The newspaper., 1909-01-29
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
Copyright 1901. The Bosbs- Merrill Col
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER I.-"Mad" Dan Maitland, on
reaching his New York bachelor club.
door Janitor O'Hagan assured him no
one had been within that day. Dan dis
covered womans finger prints in dust
on his desk. along with letter from his
attorney.
CHAPTER H.-Maitland dined with
Bannerman. his attorney. Dan set out
for Greenhelds. to get his family jewels
During his walk to the country seat. he
met the young woman in gray. whom
he had seen leaving his bachelors club
Her auto had broken down. He fixed it
and by a ruse she lost" him.
So that, then, was the way. eau
tiously Maitland put a hand upon the
knob and pushed.
A sharp. penetrating squeak brought
him to an abrupt standstill, heart ham
mering shamefully again. Gathering
himself to spring. IL need be. he crept
back toward the library windows, and
reconnoitering cautiously determined
the fact that the bolts had just been
withdrawn on the inside OF one win
dow frame. which was swinging wide
Its wise crook that provides his
own quick exit" considered Maitland.
The sagacious one was not, appar-
emily. leaving at that moment On the
contrary. having made all things ready
for hurried flight upon the first
alarm. the intruder turned back, as
was clearly indicated by the motion OF
the light within The clink OF steel
touching steel became audible: and
Maitland nodded. Zimmerman was in
deed justified. AT that very moment
the safe was being attacked.
Maitland returned noiselessly to the
door. His mouth had settled into
hard. unyielding. thin line: and dan
gerous light fiickered in his eyes.
Temporarily the idler had stepped
aside. giving place 10 the real man
that was Maitland-the man ready TO
fight for his own. naked hands against
firearms. IL IL need be. True. he had
but to step into the gunroom TO find
weapons in plenty: but these must be
then loaded to be of service. and
precious moments wasted in the pro-
cess-moments in which the burglar
might gain access to and make on
with his booty.
Maitland had no notion whatever Of
permitting anything OF the sort to
occur. He counted upon taking his
enemy una~ares. difficult as he be-
lieyed such feat would be. in the
case of a professional craftsman.
Down the hallway he CROPPED his way
to the library door. his fingers at
length encountering its panels: 1t was
closed. doubtless secured upon the in
side: the slightest movement OF the
handle was calculated to alarm the
housebreaker. Maitland paused. delib-
Grating another and better plan. hav-
ing in mind a short passageway con-
Meeting library and smoking room. In
the library itself heavy tapestry cur
tained its opening. while an equally
heavy portiere took the place of door
at the other end. In the natural order
OF things a burglar would overlook
this.
Inch by inch the young man edged
into the smoking room. the door to
which providentially stood unclosed.
Once within. 1t was but moments
work to feel his way to the velvet
folds and draw them aside. fortunately
without rattling the brass rings from
which the curtain depended. And then
Maitland was in the passage. acutely
on the alert. recognizing from the con
tinued click of metal that his antagon-
ist-to-be was still at his difficult task.
Inch by inch-there was the tapestry
Very gently the householder pushed II
aside.
An insidious aroma OF scorching var
nish (the dark lantern) penetrated the
passage while he stood on its 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 it
would be too late. The young man
had to chance 1t. And he did. without
further hesitation stepping boldly into
the danger zone, at the same time
making one final, desperate pass at the
spot where the switch should have
been-and missing 1t. On the instant
there came a click of different cali
ber from those that had preceded 1t.
A 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