Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-31
The Brass
BOWL--
vm-1IIIrNnNATIoN

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
In a breath was seIf-satisfaction pan
ished: simultaneously the masQueradei
BROUGHT his gaze down from the Collins,
his thoughts 10 earth. his vigilance 10
the surface. and himself 20 his feet, sum.
rnoninz to his aid all that he possessed
OF resource and expedient.
Trappedl-the word blazed incandescent
IN his brain So long had he foreseen ano
planned against this very moment
Vet manic swayCl him for but little
instant: as swiftly as It had overcome
him II subsidized leaving him shocked. d
shade more pale. but rapidly reassertlns
control OF his faculties And with this
shade OF emotion came complete reas-
surance.
as name had been uttered In no stern
or menacing tone; rather Its syi-
tables had been pitched In 70"
ana guarded key. with an uh-
dernots OF raiIlery and cordially. In
brsef the moment that he recognized
the voice as a woman's, he vas again
. master Of himself. and. aware that the
result OF his instructive impulse TO rise
and defend himself. which had brought
him 10 a standing position. would De
interpreted as only the natural acOon
Of a gentleman addressed by a rem =
,tne aSouaintance. he was confident that
ne rad not betrayed his primal con-
rternatfon. He bowed. smiled. and win
eyes in which establishment swiftly
save place 20 qualification and com
plete comprehension. appraised ner VINO
had addressed him
she seemed 20 have fiuttered TO the
tahie beside which she now stood,
slightly swaying. her. walking cos
tune OF grey shot silk falling about
her In soft. tremuIous petals Dainty
chic. weIl-pOised. serene. fawlessly pref
" in her miniature fashion: Anisty
recognized her in a twinkling- his per
captfons. trained TO observations as IN
Simultaneous as those Of snapshot
camera. AMI well-nigh as accurate. nad
photoxraphed her individuality indelibly
upon the flm OF his memory. even IN
the abbreviated encounter OF the pre-
vicus night.
BY A similar play Of educated rel-
monfnx faculties keyed 20 the highest
mitch OF Immediate action, he had dif-
ncuIty as scant in accounting for her
presence there. What he did not quite
comprehend was why Maitland had
used her so unkindiy: for IL had been
rfsfn enough that that gentleman hai
surprised her in the act OF safe-break-
ing before conniving at her escape.
but allowing that Maitland's actions
had been based upon motives vague 10
the burglars understanding. IT was
quite in the scheme of possibilities that
he should have arranged 70 meet MS
protegee at the restaurant that after
noon she was come to keep an APP
sentiment 20 which (now that Anisty
came 20 rememberl Maitland had ~
iuded in the beginning Of their CONVEX
sation-
Z well and good: once before. within
the past two hours. he had told him
self that he was GoOd-enough Matt
land. He would be even better
now -
But you did surprise me-" he de-
clared gaIlantIy. before she could won
Ser at his sIowness to respond You
see. ! was dreaming
He permitted her TO surmise the OBJ
3ect round which his dreams had been
woven
and I had expected you to be eagerly
watching for mer' she parted archly.
Il was :. mentally. But" he
warned her seriously mot that name.
Maitland is known here: they call me
Naitiand-the walters. II seems l made
q bad choice. But with your assistance
and discretion we can blum it out. all
right"
I forgot Forgive me-" BY now she
was IN the chair opposite him. tucking the
lower ends Of her gloves into their wrists.
mo matter-nobody heard"
Il very nearly called you Handsome
Dan" She flashed a radiant smile at
him from beneath the rim OF her picture
hat.
A FIRE was kindled in Anisty's eyes; he
was conscious OF a quickened drumming
OF his pulses
Dan Is MaitIand's front name. slso,"
he remarked absently.
II thought as much" she responded.
quietly speculative
The burglar hardly heard. It has been
Indicated that he was quick-witted.~ be-
cause he had to be. in the very nature OF
his avocatIon. Just now his brain was
working rather more rapidly than usual.
even: which was one reason why the
light had leaped into MS eyes.
II was very plain--to a deductive rea-
Honer-from the girls attitude toward him
that she had fallen into relations OF I'M
common friendIiness with this Maitland,
young as Anisty believed their acquaint-
ance to be- There had plainly been s
hirtation-wherein lay the explanation OF
Maitland's forbearance: he had been fas-
cinated by the woman. had not hesitated
20 take Anisty's name Ceven as AnIsty
was then taking hiss in order TO prolong
their intimacy
So much the better. Turn-about was
stiIl fair play. Maitland had sown as
Anistys the real Anisty would reap the
harvest. Pretty women interested him
deeply. though he saw little enough OF
them. partly through motives of pru-
dence. partly because OF a refinement OF
taste: women Of the class Of this con-
auest-by-proxy were out OF reach OF the
enemy OF society. That Is. undor or
dinary circumstances This one on
the contrary. was not: whatever she
was OF had been. however successful a
crackswoman she might be. her cuItiva-
ton and breeding were as apparent as her
beauty: and quite as attractive.
A criminal Is necessarily first a GAM
bier. votary OF chance: and the blind
goddess had always been very kind TO
Mr.. Anisty. He felt that here again she
was favoring him Maitland he hal
eliminated from this girls life: Matt
land had failed TO keep his engagement
and 50 would never again be called upon
20 play the part Of burglar with her inter
est for incentive and guerdon. Anisty
himself could take up where Maitland
had left OF. Easily enough. The diff
culties were Insignificant; he had only 10
play up TO Maitland's standard for q
while. 10 be Maitland with all that gentle
mans Advantages. educational and social.
then gradually drop back to his own