The newspaper., 1909-03-26

monogram of cut gun-metal, the in
itials IS" and &c" and IL" interlaced.
But beyond this the bag was irritat-
ingly non-committal
Undoubtedly, If one were to go to
the length of unsnapping the little.
frail clasp, one would acquire informa-
tion; by such facile means would much
light be shed upon the darkness. But
Maitland put decided negative to the
suggestion.
No. He would give her the benefit
of the doubt. He would wait. he would
school himself to ratience. Perhaps
she would ccme back for it-and ex-
plain. Perhaps he could find her by
advertising it-and get an explana-
ton. Pending which. he could wait
a 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 1t 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 filled the
pipe from the jar. with thoughtful de-
liberation. And scraped a match be-
meath his chair and ignited the tobac-
CO and puffed in contemplative con-
tentment, deriving solace from each
mouthful of grateful, evanescent in
cense. Meanwhile he held the charred
match between thumb and forefinger.
Becoming conscious of this fact.
he smiled in depreciation of his absent
minded mood, looked for the ashre-
ceiver, discovered II in place, inverted
beneath the book; and frowned. re-
membering. Then. with an impatient
gesture-impatient of his own in
trinity 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 jubilant song in the
heart of him. Now he knew. now un-
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
willful act. It was her Ineligible
wish that they should never meet
again. for. having accomplished her
errand. she had flown from the pos
sibility OF his thanks
II was SO clear. now. He perceived
1t all. plainly. Somehow Though II
was hard to surmise howl she had
found out that Anisty had stolen the
jewels; somehow tand 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 periIs had she not
braved. to prove that there was honor
even in thieves, 1t could have been
at no inconsiderable danger-a dan
ger not inccmmensurate with that Of
robbing a tigress OF her whelps-that
she had managed TO fitch his loot from
that pertinacious and vindictive soul.
Anisty!
But she had accomplished IL: and
all for him,
III only ne cOuld nnd nSr, now
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.
II he could only find that cabby.
Perhaps II he tried at the Madison
square rank. Immediately
Besides. 1t was clearly his duty not
to remain in the fiat 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 II they
could send their Observation-Disclosures to
him.
Maitland shook himself into his top
coat. jammed hat upon head, dropped
the jewels into one pocket, the ciga-
rette case into another. and-on i'm
pulse-Anisty's revolver, with its two
unexploded cartridges. into a third.
~ ,IHHI