Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-09-30

|
had the jewels, and there was nothing
else of any particular value so per-
sistently to entice such expert and ac-
| complished burglars back to his fiat.
What else had they required of him?
| His peace of mind was nothing that
they could turn into cash; and they
seemed to have reaved him of nothing
| else
But they had that; unquestionably
they had taken that.
| And still the riddle haunted him:
| Why had she come back that night :?
| And, whatever her reason, had she
come in Anisty's company, or alone?
| One minute it seemed patent beyond
| dispute that the girl and the great
| plunderer were hand-in-glove; the next
minute Maitland was positively as
sured that their recent meeting had
| been altogether an accident From
what he had heard over the telephone,
he had believed them to be quarreling,
| although at the time he had assigned
to O'Hagan the masculine side of the
!
have arisen some difference of opin-
| ion between Anisty and the girl to
have drawn from her that frantic neg
alive Maitland had heard, to have
been responsible for the overturning
of the chair-an accident that seemed
to argue something in the nature of a
physical struggle; the chair itself lay
| CT 70 n CT "
and careless movement on somebody's
part.
But it was all inexplicable. Event
ually Maitland shook his head, to sig
Nifty that he gave it up. There was
| but one thing to do-to put it out of
mind He would read bit, compose
himself, go to bed.
Preliminary to doing so, he would
take steps to insure the fiat against
further burglarizing, for that night at
least. The draught moving through
the hall stirred the portiere and re-
minded him that the window in the
trunkroom was still open, an invita-
tion to any enterprising sneak-thief or
second-story man. So Maitland went
to close and make it fast.
AS he shut down the window-sash
and clamped the catch he trod on
something soft and yielding. Wonder
ing, he stopped and picked it up, and
carried it back to the light. 1t proved
to be the girls handbag.
Now, admitted Maitland in tone
of absolute candor, Il am damned.
How in the dickens did this thing get
there, anyway? What was she doing
in my trunk closet?"
Was it possible that she had fol-
lowed Anisty out of the fiat by that
/ route? A very much mystified young
| man sat himself down again in front
! of his desk, and turned the bag over
and over in his hands, keenly scrutin-
izing every inch of it, and whistling
| softly.
That year the fashion in purses was
] for capacious receptacles of grained
leather, nearly square in shape, and
furnished with a chain handle. This
which Maitland held was conspicu-
ously of the mode-neither too large,
| itOl lOO SLuaiis SOholluCLCu vi iluC SUI
leather of gun-metal shade, with a
framework and chain of gun-metal
itself. 1t was new and seemed we'll
filled, weighing trifle heavy in the
hand. One face was adorned with a
monogram of cut gun-metal, the in
itials "S'' 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-
ton; by such facile means would much
light be shed upon the darkness. But
Maitland put decided negative to the
suggestion.
j 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 ex.
plain Perhaps he could find her by