Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-09-30
CHAPTER XIV.
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SLOWLY Mdllld0u returned 10 the
study and replaced the lamp upon his
desk; and stood briefly in silence, long
fingers stroking his well-shaped chin,
his face a little thin and worn-look-
ing, a gleam 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 in human ma
ture particularly in woman's nature)
would respond to decent treatment,
and for having acted on that asinine
theory
So she was gone, without word,
without a sign!
He 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 it 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 woman's 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 bis own idiocy by the flame
of 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? 1t had been her
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 if surprised
a second time, she would get off scot
free. Unfortunately for her, this fell
low Anisty had interfered. Maitland
presumed cynically 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 adj
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 adorn the
bride of the Maitland heir. For he
would never marry. OF course not.
Maitland was young enough to be
lieve, and to extract 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? If she and Anisty were confed
crates, as one was inclined at times to
believe--if such were the case, Anisty