The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1909-08-19
Without rattllnr .he bras. rtnes frcm

without rhttifnr ne brAs> ftnks trV"
which tho curtain depended. And thes
Maitland was in the passage. acuteiy
on the alert. recognizing from the con
tinued click Of metal that his antagon.
ist.to.be was still az his dif,cult task.
Inch by inch--therc was the tapestry
Very gently the householder pushed u
aside.
An Insidious aroma Of scorchlng var.
nlsh (the dark lanternl penetrated the
passage while he stood on It's thresh.
old, feeling for the electric light
switch. unhappily he missed this at
the first cast. and--heard from within
quick. deep hiss Of breath. Some.
thing had put the burglar on guard.
Another instant wasted. and u
would be too late. The young man
had 10 chance u. And he did. without
further hesitation stepping boldly into
the danger zone. az the same time
making one final. desperate pass al tho
spot where the switch should have
been--and missing II. on the instant
there came a click Of a different calf
Der from those that had preceded H.
revolver had been cooked. some
where there in the blank darkness
Maitland knew enough not TO move.
In another respect the warning came
too late; his fingers had found the
switch at last. and automatically had
turned u.
The glare was binding. momentarh
ly: but the lash and report for which
Maitland waited did not come. When
his eyes had adjusted themselves to
the suddenly altered conditions. he
saw. directly before him and some sis
feet distant, a woman's slight figure.
dark cloaked. resoiute upon Us two
feet. head framed In yelling. features
effectually disguised In n motor mask
whose round. staring goggles shons
blankiy in the warm white light
On her part. she seemed to reccs
nlze him instantaneously. on his. q.
Il may as well be admitted that
Maltland's wits were gone wool'ga,h-
ering, temporarily al least; q state OF
mind not objectionable when Il Is
taken into consideration that he Was
called upon TO grapple with and stimuli
taneously 90 assimiiate three momcn-
tous facts. For the FIRST time In his life
he found himself nose to nose with q
revolver. and that one OF able bodied
and respectcompeiling proportions.
I For the FIRST time In his life. again. he
was under necessity Of dealing with a
/ housebrcaker. But most Supplying
/ Of al he found the fact that this house
breaker, this armed midnight maraud.
| or. was a woman And 30 Il was not
altogether fearlessness that made him
To all intents and purposes ignore the
weapon: II Is nothing TO his credit for
courage ~ his eyes struck past the
black and deadly mouth OF the revolver
and looked only into the blank and ex'
| pressionless eyes OF the wind mask. II
was not lack OF respect for his skins
integrity. but the sheer. tremendous
wonder OF Il all. that rendered him
oblivious TO the eternity that lay the
other side OF n slender. trembling I'm
ger tip.
And 80 he stared. agape. until pres
entity the weapon wayered and was
lowered and the woman's voice.
touched with irony. brought him 10 his
senses.
"oh." she remarked. eoolly. ITS
only you
Thunderstruck. he was able 40 more
than 20 parrot the pronoun: You
youl"
Were you expecting 20 meet any
one else. here. tonight" she inquired
in suavest mockery.
He lefted his shoulders helpiessly
and tried to school his tongue to co
herence. Il confess. Well
certainly didn't count on finding you
here. Miss Wentworth. And the black
cloak, you Anew"
Reversible. OF course; gray inside
as you see--Ilandsome DAM" The
girl laughed quietly. drawing aside an
edge OF the garment 10 reveal It's In
ner face OF silken gray aud the iiutec
rufies OF the gray skirt underneath.
He nodded appreciation Of the de
vice, his mind now busy with specula
lions as 20 what he should do with the
girl, now that he had caught her AZ
the same time he was vaguely vsxed
by her persistent repetition OF the OBJ
solescent nickname.
Handsome Dan" he iterated all bal
mechanically. why do you call me
that, pleaseG Have we met before?
could swear. never before this night
But you are altogether too modest.
she laughed. mot that it's a bad trait
In the character OF q professional
But really II seems a BIT in
credible that any one so widely ad
yertised as Handsome Dan Anist,
should feel surprise at being recog
! nized. Why. your portrait and biog
raphy have commanded space In ever,
!, yellow Journal In America recentlyl"
And. dropping the revolver into |
pocket In her cloak. Il was afraid yo'