The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-30
The Trustfulness of Beckwith

Why, should believe YOU" said
Beckwith
Loring smiled.
You're such trusting old chap,'
| he said. That's why l can-in a meas
/ ure-throWl myself upon your mercy
You could manage. I suppose. TO arouse
( the neighborsAI wouldn't exactly have
: the heart to shoot YOU"
IF YOU put it that way, Tom" re-
piled BeckWtth. Il must tell you that
| I've rung the burglar alarm at the
| head OF my bed, and the police should
be here now. ! have merely been en-
deavoring TO detain you until their al
! rival"
This with an air of conscious clever
ness that looked queerly out of place
in conjunction with his usually frank
and candid expression.
Exactly" returned the other. I'm
moved. but your burglar alarm doesn' t
| work, either Don't you give me credit
for any foresight at all ?"
! Beekwith looked resigned and some
what crestfallen.
I'm t-that case" he said, 81 shall have
to buy my wife another ring in the
morning. But. anyway. Tommy you
/ could have got away. I shouldn't have
appeared against you"
Il believe you, Beck. of course. But,
seriously. you shouldn't go trusting peo-
/ pie as You do. It's bad policy. Now,
that maid of yours, for instance dare
say you have given her innumerable op-
portunities o. decamping with Mrs.
Beckwith's jewels"
she was such a good maid" OBJ
jected Beekwith, plaintively.
She might have been IA good maid. "
| answered LOring, but she certainly
! wasn't a good maid"
Tom" Beckwith said suddenly. IT
don't know how you got in this and
| don't care; but why don't you get
| out OF it? DROP it~all: it can't nay.
4 Ill get you work to do. if money's
| what you want. Perhaps there's a
place In the bank, ii you'd care 10
/ t-take it,
Loring looked at his friend admir-
ingly.
You are game. he said. "but / won't
| take advantage of you like that. Be-
| sides. l like the life It's an art. i'm
way, and you can follow it with
all the whole-souled devotion you would
| give TO any other art And then. be-
yond everything, 1 need excitement
| and get it,"
Again there was silence. n the tiny
room the shaded lights glimmered
through the thick blue haze of smoke.
IKE street lamps in a London fog. Sud-
| denly on the stiffness there came a soft
shfiH whistle. Loring rose and s,rolled
over 10 the window, drawing aside the
curtain and peering out with his hand
over HIS eyes.
What's t-that?" asked Beckwith,
startled.
Probably your maid" answered Lor-
ing, "or my maid, rather. She was TO
let me know when the coast was clear.
in case L couldn't get away before she
dld. She told me that your butler had
been watching her pretty closely. He's
undoubtedly a good servant. You had
better raise his wages"
II will," said Beckwith, "when he
( comes back. let him go away for ito
night. Oh, j say, Tommy. did you know
that too? You are a clever chap" He
looked at Ioring with admiration i'm his
( eyes. "Hut-are you going now? /
/ would like TO see you again. Tommy. If
! your professional duties forbid a call
/ by daylight, perhaps some other night
Loring shrugged his shoulders.
Not likely" he said carelessly. "Pml
| leaving Leeds tomorrow-it's getting
too small for me. I'm for London, with
! plenty Of leisure, and what is more to
the point-plenty of cash"
He spoke in a rather depressed yet
, exultant tone, that caused Beckwith to
look at him sharply
Are you quite sure that you win get
| safely away2" he asked. whats tc
prevent me, for instance, from putting
a description of you into the hands of
the police and having the t-trains
watched?"
"oh, you won't do that. Beck" an
swered Loring gently. AT least not
when tell you why l am really here u
Say on" said Beckwith.
! well. it's most unprofessional, but ]
/ will. You see, / belong to a small and
select brotherhood whose object is--tc
put it with shocking frankness-the
acquisition of other peoples property.
! They had designated you as a victim OF
! their rather unkind attention, and
I somehow, Beck, just for the sake of
+ old times, l didn't want you to lose
7 property, and perhaps life, by US. We
are-most of us-rather desperate, and
there is such a thing as an overzeal-
Gus defense of even ones own posses
slons. Now, when it comes to shoot
ing-well, l won't dwell on it. 1t isn't
! pleasant"
Beckwith moved his shoulders I'M
| comfortably.
| mot so very" he assented.
| And so / volunteered to come-tOld
them / knew the house. or the dog, OF
something. They viii think I've FAILED
when l go back with only these. Be
cause Beck. if some on else had come
you would undoubtedly be parting with
the valuab les in your safe down stairs
of which you are thinking at this nom.
eiIt with such flattering and hopeful
| calmness."
Beokwith leaned forward with G
sharp exclamation.
How the devil did you know t-that 30
lie cried.
Tricks OF the trade" answered Lor-
ing, and I'm sorry. but I'll have to
take your purse. 1 can't go back abso-
| lutely empty handed
| Take it," said BeckWith, excitsdly
| T-take my watch, too" He dragged il
from beneath the pillow and thrust il
into Loring's hands. Here. t-take
everything I've got. It's uncommonly
good of you, Tom, ito spare me as you
/ have. / wouldn't have lost those Jewels
and that silver for anything 1 own"
Loring dropped the articles into his
capacious pocket.
Y Il must so now" he said.
I'm aWfully obliged ito you" an
/ swered Beckwith, and you've in
! creased my faith i'll
! Don't talk SO loud, please LOTing
! interrupted. I'm going to raise the
! window"
| He threw up the sash and looked eau
/ tiously out before preparing TO descend.
Don't break your neck" said Beck
( with in a loud whisper.
Good night, Beck" LOring replied.
| He paused with one leg thrown over
/ the sill. ''YoT5Fe been very decent
I about it-quite philosophical. i'm fact.
1 Sleep well the rest Of the night. and
/ think of me in the morning"
/ He swung himself free from the Win
dow. and in a moment Beckwith heard
a soft thud as he dropped like a cat on
| the turf below.
Beckwith slept late next morning. He
| aMnke 70 an unaccustOnled stiffness in