The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1909-09-23
CHAPTER XIV.
The Price.

, Slowly Maitland returned to the
study and replaced the lamp upon his
desk: and stood briefly In silence, long
fingers stroking his well-shaped chin,
his face little thin and worn.look.
Ing. a CLEAN of pain in his eyes. He
sighed
So she was gone!
He laughed a trace harshly. This
surprise was nothing more than he
might have discounted. of course: he
had been fool to expect anything
else Of her. he was enjoying only his
Just deserts both for having dared to
believe that the good I'm human ma
turc particularly In womans nature)
would respond to decent treatment
and for having acted on that asinine
theory.
SO she was gone, without word,
without sign
lie sat down at the desk, sidewise,
one arm extended along its edge, fin
gers drumming out dreary little tune
on the hard polished wood: and
thought II all over from the begin.
ming. Nor spared himself
Why. after all, should It be other.
wise? Why should she have stayed?
Why should he compliment himself
by believing that there was aught
about him visible through the veneer
acquired In score and odd years of
purposeless existence, to attract a
young and pretty womans heart?
He enumerated his qualities spe.
officially: and condemned them all. I'm.
prints, he was conceited ass. A
fascinating young criminal had but
to toss her head at him to make him
think that she was pleased with him.
to make him forget that she was what
she was and believe that, because he
was willing to stoop. she was willing
TO climb. And he had betrayed him
self so mercilessly! How she must
have laughed in her sleeve all the
time. while he pranced and bridled and
preened himself under her eyes,
blinded to his own idiocy by the flame
OF a sudden infatuation-how she must
have laughed!
Undoubtedly she had laughed, and
measuring his depth-or his shallow.
ness-had determined to use him TO
her ends. Why not? It had been Aer
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.
hdent. doubtless, that even II surprised
second time, she would get off scot
free, Unfortunately for her. this fel
low Anisty had intcrfered. Maitland
presumed cynically that he ought &c
be grateful to Anisty. The unaccount
able scoundrel! Why had he returned?
How the girl had contrivcd to es
cape was, OF course, more easy to un
derstand, Maitland recalled that sud
den clatter OF hOofs In the street, AM
he had only To make a trip to the
window to verify his suspicion tina
the cab was gone. She had simply
overheard his concluding remarks tC
the cabby, and taken pardonable ad
vantage OF them. Maitland had footed
the bill. She was welcome to that
however. He, Maitland, was well rio
of the whole damnable business. Yes
jewels and all
What were the Jewels to him? BE
yond their sentimental associations, h,
did not hold them greatly in prize. O
course, since they had been worn b,
his mother he would spare no ex
pense or effort to trace and re.collec
them. for that dim sainted memory
sake. But in this case, at least, tn
traditional usage OF the Maitland
would never be carried out. 1t ha
been faithfully observed when, afte
his mothers death, the stones ha