The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10

fore me- I saw your Nance, Tom, in
neat striped dress. and she was oehino
bars-bars-barsl There were bars
everywhere before me. In fact, I felt
them against my very hands. for In my
mad race I had shot up blind alley
"a street that ended in a garden be-
hind an iron fence.
I grabbed the diamonds to throw
them from me, but 1 couldn't just
couldn'ti I jumped the fence where
the gate was low, and with that whis-
tie flying shrilI and shriller after me l
ran to the house.
I might have jumped from the fry
ing-pan? OF course, 1 might. But IL
was all fire to me. To be caught at
the end is at least no worse than to De
caught at the beginning. Anyhow, 1t
was my one chance, and 1 took IL as
unhesitatingly as a rat takes leap
into a trap to escape terrier. only
only, it was my luck that the trap
wasn't seti The room was empty.
pushed open a glass door, and fell
over an open trunk that stood be-
side It.
1t bruised my knee and tore my hand.
but oh!-it was nuts to me. For 1t was
a woman's trunk filled with women's
things.
A skirt! A blessed skirt! And not a
striped one. 1 threw off the bellboy's
jacket and I got into that dear dress
so quick it made my head swim.
The jacket was a bit tight, but
didn't button it. and I'd just got
stiff little hat perched on my head
4 ~ - an
sidewalk and in the dusk saw the
cops buttons at the gate.
Caught? Not much. Not yet. 1
threw open the glass doors and walked
out into the garden.
"Miss-Omar-I wonder II II would
be Miss Omar?"
You bet 1 didn't take time to see
who It was talking before I answered.
OF course I was Miss Omar. l was
Miss Anybody that had right to wear
skirts and be inside those blessed gates.
"Ah-h! I fancied you might be.
I've been expecting you"
1t was a lazy, low voice with laugh
in it, and it came from a wheeled chair,
where a young man lay. Sallow he
was and slim and long. and helpless
you could see that by his white hang
ing hands. But his voice-it was what
a woman's voice would be If she were
a man. 1t made you perk up and pre-
tend to be somewhere near its level.
1t fitted his soft, black clothes and his
fine, clean face. 1t meant silks and
velvets and
Oh, all right, Tommy Dorgan, II
you're going to get jealous Of voice.
Excuse me, Mr.. Latimer." The cop
came in as he spoke. Norway follow
ing; the rest of the hounds hung about.
There's a thieving bellboy from the
hotel that's somewhere in yorr grounds.
Can cone ~ and est hiIn?'
'In here. Sergeant Aren't you mis-
taken?"
mo; M Ioriw bare saw him
jump the gate not minutes since"
Strange. ana I l;ers al be time! 1
may have dozed o. though. Certain
ly-certaiiiy Loes for the little ras-
cal whats ne staen2 Diamonds!
Tut! TUT Enterp<ssing, isn't ne?
Miss Omar. wont SOU kindly reach the
bell yonder-no. ga ne table; that's it
and ring for sonf ore 20 take the
officer abe it2"
I rang.
Do you know what Aappened? An
electric light strung on the tree above
the table shone out. and there I stood
under it Win fiorlWays eyes full
upon me.
"Great-!' he began.
Just ring again" Mr.. Latimer's
voice came as soft as silk.
Ny fingers trembled so, the bell clat-
tered out of them and fell jangling to
the ground. But it rang. And the
light above me went out like magic. I
fell back into a garden chair.
"I beg your pardon, Mr.-was Mori-
way the name2-I must have inter-
rupted you. but my eyes are troubling
me this evening. and can't bear the
light Miss Omar, I thought the
housekeeper had instructed you; one
ring means lights, two mean 1 want
Burnett. Here he comes. Bur-
nett, take Sergeant Mulhill through the
place. He's looking for a thief. You
will accompany the sergeant, Mr..
-Moriway?"
Thank you-no. II you don't mind,
I'll wait out here"
That meant me. moved toward the
gate.
mot at all. Have seat. Miss
Omar, sit down, won't you?T 1 sat
down.
Miss Omar reads to me, Mr.. Mori-
way. I'm an invalid, as you see. de-
pendent on the good offices Of my man.
I find q woman's voice q soothing
change"
"It must be. Particularly II the
voice is pleasing. Miss Omar-I didn't
quite catch the name"
He waited. But Miss Omar had
nothing to say that minute.
"Yes, that's the name. You've got
It all right" said Latimer. "An un-
common name, isn't it?"
'T don't think ever heard it before.
Do you know, Miss Omar, as heard
your voice just before we got to the
gate, 1t sounded singularly boyish to
me-"
''Mr. Latimer does not find it so-do
your" 1 said as sweet-as sweet as 1
could coax. How sweets that, Tom