Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-08-26

"OR six years Jim Gaffney eluded
I'm the argus-eyed law in the pur.
suance of his prosperous profes.
sion, which brought him a princely liv-
Ing Off and on, and as much adventure
as any reasonable being could demand
Then the inevitable happened. He
got three years, during which he was
forced to master a trade.
In the meanwhile either his luck for
sock him or his hand lost its cunning,
for when he reOpened his former ca
reer he bungled so dangerously that
he narrowly escaped recapture.
Being a cautious man, he fell into
the habit Of petty swindling of house
wives and servants, which was easy
and perfectly safe, for he was a quiet
looking man. and his careful habits of
dress gave him the look of a thread
bare gentleman.
One evening he found himself in the
vestibule Of an unpretentious apart
ment house, and followed the tortuous
stairs until he came to the open door
Of a vacant apartment.
He went in, closing the door behind
him through force of habit, hardly ex-
pecting to find anything worth while
In an empty fiat, but arguing that it
could do no harm to look around.
What he noticed first of all was q
lighted window at the other end of a
fire escape leading across a narrow
court to a small apartment, evidently
the counterpart Of the one Gaffney had
just entered. He walked from room to
room, taking Stock of his neighbours
wares.
Bachelor quarters" said he to him
self, pausing before the dining-room
window and looking at a table, which
bore traces Of distinctly masculine din
ing. mot much stuff, but what there
is looks good"
He liked best of all what he saw on
the dresser in the adjoining bedroom.
When he had satisfied himself that
the kitchen was vacant Gaffney
stepped out on the little iron bridge
and tried the opposite window, which
slid up noiselessly. AS he passed
through the dining-room the burglar
slipped a few odd pieces of silver into
his pockets, then he crossed the little
entry and paused to listen to the voices
that came from a front room, which he
had not baan obla IN saa from hic loto
point of observation.
The lights were very low and the air
was dense with rich, fragrant smoke
that made Gaffney covetOus, for he
had known luxuriant living, and just
then he wanted one of those big ha-
vanas even more than he wanted the
watch he had seen on the bedroom
dresser.
"Td give a lot to have you change
your mind, Burton, old man." said a
pleasant, boyish voice from the fra
grant dimness. you are doing all
with every chance of steady ad-
vancement in a business that's bound
to bring in a fine pile some day. What
do you say to pitching camp here with
me for a couple Of months? Nothing
luxurious, as you see, but comfortable
quarters and plenty Of room for two.
try to, anyway, won't your"
mo, Todd, thanking you heartily, all
the same" came the answering voice.
MY minds made up. I'm going to-
morrow"
I'm sorry. Do you know, Burton,
I've got it into my head that some
girl is driving you off to the wilder
ness-you needn't tell me anything
about it, you know-because l can't
think Of anything else that would send
a man in your position off on an IN
and arduous undertaking like
that projected trip Of yours"
Gaffney was conscious of a mild Gu
to hear the answer, 80 he wait
at the bedroom door until the other
voice spoke.
II don't know why l never told you,
it said, quietly. Certainly not
because l don't trust you. l am I'M
communicative by instinct, l think.
But I'm rather glad you spoke of it,
'or I'd like to explain my reason for
away. There isn't much Of a
story, but it has made a tremendous
Inference in my life.
1.-THE girl lives right here in New
York, where she was born and brought
Up, yet in spite of her worldly sur
'oundings she's the Quaintest, little