Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-09-20

W0lTleO On ulS uc0l. EWu6t thOt'
The next instant he was bending
over Maitland. peering into the face
drawn and dishgured BY the gag. THE
saints presarye US. And who the
d,vvle are ye at all? Pwhy don't ye
spake?"
Maitland turned purple: and emitted
. furious snort.
"Misther Maitland. be all thots
strange! Is ut mad I am? Or how
did ye get back here and into this FIX.
sor. and me swapin' the halls and
polishin' the brasses fernist the front
dure iv'ry minute since ye whit OUT
Indignation struggling for the upper
hand with mystihcation in the Irish
mans brain. he grumbled and swore;
yet busted his fingers. In trice the
binding gag was loosed. and ropes and
straps cast free from swollen wrists
aud ankles. And. with the assistance
D: a kindly arm behind his shoulders.
Maitland sat up. gr!nning with the
pain OF renewing circulation in his
limbs.
wild these two oies mesilf saw ye
lave three hours gone. sor. and l
c'u'd swear no sowl had inferred this
house since thin. Pwhat does ut a.!
name. be all thot's holy"
1T means" painting. brandy and
soda, O'Hagan. and be quick
Maitland attempted to rise, but his
legs gave under him. and he sank
back with a stified oath. resigniug him
self TO wait the return OF normal con-
ditions AS for his head, 1t was threat.
ering to split at any moment. the tight
wires twanging Internally between his
temples: while the corners OF his
mouth were cracked and sore from the
pressure of the gag. All OF which
totted up a considerable debit against
Mr.. Anisty's account.
For Maitland. despite his suffering.
mad found time to figure it out to his
personal satisfaction-or d.sSatisfac-
ton, il you prefer-in the interval be-
tween his return to consciousness and
the arrival of O'Hagar. 1t was simple
enough to deduce from the knowledge
in his possession that the burglar. hav-
ing contrived his escape through the
discbedience OF Higgins, should have
engineered this complete revenge for
the indignity Maitland had put upon
him.
How he had OWNED the fact Of the
Jewels remaining in their owners pos
session was less clear: and yet 1t was
reasonable. after all, to presume that
Maitland should prefer to hold his
own. Possibly Anisty had seen the
girl slip the canvas bag into Maitland
pocket while the latter was kneeling
AID binding his captive. However
that was, there was no denying that
he had trailed the treasure to its hid
ing place, unerringly: and succeeded
in taking possession Of 1t with consum.
mate skill and audacity. When Malt
land came to think of it, he recalled
distinctly the trend Of the burglars
inauisition in the character Of MT.
Sc aith," which had all been calculated
to discover the location Of the jewels.
And, when he did recall this ~, and
how easily he had been duped. Matt
land could have ground his teeth In
melodramatic rage-but for the cir
cumstance that when FIRST it occurred
10 him, such a feat was a physical i'm
possibility. and even when Engaged
the operation would have been painful
to an extreme.
Slipping the grateful drink which
O'Hagan presently brought him. the
young man pondered the case; with
40 pleasure In the prospect he fore
saw. II Higgins had actually COM
municated the fact Of Anisty's escape
% the police. the entire affair was likely
t. come out in the papers-ali of it.
that is, that he could not suppress. But
even figuring that he could silence
Higgins and O'Hagan-no didicult task
though he might be somewhat late