The Huttig news., 1908-10-17

back toward the library windows and reconnoitering cautiously determined the fact that the bolts had just been withdrawn on the inside of one win dow frame, which was swinging wide.
 It's wise crook that provides his own quick exit" considered Maitland. The sagacious one was not appar- ently. leaving at that moment On the contrary. having made all things ready for hurried flight upon the first alarm. the intruder turned back. as was clearly indicated by the motion of 1 the light within. The clink of steel touching steel became audible; and Maitland nodded, Zimmerman was in l deed justified at that very moment the safe was being attacked.
 i Maitland returned noiseiessly to the l door. His mouth had settled into a 1 hard. unyieding, thin line; and dan l gerous light fickered in his eyes. Temporarily the idler had stepped aside. giving place to the real man 1 that was Maitland-the man ready to ] fight for his own. naked hands against firearms. if it need be. True, he had | weapons in plenty; but these must be l then loaded to be of service, and 1 precious moments wasted in the nro- cess-moments in which the burglar might gain access to and make off with his booty.
 Maitland had no notion whatever of permitting anything of the sort to occur. He counted upon taking his enemy unawares. difficult as he be- l lieved such a feat would be, in the case of professional cracksman.
 Down the hallway he groped his way to the library door, his fingers at length encountering it's panels; it was closed doubtless secured upon the in- side; the slightest movement of the 1 handle was calculated to alarm the housebreaker. Maitland paused, delib- erating another and better plan, hay ing in mind short passageway con meeting library and smoking room. In the library itself heavy tapestry cur tained it's opening, while an equally heavy portiere took the place or a door at the other end Tn the natural order of things a burglar would overlook this.
 Inch by inch the young man edged into the smoking room. the door to which providentially stood unclosed Once within, if was but moments work to feel his way to the velvet folds and draw them aside. fortunately without rattling the brass rings from which the curtain depended. And then Maitland was in the passage, acutely on the alert. recognizing from the con tinued click of metal that his antagon ist-to-be was still at his difficult task Inch by inch-there was the tapestry Very gently the householder pushed it aside
 An insidious aroma of scorching var nish tthe dark lantern1 penetrated the passage while he stood on it's thresh- old, feeling for the electric light switch. Unhappils he missed this at the first cast, and-heard from within a quick. deep hiss of breath. Some thing had put the burglar on guard.
 Another instant wasted. and it would he too late. The young man had to chance it. And he did. without further hesitation stepping boldly into the danger zone, at the same time mak ng one final. desperate pass at the spot where the switch should have been-and missing t On the instant there came a click of a different cali her from those that had preceded tt. revolver had been cooked, some where there in the blank darkness.
 Maitland knew enough not to move. In another respect the warning came too late his fingers had found the switch at last and automatically had turned if.
 The glare was blinding. momentari- y: but the flash and report for which Maitland waited did not come When his eyes had adjusted themselves to the suddenly altered conditions. he saw. directly before him and some six feet distant woman's slight figure, dark cloaked resolute upon it's two feet. head framed in yelling. features efectuallv disguised in a motor mask whose round, staring goggles shone blanxly in the warm white light
 On her part. she seemed to recog nize him instantaueously. On his. :. It may as well he admitted that Matlands wits were gone wool-ga h. ering. temporarily at least; a state of mind not unpardonabe when it is taken into consideration that he was called upon to grapple with and simul- taneously to assimilate three momen- tous facts. For the first time in his life he found himself nose to nose with a revolver, and that one of able bodied and respect-compelling proportions. For the first time in his life. again, he was under necessity of dealing with a housebreaker. But most stupefying of all he found the fact that this house. breaker. this armed midnight maraud- er was a woman, And so it was not altogether fearlessness that made him to all intents and purposes ignore the weapon: it is nothing to his credit for courage if his eyes struck past the black and deadly mouth of the revolver and looked only into the blank and ex- pressionless eyes of the wind mask; it