Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-10-14

mortal terror-her voice!-broke from
within. Half maddened, he threw him.
self bodily against the door, twisting
the knob with frantic fingers that
slipped upon it's immovable polished
surface.
The bolt had been shot, he was
barred out. and, with only the width of
mans hand between them, the girl
was in deathly peril and terror.
A sob that was at the same time an
oath rose to his lips. Baffled helpless,
he fell back, tears Of rage starting to
his eyes, her accents ringing in his
ears as terribly pitiful as the cry of a
lost and wandering soul
God" he mumbled incoherently
and in desperation sent the pistol-butt
crashing against the glass. 1t was
tough, stubborn; the first blow scarce
ly fawed it. AS he redoubled his eff.
forts to shatter it, Hickey's hand shot
over his shoulder to aid him.
And with startling abruptness the
barrier seemed to dissolve before their
eyes, the glass falling inward with
shrill clatter.
Quantity, with the effect Of a pic.
ture cast by cinematograph in a
darkened auditorium, there leaped
upon Maitland's field of vision the pic.
ture of Anisty standing at bay, face
drawn and tense, lips curled back
eyes lurid with defiance and despair
He stood, poised upon the balls OF
his feet, like a cat ready to spring
in the doorway between the inner and
outer offices. He raised his hand with
an indescribably swift and vicious
gesture, and flame seemed to blaze
out from his finger-tips.
At the same instant Hickey's weapon
spat by Maitland's cheek; the young
man felt the hot furnace breath of it.
The burglar reeled as though from
a tremendous blow. His inflamed fea-
lures were suddenly whitened, and his
right arm dropped Imply from the
shoulder, revolver falling from fingers
involuntarily relaxing.
Hickey covered him. Surrender"
he reared. And fired again. For
Anisty had gone to his knees, reach.
ing for the revolver with his unin-
jured arm.
The detectives second bullet winged
through the doorway, over Anistys
head, and bit through the outer win.
dow. AS Anisty, with a tremendous
strain upon his failing powers, strug
gled to his feet, Maitland, catching the
murderous CLEAN in the mans eye,
pulled trigger. The burglars answer,
ing shot expended itself as harmlessly
as Maitlands. Both went wide of their
marks.
And of sudden Hickey had drawn
the bolt, and the body of police be-
hind forced Maitland pell-mell into the
room. AS he recovered he saw Hickey
hurting himself at the criminals throat
one second too late. True to his
pledge never to be taken alive, Anisty
had sent his last bullet crashing
through his own skull
A cry of horror and CONSERVATION
forced itself from Maitlands throat
The police halted, each where he
stood, transfixed. Anisty drew him
self up, with trace of pride in his
pose; smiled horribly; put a hand
mechanically to his lips
And died. .
Hickey caught him as he fell, but
Maitland, unheeding, leaped over the
body that had in life resembled him
so fatally, and entered Bannerman's
private office.
The gray girl lay at length in a
corner of the room, shielded from OBJ
servation by one of the desks. HeI
eyes were closed, her cheeks wore the
hue of death; the fair young head was
pillowed on one white and rounded
forearm, in an attitude of natural rest
and the FURNISHED hair, it's heavy coils
slipping from their fastenings, tum
bled over her head and shoulders in
shimmering glory, like splash of liv
ing flame.
With low and bitter cry the young
men dropped to his knees by her side
In the outer office the police were as
sembled in excited conclave, blind tc
all save the momentous fact oil
Anisty's last, supremacy consistent act
For the time Maitland was utterly
alone with his great and aching lone
Illness.
After a little while timidly he
touched her hand. 1t lay upturned
white slender fingers like exotic petals
curling in upon the rosy hollow of her
palm. And 1t was soft and warm,
He lifted it tenderly in both his
own, and so held it for a space, brood
ing, marveling at its perfection. And
inevitably he bent and touched it with
his lips, as IL their ardent contact
would warm it to sentence.
The fingers frightened upon his own,
slowly, surely; and in the binding Joy
of that moment he was made con.
scious Of the ineffable sweetness of
opening, wondering eyes.