The newspaper. (Paonia, Colo.) 1904-1910, 1909-03-05
CHAPTER xi.
"Dan"-Quixote,

CHAPTER xI.
"Dan"-Quixote.
Leaving the hotel, Maitland strobe
quietly but rapidly across the car
tracks to the sidewalk bordering the
park. A dozen nighthawk cabbies bore
down upon him. yelping in chorus. He
n.otioned to the foremost. jumped into
the hanson and gave the fellow his
address.
Five dollars" he added. IF you
make 1t in five minutes"
An astonished horse. reused from a
droop-eared lethargy, was yanked al
most by main strength out of the cab
rank and into the middle of the ave
nue. Before he could recover. the
long whip-lash had leaped out over
the roof of the vehicle. and he found
himself stretching away up the avenue
on a dead run.
Yet to Maitland the pace seemed
deadly slow. He fdgeted on the seat
in an agony OF Impotence. a dozen
times feeling in waistcoat pocket for
his latch keys. They were there. and
his fingers itched TO use them.
BY the lights streaking past he
knew that their pace was furious. and
was haunted by a fear lest It should
bring the police about his ears. AT
Twenty ninth street. indeed. dream
ing policeman. startled by the uproar.
emerged hastily from the sheltering
gloom OF a store entrance. shouted
after the cabby an inarticulate ques-
ton. and. getting no response. I'M
sheathed his night stick and Hoped up
the avenue In pursuit. making the
locust sing upon the pavement at
every jump.
In the cab. Maitland. turning to
watch through the rear peep-hole. was
thrown violently against the side as
the hanson rocked on one wheel into
his street. Recovering. he seized the
dashboard and gathered himself to-
gether. ready TO spring the instant the
vehicle paused In its headlong career.
Through the cabby's misunderstood.
ing of the address. In all likelihood.
the horse was refined In on its
launches some three houses distant
from the apartment building. Malt
land found himself sprawling on his
hands and knees on the sidewalk.
picked himself up. shouting: You'll
watt" 10 the driver. and sprinted
madly the few yards separating him
from his own front door. keys ready in
hand.
simultaneously the half-winded po-
liceman numbered around the Fifth
avenue corner. and a man. detaching
himself from the shadows of a neigh
boring doorway. began TO trot loutish-
ly across the street. evidently with
the intention OF intercepting Maitland
at the door.
He was hardly quick enough. Malt
land did not even see him. The door
rlammed In the mans face. and he.
painting harsh!y. raped out an i'm
precation ar. began a frantic assault
on the push-button marked "Janitor."
AS for Maitland. he was taking the
stairs three at n clip. and had his pass
key in the latch almost as soon as his
feet touched the first landing. An in
slant later he thrust the door open and
Numbered blindly into the pitch dark
ness OF his study.
For n thought he stood bewildered
and dismayed by the absence Of light.
He had thought. somehow. to find the
gas Jets aaring. The atmosphere was
hot and foul with the odor OF kero-
.ene. the blackness filled with strange
sounds and mysterious moving shapes.
A grunting gasp came to his ears. and
then the silence and the night alike
were split by a report. accompanied by
a streak Of orange fame shooting
ceilingward from the middle Of the
room.
Its light. transient as II was. gave
him some inkling Of tho situation. I'm
thinkingly he flung himself forward.
ready to grapple with that which FIRST
should meet his hands. Something
soft and yielding brushed against his
shoulder. and subconBciously. In the
auto-hypnosis OF his excitement, he
was aware Of mans voice cursing
and woman's cry of triumph trailing
OF into a wall OF pain.
On the instant he found himself at
grips with the marauder. For q mo-
ment both swayed, dazed by the shock
OF collision. Then Maitland got q foot
Inc nm TIM rarDat onA mt forth hfa