Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-17
~.
Midsummer Nights Madness.

~aS~~Ss~~>~~~~ON
At length. awed and not a little shame
| faced. II beg your pardon" he STAN
| mered. wretchedly.
For what?" she demanded quickly,
| head up and eyes light.
For insisting. 1t wasnt-ah-cour-
| teous. I'm sorry
| 1t was her turn now to wonder: deli
cacy of perception such as this is not
| ordinarily looked for in the person of a
| buglar. With a laugh and gbe she
| tried to pass off her establishment
1.-The thief apologies to the thief?"
| "Unkind.'
Briefly hesitant. with an impulsive ges-
ture she flung out a generous hand.
You're right: 1 was unkind. Forgv We
me. Won't you shake hands? 1 +"
| do want to be good comrade. since
| it has pleased fate to throw US together
like this. $3.50 oddly Her tone was
almost plaintive; unquestionably it was
appealing.
| Maitland was curiously moved by the
! touch of the slim, cool fingers that lay
in his palm. Not unpleasantly. He
frowned in perplexity. unable to analyze
the sensation.
| You're not angry?' she asked.
''No-but-but-"
| "Yes?'
why do you do this. little woman ?
Why do you stoop to this-this trade OF
yo-of ours? Why sully your hands
| and not only your hands-imperil your
good name. to say nothing of your lib
| erty-
She drew her hand away quickly. in
terrupting him with laugh that rang
true as coin new from the mint, honest
and genuine.
And this" she cried. "this from Dan
Anisty! Positively. sir. you are delight
full! You grow more dangerously original
every minute! Your scruples. your con-
sideration your s sympaa a.e hey ,a are
daintily in pretense of disapprobation
But shall l tell you?" more seriously
doubtfully. Il think I shall truly
do this sort of thing. since you must
it, Indeed and 1 do! 1 like the danger
| the excitement, the exercise of cunning
and-and I like the rewards, too. Be
sides
The corners of her adorable mouth
! dropped ever so slightly.
"BeSides-?"
why But this is not business.
We must hurry. Will you or shall I-?''
A crisis had been passed: Maitland
| understood that he must wait until a
more favorable time to renew his i'm
portunties.
II WILL" he sa' ID. dropping on bis
knees by the safe. I'm my lady's serv-
ice!''
Not at ALL" she interposed. Il insist.
| The job is now yours; yours must be the
| profits
"Then l wash my hands of the whole
| affair. he stated. in accents of finality.
you wiu-blunder on" scornfuly. with
your nitroglycerin, your rags. and drills
and-and rouse the entire countryside, if
you will"
"Ah but
Twill you accept my aid?'
ION conditions only" she stipulated.
"Halvers?"
He shook his head
Half shares or not at ALL" She was
| firm.
IA partnership"
This educed a moue of doubt. with I'm
not worthy the honor.
But" he promised rashly. II can save
you-oh. heaps of trouble in other-ah-
lays"
She shrugged helplessly. "If 1 must
then do accept. We are partners Dan
Anisty and IT,
He nodded mute satisfaction. brushed
the tools out of his way and bent an at
tentive ear to the comb nation.
The girl swept across the room and
there followed click Simultaneous with
the total extinction of light
Startled. WHY" he demanded.
| been frightfully careless and thought
less
Helplessly Maitland twirled the COM
bination dial: without the light he was
| wholly at loss. But breath later her
skirts rustled near him. the slide of the
bulrs-eye was jerked back and a circle
of illumination thrown upon the lock. He
bent his head again. pretending to listen
| to the fall of the tumblers 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 family regular respiration of the girl
who bent near his shoulder. Her breath
was fragrant upon his cheek. The con-
| seriousness of her propinquity almc ST ST.
fed him, I" One fears that Maitland