The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-08-02

eCIup1eS, your consideration, your SYM
pathy-they are touching-in you'll"
She gagged her head daintily in pre-
tense Of disapprobation. But shall
tell your" more seriously, doubtfully.
1 think / shall truly. / do
this sort of thing. since you must
know, because-imprimis. because 1
like it. Indeed and 1 do! l like the
danger. the excitement, the exercise OF
cunning and-snd l like the rewards,
too. Besides"
The corners of her adorable mouth
dropped ever so slightly.
Besides"
why But this is not busi
nessl We must hurry. VIII you, or
shall I-?"
A crisis had been passed; Maitland
understood that he must wait until
more favorable time to renew his
opportunities.
Il will" he said, dropping on his
knees by the safe. In my lady's
service!"
Not at ALL" she interposed. 81 in
sist. The job is now yours; yours
must be the profits"
Then wash my hands of the whole
affair" he stated in accents of hnality-
Il refuse I shall go, and you can do
as you will-blunder on" scornfuliy,
with your nitroglycerin, your rags,
and drills and-and rouse the entire
countryside, If you will
"Ah, but"
will yov accept my aids"
ION conditions, only" she stipulated.
'Halvers2
He shook his head.
"Kalf shares, or not at ALL" She
was firm.
"A partnership"
This educed a moue of doubt, with:
I'm not worthy the honor"
But" he promised rashly. Il can
save you-oh, heaps Of trouble in ether
-ah-lays."
she Shrugged helplessly. IF must
then / do accept We are partners,
Dan Anisty and II"
He nodded mute satisfaction. brushed
the tools out Of his way, and bent an
attentive ear to the combination.
The girl swept across the room, and
there followed a click simultaneous
with the total extinction of light.
Startled, why" he demanded
1.-THE risk" she replied. We have
been frightfully careless and thought
less"
Helplessly Maitland twirled the com
binaticn dial: without the light he was
wholly at a loss But breath later
skirts rustled near him; the slide Of
the bulTs-eye was jerked back, and
circle of illumination thrown upon the
lock He bent his head again, pretend
ing to listen to the fall OF the tunl-
blers as the dial was turned, but in
point OF fact covertly watching the
letters and figures upon it.
The room grew very silent. save for
the family regular respiration of the
girl who bent near his shoulder. Her
breath was fragrant upon his cheek
The consciousness Of her propinquity
almost stifed him. One fears
that Maitland prolonged the counter
felt study Of the combination unneces-
sarily
Notwithstanding this, she seemed
amazed by the ease with which he
salved it. .Wo7derful," she ar
plauded, whispering, as the heavy door
swung outward without jar.
Hush he cautioned her.
In his veins that night madness was
running riot, swaying him at its Will
With never a doubt, never a thought
of hesitancy. he forged ahead, willfully
hind to consequences. On the face
of it he was playing FOOLS part; he
knew il. the truth is simply that ne
could not have done other than as ne
did. Consciously he believed hlmseH
70 be merely testing the girl; subeon-
zc;ously ne was plastic in the grip OF
an emotion stronger than he-moist
clay upon the potter's whirling wheel.
The interior of the safe was re-
veaIed in a shape little different from
that c,f the ordinary household strong
7 hoy There were several account
books. ledgers and the like, together
with some packages of docketed bills,
IN the pigeon holes The cash box,
iseeIf a safe within a safe, showed
blank face broken by small combl-
nstion dial. Behind this. in a Sc
GREETED compartment, the Maitland heir
looms languished, half forgotten OF
their Needless owner
The cash box combination offered
less difficulty than had the outer dial
Maitland had it open in a twinkllng-
Then. brazenly lifting out the inner
framework bodily, he thrust FUN
bling hand into the aperture thus dis
closed and pressed the spring, re
leasing the panel at the back It dis
appeared as though by witchcraftr
and the splash of light from the bulls
eve discovered a canvas bag squatting
hnmbly in the secret compartment;
fstHttle canvas bag, cons . srabiy solieo
from much handling, sued as is USED
bv hanks for coin, sturdy, matter-oi-
fact everyday sort Of canvas bag,
.,h ,othing about it of hauteur, no