Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-15

dew-drenched grass Somewhere a bird
stirred on its unseen perch. chipping
sleepily. and in the rapt silence the in
considerable interruption broke with
startling stress.
In time-not long-the house lifted into
v-ew-a squat. rambling block of home
grown architecture with little to recon-
mend 1t save its keen associations and
its comfort. At the edge of the woods
the lord and master paused indefinitely.
with little purpose. surveying Idly the
pale. columned facade. and wondering
whether or MOI his entrance at that I'M
godly hour would rouse the staff of
! house servants. If it did not-he con-
pect of their surprise when. morning
come. they should find the owner In occu-
patton.
Zimmerman was right" he conceded;
"any-
The syllables died upon his lips; his
gaze became fixed his heart thumped
wildly for an instant. then rested still:
and !nstinctively he held his breath; tip
toeing to the edge Of the veranda the
better 20 command a view of the library
These opened from ceiling to floor and
should by rights have presented to his
vision blank expanse Of dark glass.
But. oddly enough. even while thinking
OF his lawyers warning. he had fancied.
- "Ah' said Maitland. softly.
A disk of white light. perhaps foot or
! eighteen inches in diameter. had fitted
swiftly across the glass and vanished
IAN. ali! The devil. the devil!' muir
INJURED the young man. unconsciously.
The light appeared again. dancing
athwart the inner wall of the room. and
was lost abruptly as before. On i'm
pulse Maitland bu,toned his topceat
across his chest. turning up the collar to
hide his linen, darted stealthily a yard or
two to one side. and with one noiseless
bound reached the floor of the veranda.
A breath later he stood by the front
! door. where. at frs. glance, he discovered
the means of entrance used by the mid
night maraHder: the doors stood ajar,
black interval showing between them.
So that. then. was the way. Cautiously
Maitland put hand upon the knob and
pushed
A sharp. penetrating squeak brought
him to an abrupt standstill heart ham,
mering shanefully again. Gathering HIM
self to spring. if need be. he crept back
! toward the library windows. and recon-
noiter!ng cautiously determined the fact
that the bolts had just been withdrawn
on the inside OF one window frame,
which was swinging wide.
Its a wise crook that provides his
own quick exit" considered Maitland.
The saga cious one was not: apparently
LEAVING at that moment; On the CON
. trary. having made all things ready for
4 hurried fight upon. the first alarm. the
, intruder turned back. as was clearly in
dicated by the mo ion of the light within.
I The clink of steel touching steel became
audible. and Maitland nodded. Banner
. man was indeed justified; at that very
moment he safe was beng attacked.
Maitland returned no.selessly to the
door. His mouth mad settled into hard.
unyielding, thin line, and dangerous
| light fiickered in his eyes. Temporarily
the idler had stepped aside. giving place
to the real man that was Maitland-the
man ready to fight for his own. naked
hands against firearms. If it need be.
, True he had but TO step into the gunroom
TO find weapons in plenty, but thes, must
be then loaded to be of service. and
precious moments wasted in the process
moments i'm which the burglar might gain
access to and make eff with his booty.
Maitland had no notion whatever of
permitting anything Of the sort to occur.
He counted upon taking his enemy un-
awares. difficult as he believed such
| feat would be. in the case of a profess
sional craftsman.
Down the hallway he CROPPED his way
to the library door. his fingers at length
encountering its panels: it was closed.
doubtless secured upon the inside; the
slightest movement of the handle was
calculated to alarm the housabreaker.
Maitland paused. celebrating anot her
and better plan. having in mind a short
passageway connecting library and smok-
ing room. In the library itself a heavy
tapestry curtained it's opening. while an
equally heavy portere took the place of
door at the other end In the natural
order Of things burglar would overlook
this
Inclf by inch the young man edged into
the smoking room. the door to which
providentially stood Enclosed. Once within
1t was but a moments work to feel his
way to the velvet folds and draw them
aside. for unately without rafting the
brass rings from which the curtain de-
pended. And then Ma tland was in the
passage. acutely on the alert. recognizing
from the continued click of metal that
his antagonst-to-be was still at his diff
cult task. Inch by inch-there was the
tapestry! Very gently the householder
pushed 1t aside.
An insdious aroma Of searching varnish
(the dark lantern) penetrated the pas
sage while he stood on it's threshold
feeling for the electric-light switch. I'm
happily ne missed this at the first cast
and-heard from within quick deep hiss
of breath. Something had put the bur-
glar on guard
Another instant wasted and 4 would
be too late. The young man had to
chance it. And he did. without further