The Huttig news., 1908-10-24

ouSly original every mnutei Your scruples, your consideration, your sym pathy-they are touching-in you," She wagged her head daintily in pre- 1 tense of disapprobation But shall l tell you2' more seriously. doubtfuIly T think 1 shall truly l do this sort of thing, since you must know because-imprims because like it. Indeed and I do, like the danger the excitement, the exercise of cunning and-and I like the rewards, too. Besides"
 The corners of her adorable mouth dropped ever so slightly. "Besides-?"
 Why But this is not busi. ness! We must hurry. Will you, or shall I-?"
 A crisis had been passed: Maitland understood that he must wait until more favorable time to renew his opportunities.
 q will" he said. dropping on his knees by the safe. Tn my lady's servicel"
 Not at all" she interposed. q in sist The job is now yours yours must be the profits
 Then wash my hands of the whole affair he stated in accents of finality. 'I refuse. I shall go, and you can do as you will-bunder on," scornfully, with your nitroglycerin. your rags. and drills and-and rouse the entire countryside. if you will.'
 "Ah, but"
 Will you accept my aid?"
 "On conditions. only she stipulated. "Halvers?"
 He shook his head.
 Half shares. or not at all," She was firm.
 "A partnership"
 This educed moue of doubt, with: I'm not worthy the honor"
 But, he promised rashly, q can save you-oh, heaps of trouble in other -ah-lays."
 She shrugged helplessly. .If must !, then I do accept. We are partners, Dan Anisty and T."
 He nodded mute satisfaction. brushed the tools out of his way, and bent an attentive ear to the combination.
 The girl swept across the room. and there followed a click simultaneous with the total extinction of light.
 Startled, Why" he demanded.
 "The risk" she replied. We have been frightfully careless and thought less
 Helplessly Maitland twirled the com bination dial; without the light he was wholly at a loss. But a breath later skirts rustled near him; the slide of the bull's-eye was ierked back, and a circle of illumination thrown upon the lock. He bent his head again. pretend ing to listen to the fall of the tum- blers as the dial was turned. but in point of fact covertly watching the letters and figures upon it.
 The room grew very silent. save for the faintly regular respiration of the 1 girl who bent near his shoulder Her breath was fragrant upon his check The consciousness of her propinquitv almost stifed him. One fears that Maitland prolonged the counter felt study of the combination unneces- sarily.
 Notwithstanding this, she seemed amazed by the ease with which he solved it. Wonderful. she ap- olauded, whispering, as the heavy door swung outward without jar.
 'Hush," he cautioned her.
 In his veins that night madness was running riot, swaying him at it's will. With never doubt, never thought fl hesitaaey, he forged ahead, willfully blind to consequences. On the face fl it he was playing fools part; he knew it; the truth is simply that he could not have done other than as he did. Consciously he believed himself to be merely testing the girl; subcon- sciously he was plastic in the grip of an emotion stronger than he-moist clay upon the potter's whirliag wheel The interior of the safe was re- vealed in shape little different from that of the ordinary household strong box There were several account books, ledgers and the like, together with some packages of docketed bills, in the pigeon holes. The cash box, itself a safe within a safe. showed a blank face broken by a small combi- ] creted compartment. the Maitland heir looms languished, half forgotten of | their needless owner
 The cash box combination offered | less difficulty than had the outer dial. Maitland had it open in twinklng. l Then, brazenly lifting out the inner framework bodily. he thrust fum- bling hand into the aperture thus dis closed and pressed the spring, re- leasing the panel at the back. It dis appeared as though by witchcraft, and the splash of light from the bulls eye discovered a canvas bag squattng humbly in the secret compartment; fat little canvas bag, considerably soiled ] from much handling, such as is used | by banks for coin, a sturdy, matter-of- 1 fact everyday sort of canvas bag. with nothing about # of hauteur, no air of self-importance or ostentation, | to betray the fact that it was the re- ceptace of small fortune. | Maitland'S ear iDcrPdUlOuS.