The newspaper., 1909-03-26


business. her professional duty, to
make use of him in order to accom-
plish her plundering. And because
she had not dared to ask him for the
Jewels when he left her in the morn
ing, she had naturally returned in the
evening to regain them. very con-
fident, doubtless, that even il surprised
a second time, she would get off scot
free. Unfortunately for her. this fel-
low Anisty had interfered. Maitland
presumed cynicaliy that he ought to
be grateful to Anisty. The unaccount-
able scoundrel, Why had he returned?
How the girl had contrived to es-
cape was, of course. more easy to un-
derstand. Maitland recalled that sud
den clatter of hoofs in the street. and
he had only to make trip to the
window to verify his suspicion that
the cab was gone. She had simply
overheard his concluding remarks to
the cabby, and taken pardonable ad-
vantage of them. Maitland had footed
the bill. She was welcome to that.
however. He, Maitland. was well rid
OF the whole damnable business. Yes,
jewels and all,
What were the jewels to him? Be
yond their sentimental associations. he
did not hold them greatly in prize. OF
course. since they had been worn by
his mother. he would spare no ex-
pense or effort to trace and re-collect
them, for that dim sainted memory's
sake. But in this case, at least, the
traditional usage of the Maitlands
would never be carried out. 1t had
been faithfully observed when. after
his mothers death, the stones had
been removed from their settings and
stored away: but now they would
never be reset. even should he con-
trive to reassemble them. to a6orn the
bride of the Maitland heir. For he
would never marry. OF course not.
Maitland was young enough to be-
lieve. and to extract a melancholy sat
ifcation from, this.
Puzzled and saddened. his mind
harked back forever to that carking
question: Why had she returned?
What had brought her back to the
fiat? II she and Anisty were confed-
crates, as one was inclined at times to
believe-if such were the case. Anisty
had the Jewels. and there was nothing
else of any particular value SO per-
sistently to entice such expert and ac-
complished burglars back to his fiat.
What else had they required OF him!
His peace OF mind was nothing that
they could turn into cash: and they
seemed TO have reaved him OF nothing
else.
But they had that: unquestionabiy
they had taken that.
And still the riddle haunted him:
Why had she come back that night,
And. whatever her reason. had she
come in Anisty's company. or alone?
One minute 1t seemed patent beyond
dispute that the girl and the great
plunderer were hand-in-glove: the next
minute Maitland was positively as
sured that their recent meeting had
been altogether an accident. From
what he had heard over the telephone.
he had believed them to be quarreling.
although at the time he had assigned
to O'Hagan the masculine side OF the
dispute. But certainly there must
have arisen some difference OF opin-
ion between Anisty and the girl to
have drawn from her that frantic neg
dtlNe MdllldHu Hdu ntdru. 10 nave
been responsible for the overturning
of the chair-an accident that seemed
to argue something in the nature OF a
physical struggle: the chair itself lay
upon its side, mute witness to a hasty
and careless movement on somebody's
part.
But 1t was all inexplicable. Event
ually Maitland shook his head. to sig
nifty that he gave II up. There was
but one thing to do-to put II out of
mind. He would read a bit. compose
himself. go to bed.
Preliminary to doing SO. he would
take steps to insure the fat against
further burglarizing. for that night at
least. The draught moving through
the hall stirred the portiere and re-
minded him that the window in the
trunkroom was still open. an invita-
tion to any enterprising sneak-thief or
second-story man. So Maitland went
to close and make It fast.
AS he shut down the window-sash
and clamped the catch he trod on
something soft and yielding. Wonder
ing. he stopped and picked 1t up, and
carried it back to the light. 1t proved
t<.l l.a he etf,Ifc ha, ha9