Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-19

she demonstrated herself conclusiyely
a person Of amazing resource. de-
veloping with admirable ingenuity
campaign planned on the spur OF
chance observation. The gentle man
nered and self-suf1icient crook was
| taken captive before he realized 1t,
however willing he may have been.
Enmeshed in hundred uncompre-
hended subtleties. he basked, purring
| the while she insinuated herself be
| meath his guard and stripped him OF
his entire armament of cunning. vigil
| lance, invention. suspicion, and dis
trust.
He relinquished them without a
sigh, barely conscious OF the spolia-
ton. After all, she was of his trade,
| herself mired with guilt; she would
never dare betray him, the conse-
| quences to herself would be so dire.
Besides, patently--almost too much
so-she admired him. He was her
hero Had she not more than limited
| ample. his exploits. had fired her to
| mulation--however weakly feminine?
He saw her before him. dainty,
alluring, yielding, yet leading him on
altogether desirable. And so long had
| he. Anisty, starved for affection!
81 am sure you must be dying for q
smoke"
BEG pardon," He awoke abruptly.
to find himself twirling the sharp
ribbed stem of his empty glass. ABB
stractedly he stared into this, as
| though seeking there a clue to what
they had been talking about. Hazily
he understood that they had been
drifting close upon the perilous shoals
of intimate personalities. What had
he told her? What had he not?
No matter 1t was clearly to be seen
| that her regard for him had waxed
rather than waned as result Of their
conversation. One had but to look
into her eyes to be treasured as to
that. One did look. breathing heavily.
What an ingenious child 1t
was, to show him her heart so freely!
He wondered that this should be SO.
feeling it none the less a just and
graceful tribute to his destinations.
| She repeated her arch query. She
was sure he wanted to smoke.
Indeed he did-if she would permit?
And forthwith Maitlands cigarette
case was produced, with a flourish.
What a beautiful easel
In an instant it was in her hands.
beautiful" she iterated. Inspecting
the delicate tracery of the monogram
engraver's art-head Bonded forward,
"You like it? You would care to
own it," Anisty demanded, unsteadily.
T?" The infection of doubtful sur
prise was a delight to the ear. oh!
l couldn't think of accepting.
Besides, I have no use for it. "
"Of course you ain't-are not that
sort" An hour back he could have
kicked himself for the grammatical
| b.under; now he was wholly illuded;
/ besides, she didn't seem to notice.
"But as a little token-between US
She drew back, pushing the case
across the cloth; Il couldn't dream"
But If insist"
IF you insist? Why, I sup
pose it's awfully good of
YOU" She flashed him maddening
glance.
"You do me pro-honor," he amend
ed, hastily. Then, daringly: Il don't
ask much in exchange, only"
"a cigarette?" she suggested,
hastily.
He laughed, pleased and diverted.
"That'n be enough now-if you'll light
1t for me-"
She glanced obviously round the now
almost deserted room; and waiter
started forward as if animated by a
spring. Anisty motioned him imperi-
ously back. Go on" he coaxed; no
one can see And watched, fiattered,
the slim white fingers that extracted a
match from the stand and drew it
swiftly down the prepared surface OF
the box, holding the Pickering flame
to the end of white tube whose tip
Law between lips curved, scarlet, and
pouting.
"There!' A pale wrath of smoke
/ f1oated away on the fan-churned air,
and Anisty was vaguely conscious OF
receiving the glowing cigarette from
a hand whose sheer perfection was but
enhanced by the ripe curves OF a
rounded forearm. He inhaled
deeply, with satisfaction.
Undecided by him, the girl swiftly
passed a furtive handkerchief across
her lips. When he looked again she
was smiling and the golden case had
disappeared.
She shook her head at him in mock
] reproval. BOLD mani" she called him !;
but the cr,dity of it was lost upon him,
as she had believed it would be. The
moment had come for vigorous meas.
ures, she felt, guile having paved the
way
"Why do you call me that"
ITO appear SO openly running the
gauntlet of the detectives"
"Eh ?'-startled.
"Of course you saw" she insisted.
"Saw? No. Saw what?"
/ why. perhaps l am mis-
taken, but / thought you knew and
trusted to your likeness to Mr. Matt
land"
Anisty frowned, collecting himself
bewildered. What are you driving at
anyhow" he demanded roughly.