Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-28
BY
LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
Author of The Private War
Terence O'Rourke. Gentleman
Adventurer
Copyright, 1907, The Dobbs-MerriI Compan

Now" admitted Maitland in TO tone OF
/ absolute candor, 81 am damned. How the
! dickens did this thing get there, anyway?
| What was she doing in my trunk closet?'
| Was it possible that she had followed
: Anisty out of the fiat by that route? A
very much mystihed young man sat him
| self down again in front of his desk, and
| turned the bag over and over in his
! hands, keenly scrutinizing every inch OF
! it, and whistling softly.
That year the fashion in purposes was
/ for capacious receptacles of grained leath-
| er, nearly square in shape, and furnished
| with a chain handle. This which Matt
| land held was conspicuously of the mode
| neither too large, nor too small, con-
| structed of fine soft leather of a gum
metal shade with a framework and chain
| of gLn-metal itself. 1t was new and
seemed well filled, weighing trifie heavy
| in the hand. One face was adorned with
a monogram of cut gun-metal, the in
itials rs" and &C" and IL" interlaced.
| But beyond this the bag was irritatingly
non-commlttal.
Undoubtedly, if one were to go to the
| length of unsnapping the little, frail
clasp, one would acquire information; by
such facile means would much light be
shed upon the darkness. But Maitland
put a decided negative to the suggestion.
No. He would give her the benefit of
the doubt. He would wait, he would
school himself TO patience. Perhaps she
would come back for it-and explain. Per-
haps he could find her by advertising 1t
and get an explanation. 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 it affected him to
have in his hands something that she had
owned and touched!
Opening a drawer of the desk, Maitland
produced an aged pipe. A brazen jar.
companion piece to the ash receiver, held
his tobacco. He filled the pipe from the
Jar, with thoughtful elaboration. And
scraped a match beneath his chair and
ignited the tobacco and pulled in contem-
plative contentment, deriving solace from
each mouthful 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-mind
ed mood looked for the ash-receiver, dis
covered it in place, inverted beneath the
book; and frowned, remembering. Then,
with an impatient gesture-impatient of
his own inf1rnity 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
iubilant song in the heart of him. Now
he knew, now understood, 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 1t was
her ineligible wish that they should new
er meet again, for, having accomplished
her errand, she had flown from the pos
sibility 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; some
how 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 nota braved,
to prove that there was honor even in
thieves 1t could not have been at no in
considerable danger-a danger not incom-
mensurate with that of robbing tigress
of her whelps-that she had managed to
hlch his loot from that pertinacious and
vindictive soul, Anisty!
Blu she had accomplished it; and all for
him!
If only he could find her, now!
There was a clue to his hand in that
bag, of course, but by this act she had
for ever 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 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 Bartholdi at
once, merely pausing on his way to in
quire of the cabmen If they could send
their brother-nighthawk to him.
Maitland shook himself into his. top
coat, jammed hat upon head, dropped
the jewels into one pocket the cigarette
case into another, and-on impulse
Anisty's revolver, with it's two unex-
ploded cartridges, into a third; and
pressed the call button for O'Hagan, not
waiting. however, for that worthy to
climb the stairs, but meeting him in
the entry hall.
I'm going back to the Bartholdi,
OHagan, for the night. You may bring
me my letters and any messages in the
morning. I should like you to sleep In
the nat tOnlgnL ana answer any telepnOne
calls"
"Yiss, Misther Maitland, sor.'
Have the police gone, O'Hagan?
There's a whole bottle full yet, sor."
You've not been drinking, I trust?"
The Irishman shuffied. "Shure, sor,
an wud that be hosphitible?"
Laughing, Maitland babe him good
night, and left the house, turning west
to gain Fifth avenue, walking slowly
because he was a little tired, and en-
joying the rather unusual experience of
being abroad at that hour without COM
pany The sky seemed cleaner than or
dfnarily, the city quieter than ever he
mad known it, and in the air was
sweet smell, reminiscent of the country
side reminding one unhappily
of the previous night when one had
gone whistling to ones destiny along a
perfumcd country road.
Good 'eavings, Mister Maitland, sir!
1t carn't be you!"
Maitland looked up, bewildered for
the instant. The voice that hailed him
out of the sky was not unfamiliar.
A cab that he had waited on
the corner to let pass, was refined back
suddenly. The driver leaned down from
the box and in a thunderstruck tone ad-
vertised his stupefaction.
ut aren't in nature, sir-if yer'll par