The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-08-22
BATHS Ready, sor!"

detained upon matter of moment,
but would endeavor to join them at a
later hour.
Then, with . satisfied smile, he
turned away, with purpose to dispose
OF Bannerman's note.
BATHS ready, sor."
O'Hagan's announcement fell upon
needless ears. Maitland remained mo-
tionless before the desk-transfixed
with amazement.
Baths ready, sor! "-imperatively
Maitland reused slightly.
Every well; in . minute, O'Hagan."
Yet for some time he did not move.
Slowly the heavy brows contracted
over intent eyes as he strove to puz-
zle 1t out. At length his lips moved
noiselessly.
"Am awaken" was the question he
put his consciousness.
Wondering, he bent forward and
drew the tip of one forefinger across
the black polished wood of the writing
bed. 1t left a dark, heavy line. And
beside, clearly defined in the heavy
layer of dust. was the silhouette of q
hand; woman's hand, small delicate,
Enthusiastically feminine of contour.
WELL" declared Maitland, frankly,
IT am damned"
Further and closer inspection de-.
veloped the fact that the imprint had
been only recently made Within the
| hour-unless Maitland were indeed
mad or dreaming-a woman had stood
by that desk and rested a hand, palm
down. upon it; not yet had the dust
had time to settle and blur the sharp
outlines.
Maitland shook his head with be-
wilderment, thinking of the gray girl.
! But no. He rejected his half-formed
explalation-the obvious one. Besides,
what had he there worth thiefs
while? Beyond few articles Of
virtue and bigotry" and his pictures,
there was nothing valuable in the en-
tire fiat. His papers? But he had
nothing; handful of letters. cheque
book, pass book. a japanned tin dis
patch box containing some business
memoranda and papers destined event
ually for Bannerman's hands; but
nothing negotiable, nothing worth q
burglars while.
1t was fattopped desk, of mahog-
any, with two pedestals Of drawers, all
locked. Maitland determined this lat
ter fact by trying to open them with.
out key; failing. his key-ring solved
the difficulty in jiify. But the draw
ers seemed undisturbed; nothing had
been either handled, or removed, or
displaced, so far as he could deter
mine. And again he wagged his head
from side to side In solemn stupefac-
ton.
This is beyond you. Dan, my boy"
And: But I've got to know what 1t
means"
In the hall OHagan was shuff1ing
| impatience Pondering deeply, Matt
land relocked the desk and got upon
his feet. A small bowl of beaten brass,
which he used as an ash receiver,
stood ready to his hand; he took it up,
/ carefully blew it clean of dust, and
inverted it over the print Of the hand.
| On top of the bowl he placed q
weighty afterthought in the shape of
book.
"O'Hagan!"
"Waitin', sor."
"Come hither. O'Hagan. You sec
that desk?"
| "Yissor."
Are you sure?"
"Ah, faith"
Il want you not to touch 1t, Ola
gan. Under penalty Of my extreme dis.
pleasure, don't lay finger on 1t till
give you permission. Don't dare to
dust 1t. Do you understand"
"Yissor. Very good, Mr.. Maitland"
| CHAPTER u.
Post-PrandIaI.
Bannerman pushed back his chair q
few inches, shifting position the better
a. hnuoA< ~ q faint ar that fonnAA