined at times to belleme it 11 such were the tha case anisey had the jewels and there was nothing elie of any particular value so BO persistently to entice such expert and accomplished complis hed burglars back to his flat what else had they required of him ills peace of mind was nothing that they could turn into cash and they seemed to have him of nothing else IW bilt they had that unquestionably they had taken that and still the riddle haunted bimi why had bad she come back that ighut and whatever her reason had she come in Ani anistes company or alone one minute it seemed patent beyond dispute that the girl and the great plunderer were hand band ln in glove the next minute maitland was positively assured that their recent meeting had been altogether an accident from w what hat ho he had heard over the telephone he had bol believed loved them to be quarreling although at the time he had assigned to Ol lagan the masculine side of the dispute out but certainly there must have arisen some difference of opinion between anasty and the tha girl 16 have drawn from her bee that frantic negative Matt maitland land had bad heard to have been responsible tor for the overturning avei turning of the chair an accident that seemed to argue something in the nature ot at a physical struggle the chair itself lay upon its ita side mute witness to a hasty n and antl careless movement on part but it was all ine inexplicable event u ally maitland shook his head to signify sigu that he gave it up tip there was but one thin thing it to dk di to put it out nut of n I 1 antl lie ile would read a bit compose corn pose himself ro to bed preliminary to doing so ho he would i take steps to insure the flat against further burglarizing tor for that night tit at least the draught moving through tv ae e hall stirred the portiere port lere and reminded him that tie window in the trun kroom was still open an invitation to td any enterprising sneak thief or secand story atory man so Sl mainland ailland beut to close and make it fast As lie he shut down tte the window sash and clamped the catch he trod on something sott soft and yielding wondering he stooped and picked it up tip and carried it back to the light jt it proved to be b the girls handbag now admitted Malt maitland land in a tone ot of absolute cander 1 I am dan damned ined how in the dickens did this thing get there anyway what was she loang doing in my trunk closet was ii if possible that she alto had followed aulsey out cut of 61 the aliat liat by thai routs route A very much mystified mounir young man sal esaf himself down again in front of his deske and turned the bag over lind and over arver lu his hands keenly seratin izing every inch of it anti and whistling softly that year the fashion la in purses was tor for capa capacious clous receptacles of grained leather nearly square in shape and furnished with a chain handle this which maitland Malt land held was conspicuously of the mode made neither too large larg nor too small constructed of floe fine soft leather of a gun metal shade with a framework frame work and chain of gun gull metal itself it was pew new and seemed well filled weighing a trifle heavy in the hand one face was adornel adorned with a m monogram on 0 gram of cut gun metal the initials 8 anti and G arid and 1 I L interlaced but beyond this the tha bag was irritatingly noncommittal I 1 undoubtedly it one were to go to the length ot of unsnapping the little frail clasp one would acquire information by such facile means would much light be shed upon the darkness but maitland Malt land put a decided negative to the suggestion no a lie ile would give her the berie benefit fit of the doubt lie he would wait he be would school himself to patience perhaps she ahe would come back for it ind and explain perhaps he could farl her by advertising it and get an explanation pending which lie could wait a little while italis it not his wish to pry into her secrets even if even if ik 4 was waa somO something thing to bo be smoked over strange how it affected him to ha have v e in his hands something that sins she h had ai owned and touched opening a drawer of the desk malt land produced an aged pipe A brazen jar companion piece to the ash receiver held his tobacco lie ile filled the pipe from abellar tb the ellar jar with thoughtful deliberation and scraped a match beneath his chair ignited the tobacco find and puffed in contemplative contentment tent ment deriving solaced solace from each mouthful of grateful evanescent incense lie he held the chirped chirred chi match between thumb arid and fored foreA nger riger becoming conscious of tills this fact fac t lie he smiled smile dan la deprecation of his absentminded mooil looked for the achre ach receiver discovered it in places inverted beneath the book and frowned remembering mem bering then with an impatient gesture impatient of his own in of mind for he simply could not forget the girlee dropped the match the book aside I 1 lift f ted ad the hol bowl N a moment of incredulous awe the young youn man rose with oyes eyes alight and a jubilant song sang in the heart of him now he know knew now un derbwood now believed and now was justified ot at his faith after which depression came with the consciousness that she was gone forever removed beyond his reach and influence and that hy by her own willful urt net it ft was her intelligible wish that they should never meet again tor lor having accomplished her errand an and she had flown from the possibility lity of his thanks it was so clear now ile iio it all plainly somehow though it was hard to surmise how bow she had bad found out that anley had stoles stolen tho the lewels jewels somehow jand nd one wondered it what risk she had bad contrived to alto ake them from him and bring them back to their owner and anisey had to followed 0 we P poor 0 or little wornall woman what had she clot suffered what perils had she aho n j t braved to prove that there ther ewas was aven in thieves it could have been it no inconsiderable danger a jan uan zer er not incommensurate with that of 0 robbing a tigress ol of her whelps that ahe had managed to filch his loot train from that pertinacious and vindictive soul anasty I 1 jut hut she had accomplished it and nd all for or him bird i it if only he could find her now bowl there was a clew to his hand in that bag of course but by this act she forever brever removed from h him itie mhd right to investigate that it if lie he could only find that cabby perhaps it lie be tried at tho the madison square rank immediately besides it was clearly his duty not to remain in the hat alono with the jewels another fil night 9 lit there was but one attainable place of safety for them and that the safe of a reputable cotef ile he would return to the bar at once mie merely rely pausing on hta his way to inquire of the cabmen cabeen it if they could send their broth brother er nigh nighthawk tha wk to him I 1 maitland Malt land shook himself into his topcoat jammed hat upon head dropped the jewels into one pocket the cigarette case into another and andon on impulse anistes AnI revolver with its two unexploded cartridges cartridge a into a third ind and pressed the call button for ohagan not waiting however for that worthy to climb clim bothe the stair but meeting him alm in the entry hall im going back to the bartholde Barthol dl Ol ohagan lagan for the alg night ht you may bring me my letters and any messa gesin the morning I 1 should like you to sleep in the flat tonight to night and answer any telephone calls ylse westher maitland Malt land sor have the police gone ohagan theres a whole bottle battle full yet sor youve not been drinking I 1 trust the irishman shuttled shuffled sor an that be laughing Al Malt altland land bade him good night and left the house turning west to gain fifth avenue walking slowly because he was a little tired and enjoying the rather unusual experience of being abroad at that hour without company the sky seemed cleaner than ordinarily the city quieter than th a n ever he had known it and in the air was a sweet smelt sine it reminiscent 0 of the countryside country side reminding one unhappily of the previous night bight when ono one had gone whistling to ones destiny along a perfumed country road good eav ings alisher maitland Malt land sirl sir it barnt be you Af maitland altland looked up tip bewildered for the instant the voice that hailed him out of the sky was not unfamiliar A cab that he alad waited on the corner to let pass was reined back suddenly the dri driver ver leaned down from the box and in a thunderstruck tone advertised his stupefaction it arent in nature sir it if ferll pardon my ment mentioning ionin it but ere I 1 leaves you not ten minutes ago at the tha st luke building and finds ends yer ere when you avent ad time maitland Malt land woke wake up that he questioned sharply you left me where ten minutes st luke build buil din ln corner broadway an 1 I know it excited but avla took yer there with the tha young lady young lady that comes outer the ouse with y yer er 1 6 sir ir 11 the devill devil maytland Malt land hesitated no longer hs hl 3 foot was anthe on the step ai as li |