Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-07
The Brass BOWL

ieso eNAuSHl iSilsH "a N'N
humor.
That's right" he admitted. Got
a tip from the C'niss' ner's Of
ice this evening that Anisty wouh
be here at O'Clock lookin' for party
named McCabe. 1 guess it's q bum tip,
all right; hut OF course I got to look into
it,
Most assuredly." The gray man bent
and Inspected the names again. Il am
hunting Up an old friend he explained
carelessly: aman named Simmons
knew him in college-down on his luck
wrote me yesterday. There be is, fourth
floor. east I'll see you when 1 come
down. hope. Mr.. Hickey"
The automatic lock clicked and the
door swung open; the gray man passing
through and up the stairs. Hickey. os-
tentatiously ignoring the existence Of the
policeman, returned to his post of obser-
walton.
At O'Clock he was still there. looking
bored.
At $50 he was stiu there, wearing a
puzzled expression.
At 8 he called the adoring halb-boy,
gave him a quarter with minute instruc-
lions, and saw him disappear into the
hallway Of No. 2o5. Three minutes later
the boy was back, breathless but enthu-
siastic.
''AIissis Simmons" he explained be-
tween gasps, says she amt never heard
OF nobody named Maitland. Somebody
rang her bell a while ago an apologized
for disturbin' her-said he wanted the
folks on the top floor. l guess yer man
went acrost the roofs; them houses is all
connected, and yuh en- walk clear from
the corner here tub halfway up tuh
18th street on Sam Nicholas avenoo."
"Uh-huh," laconically returned the de-
tective. Thanks" And turning on his
heel. walked westward.
The policeman crossed the street to de-
tain him tor a moments chat
II guess it's all OF. JIM" Hickey told
him. Some one must We topped that
crook of. Anyway, / amt goin' to wait
no longer"
"I wouldn't neither" agreed the uni
formed member. Say, who's yer friend
yeh was talkin' tub, whsle ago?''
"oh, frien' of mine. Yeh didn't
have no call to git excited then, Jim.
G'night."
And Hickey proceeded westward, a
listless and preoccupied man by the va
cant eye of him. But when he emerged
into the glare of Eighth. avenue his face
was unusually red. Which may have
been due to the heat. And just before
boarding q downtown surface car, "Oh, q"
he enunciated with gusto. 'hell!'
lam.
Not until the rich and mellow chime
had merked into the stiffness did the in
truder dare again TO draw breath. Com
ing as it had the very moment that the
door had closed noiselessly behind her,
81 haA 70 "a
a knelI or perhaps more like the prelude
TO the wild alarum OF a tocsin, first strfk-
ing her heart sti1 with terror, then urging
it into panic flutterings.
But these. as the minutes drew on,
marked only by the dull methodic ticking
OF the clock, Quoted; and at length she
mustered courage TO move from the dor.
against which she had flattened herself.
one hand clutching the knob. ready to
pull il open and fly upon the first ag-
gressive sound.
In the interval her eyes had become ac-
customed to the darkness. The study
door showed a pale oblong on her right
to her left. and a little, toward the rear
OF the flat. the door OF Maitland's bed
chamber stood ajar. To this she tiptoed.
standing upon the threshold and listen
ing with every fiber of her being. No
SouuQH as u the regular respiration Oh a
sleeper warning her, she at length peered
stealthily within: simultaneously she
pressed the button of an electric hand
lamp. Its circumscribed blaze wavered
over pillows and Counterpart spotless
and undisturbed.
Then for the first time she breathed
freely, convinced that she has been right
In surmiSing that Maitland would not
return that night
Since early evening she had watched
the house from the window OF a top-flooT
hall bedroom in the boarding house oppo-
site. Shortly before she had seen Matt
/ land. stiff and incorporating in rigor.
Gus evening dress, leave In a cab. Since
then only once had light appeared in
his rooms; at about half past the jani
tor had appeared in the study, turning
up the gas and going to the telephone
Whatever the nature OF the communics
ton received. the girl had taken it to in
dictate that Maitland had decided to spen,
the night elsewhere: for the study Hgh
had burned for some ten minutes, durini
which the janitor could occasionally b.
seen moving mysteriously about: ant
I something later, bearing a suit case. h
! had left the house and shufied rapid,
/ eastward to Madison avenue.
| So she felt convinced that she had al
I the small hours before her. secure fron
: interruption. And this time. she toll
; herself. she purposed making assurance
doubly sure
Bet first to guard against discover,
} from the street
Turning back through the hall. she dis
pensed with the hand lamp. entering tn
darkened study. Here all windows ha
/ been closed and the outer shades draw
/ -O'Hagsn's last act before leaving wit
/ the suit case: additional proof that Matt
4 land was not expected back that night
/ For the temperature was high the air Il
/ the closed room sitting.
Crossing to- the windows. the girl dreV
down the dark green inner shades an
/ closed the folding wooden shutters owe
. them. And was conscious of a deepene
sense Of security.
Next going to the telephone she re
moved the receiver from the hook and lie
it hang at the full length of the cord
In the dead silence the small voice o
central was clearly articulate: ''wha
number? Hello, what number ?''-foIlowe
by the stumbling OF the armature as tn
/ operator tried friIitlessly to ring the dis
/ connected bell The girl smiled family
aware that there would now be no inter
I ruption from an inopportune call.
There remained as n final precautio
only a grand tour OF the fat; which sh
made expeditiously, passing swiftly an