Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-06-22
Chapter X.--Continued.)

a.ter some niomentary hesitation he
 went upstairs. his ascent marked by a single and grateful incident Halfway
 to the top he trod on an object that
 cllnked unGerfoot and, stopping, re- trieyed the lost purse.
 The rooms on the second floor were bedcho mbers. broad. deep. stately. in- habited by seven devils of loneliness.
 Tn one. on dresser. Kirkwood found
 stick. The two charred ends of matches at its base were only an irri- tating discovery. however-evidence that real matches had been the mode In No. at some remote date
 Disguised and oppressed by cumula- de end back to the hall. He would have given much for the time and means to make more detailed lnves- tigation into the secret of the house.
 Since his latest entrance his vision had adjusted itself to cope with the obscurity to some extent. and the street lights. meagerly reflected through ma windows from the bosOm' of q sullcn pail of cloud low swung above tlie city. had helped him to piece together many detail of decoration and fur nishing. alike somber and richly di.:.
 nifed. KIrkwoo told himself that the owner, whoever he might be, WIS man of wealth and taste inherited from another age. He had found l,tle of meretricious today in the dwelling. much that was solid and sedate and homely and Victorian. He could have wished for more. box of early Vic torian vestas had been highly accept. able.
 Making his way downstairs to the stricken man. who was quite as he thrust riling fingers into his pockets regardless of the wretched sense of guilt and sneakishness imparted by the action. stubbornly needless of the possibility of the mans awakening to find himself being searched and rob- bed.
 In the last place he sought. which should. he realized. have been the first to wit. the fob pocket of the white waistcoat-he found small gold matchbox packed light with wax yes tas and. berating himself for crass stupidity-he had saved deal of time and trouble by thinking of this before lighted the candle.
 As it's golden flame shot up With scarce q trem0r. preyed upon by per fectiy excusabie concern. he bent to examine the mans countenance The arm which hcd partly hidden It had fallen back into a natural position. It was young face that gleamed pallid In the candlelight. q face unlined. little vapid and insignificant. with fea- lures regular and neat. betrayiug few characteristics other than the purely negative attributes of character as yet uniformed. possibly unformable. much the sort of face that he might have expected to see. remembering those thin and pouting lips that before probably little more than twenty In his attire there was suspicion of a fop's preciseness, aside from its acci- dental disarray.
 "i can't make him out at all,r de clared Kirkwocd It was most exas- appcaiauce. assorted with his double role of prosecutor of distressed dam- sels and nocturnal housebreakcr.
 Kirkwood bent closer above the mo tionless head. with puzzled eyes striv- ing to pin down some elusive resem- blance that he thought to trace in those vacuous features. resemblance to some one he had seen or kuown al some past time somewhere, somehow Il give It up. Guess I'm mistaken Anyhow. five young Eneiishmen out of every ten of his class are just as blond and foolish. Now let's see how bad he's burt
 With hands strong and gentle he turned the round. light head. Then "Ah. he commented in the accent of comprehens fer there was an angry looking bump at the base of the skull
 htTkNOOu tet tue uFau uONH dnu took thought Recalling bathroom on the floor above, thlther be went. unseltishly forgetful of his predica. ment If discovered. aud, turning on the water, sopping his handkerchief until it dripped Then returning. he took the boys head on his knees. wash. ed the wound, purloined another hand kerchief of silk. with giddy border. from the others pocket and of this manufactured rude but servicenble bandage.
 Toward the conclusion of his atten- tiOns the sufferer began to show signs of returning animation. He stirred restlessly, whimpered little and sigh ed. And Kirkwood in consternation got up.
 "SoY' he commented ruefully. "I guess am an ass. all right. taking all that trouble for you. my friend. If I've got a grain of sense left. this Is my cue to leave you alone in your glory"
 He was lingering only to restore to the boys pockets such articles as he had removed in the search for matches