The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-03

wanted and put the other back Then
he opened the mouth OF the bag. The
CLEAN of gold shone from the aperture.
Stricken with temptation he stood hesi-
tating.
At that moment the fire. heap of
red ruins. fell together with a small
clinking sound. 1t was no louder noise
than he had made when opening the
desk. but it contained some penetrating
hesitating, with the sack of money in
his hand. he turned again to the chair.
A face. white and wide-eyed, was star
ing at him round the side.
He gave Il Smothered oath and the
sack dropped from his hand to the table.
The money fell from it in Gathering
heap and rolled about. in golden zigzags
in every direction. The sound reused
the still unawakened intelligence of the
girl She saw the paper in his hand
half-opened. Its familiarity broke
through her dazed senses. She rose and
rushed at him gasping:
The certificate! the certificaten
Harvey made "A dash for the open win
dow. but she caught him by the Shout
strength of her healthy youth struggled
with him hand to hand. reaching out for
the paper he tried to keep out of her
grasp. In the fury of the moments con-
flict, neither made any sound, but fought
like two enraged animals. rocking to
and fro, painting and clutching at each
other.
He finally wrenched his arm free and
struck her a savage blow aimed at her
head but falling on her shoulder. which
sent her down on her. knees and then
back against the fire. He thought he
had stunned her. and raised his arm
again when she sprang up. tore the paper
out of his grasp and pressed 1T with her
hand down into the Goals beside her. AS
she did So for the first time she raised
her voice and shrieked:
Mr.. Barron! Mr. Barron! Come.
comet Oh. hurry
From the hall Harvey heard move
M md an ~ I'M
cries echoing through the room he beat
her down against the CRATE, and tore the
paper. curling with fire on the edges;
fro mher hand. With it, he dashed
through the open sash, a shiver of glass
following him.
Almost simultaneously, Barron burst
into the room. He had been reading and
had fallen asleep to be walked by the
shrieks of the girls voice, which were
still in his ears. The falling of broken
glass and rush Of cold air from the
opened window greeted him. Piled on
the table and scattered about the floor
were gold pieces. Mariposa was kneel-
ing on the rug.
Hes got itr' she cried wildly, and
struggling to her feet rushed to the win
dow. He's got it! Oh, go after him!
Stop him. .
got the money. it's all there"
He seized her by the arm, for she
seemed as If intending to go through the
broken window.
shrieked, wringing her hands: ''the pa
per-the certifcatei He's got it and
gone. this way. through the window"
Barron grasped the fact that she had
been robbed of something other than the
money. the loss of which seemed to rem
der her half distracted With a hasty
word of reinsurance he turned and ran
from the room springing down the stairs
and across the hall. In the instants
pause by the window he had heard the
sound of feet on the steps below and
H. 4
quickly by the stairs than by the limb Of
the tree.
But the few minutes start and the
darkness of the night were on the side of
the thief. The roar of the rain drowned
his footsteps. Barron ran this way and
that, but neither sight nor sound of his
quarry was vouchsafed TO him. The
man had got away with his booty, what
ever it was.
In fifteen minutes Barron was back
and found the Garcia ladies in Mari
posa's room. ministering to the girl; who
lay in Il heavy swoon, stark and White on
the hearth rug.
The old lady, in some wondrous and
intimate deshabille, greeted him eagerly
pened. He told her all he knew and
knelt down beside the younger Mrs. Gar
cia, who was attempting with shaking
hand to pour brandy between Mariposa's
set teeth.
1--WE heard the most awful shrieks. and
we rushed up. and here she was stand
ing and screaming: He's got it! He's
got itr And then she fell fiat. quite sud-
denly. and has lain here this way ever
since"
1T was a robber." said the old woman,
looking at the scattered gold, but he
didn't get her money. What was it he
took. l wonder?"
Some papers. 1 think" said Barron.
that were evidently of value to her I'll
then I'll go AS soon as she's conscious
ask her what the man took and come and
tell me. and I'll go right to the police
station"
"Oh, don't leave u.s." implored Mrs.
Garcia junior, 'if there are burglars any
where round. oh. please don't go. Pier
points away and we'd have no man in the
house. Don't so till morning. I'm just
as scared as i can bev'
There's nothing to be scared about.
The mans got what he wanted and he'll
take precious good care not to come
''Oh, but don't go till it gets light. The
windows broken and any one can come
in who wants"
"Ail right, I'll wait till it gets light
I'll lift her UP now. If you'll get the bed
ready"
With the assistance of old Mrs. Garcia
he lifted her and carried her to the bed
shoulder as he laid her down, and the
old lady uttered an exclamation. She lift
ed 1T up and showed him curious red
welt on the white wrist.
ITS burn she said. How did she
get that?"
"She must have fallen against the
CRATE" he answered His eyes grew
dark as they encountered the scar. las
soon as she's conscious tell me-
A few minutes later the young widow
found him sitting on chair under
lamp in the hall
We'll" he said eagerly, how is she?'
She's come back to her senses all
right. But she doesn't seem to want to
tell what he took. She says 1t was a pa
per, and that's all, and that she never
saw him before. Mother doesn't think
we ought to worry her. She says she's
got a fever and she's going to give her
medicine to make her sleep, and not to
disturb her till she wakes up. She's all
broken up and sort of limp and trembly.'
Well I suppose the sonora knows
best It'll be light soon now, and I'll go
to the police station. The sonora and
you will stay with herr"
20 yes" said Mrs. Garcia, the younger
MY goodness, what nights it's been.
It's lucky the man didn't get her money
There was quite a lot; about five hun
dred dollars. I should think. Oh, my
curl papers, / forgot them Gracious.
what a sight must look" and she shuf-
fed down the stairs.
Barron sat on till the dawn broke gray
through the hall window. He was be-
ginning to wonder if this girl was the
central figure of some drama secret in
-