The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-08-13
to close and make it fast.

something soft and yielding. Wonder
ing, he stopped and picked it up, and
carried it back to the light. 1t proved
to be the girls handbag.
Now" admitted Maitland in tone
of absolute candor, 81 am damned.
How in the dickens did this thing get
there, anyway? What was she doing
in my trunk closet?"
Was It possible that she had fol
lowed Anisty out Of the fiat by that
Route? A very much mystified young
man sat himself down again in front
of his desk, and turned the bag over
and over in his hands, keenly scrutin-
izing every inch of it, and whistling
softly.
That year the fashion in purses was
for capacious receptacles of grained
leather, nearly square in shape, and
furnished with a chain handle. This
which Maitland held was conspicu-
ously of the mode-neither too large,
nor too small, constructed OF fine soft
leather Of a gun-metal shade, with a
framework and chain of gun-metal
itself 1t was new and seemed we'll
filed. weighing trife heavy in the
hand. One face was adorned with a
monogram of cut gun-metal, the I'm
itials IS" and &c" and 81" interlaced.
But beyond this the bag was irritat-
ingly non committal
Undoubtedly, if one were to 60 to
the length of unsnapping the little,
frail clasp, one would acquire informa-
ton; by such facile means would much
light be shed upon the darkness. But
Maitland put decided negative 20 the
suggestion.
No He would give her the benefit
of the doubt He would wait. he would
school himself to patience. Perhaps
ghe would come back for it-and az
plain. Perhaps he could find her by
advertising it-and get an explana-
ton. Pending which, he could wait
q little while. 1t was not his wish to
pry into her secrets, even if-even if
1t was something to be smoked over.
Strange how it affected him to have
In his hands something that she had
owned and touched!
Opening a drawer of the desk, Matt
land produced an aged pipe. A brazen
jar, companion piece to the ash re-
ceiver, held his tobacco. He filed the
pipe from the jar, with thoughtful de-
liberation. And scraped a match be-
meath his chair and ignited the tobac-
CO and pulled in contemplatiye con-
tentment, deriving solace from each
mouthfu1 of grateful, evanescent in
cense Meanwhile he held the charred
match between thumb and forefnger.
Becoming conscious Of this fact,
he smiled in depreciation of his absent
minded mood, looked for the ash-re-
ceiver, discovered it in place, inverted
beneath the book; and frowned re-
membering Then, with an impatient
Eesture-impatient of his own in
6rmity of mind-for he simply could
not forget the girl-he dropped the
match, swept the book aside. lifted
the bowl.
After a moment of incredulous awe,
the young man rose, with eyes
a-light and a jubilant song in the
heart of him. Now he knew, now I'M
derstood, now believed, and now was
justified Of his faith!
After which depression came, with
the consciousness that she was gone,
forever removed beyond his reach
and influence, and that by her own
wf1lful act It was her Ineligible
wish that they should never meet
again. for, having accomplished her
errand, she had flown from the pos
sibllity of his thanks.
1t was so clear, now! He perceived
it all, plainly. Somehow Though it
was hard to surmise how she had
found out that Anisty had stolen the
jewels; somehow land one wondered
at what risk she had contrived to
take them from him and bring them
back to their owner And Anisty had
followed.
Poor little woman! What had she
not suffered, what perils had she not
braved, to prove that there was honor
even in thievesi 1t could have been
at no inconsiderable danger-a dan
ger not incommensurate with that Of
robbing a tigress of her whelps-that
she had managed to fitch his loot from
that pertinacious and vindictive soul,
Anistyi
But she had accomplished it; and
all for himi
If only he could find her, nowl
There was a clew to his hand in that
bag, of course, but by this act she
forever removed from him the right
to investigate that
If he could only find that cabby.
Perhaps if he tried at the Madison
square rank, Immediately
Besides, it was clearly his duty not
to remain in the fat alone with the
jewels another night. There was but
one attainable place of safety for
them, and that the safe of a reputable
hotel He would return to the Bar
tholdi at once, merely pausing on his
way to inquire of the cabmen if they
could send their brother-nighthawk to