Barbour County index., 1909-10-27


too. ma'am, f'r buttin' In"
Hickey" demanded Maitland. sud-
denly. in tone OF smoldering wrath,
what the-what do you want?"
sYeh told me tub call round to-mor-
row. yeh know. Whenn yeh be in?"
-I1l leave note for you with
o'Hagan. Is that all?"
"Yep-that is. there's somethin'
sWell?"
Excuse me for mentionin' it, but
didn't know-it amt generally known.
yeh know, md one uh tn boys might
We heard me speak tuh yer lady by
name nd might pass it on to a re-
porter. What means this" hastily,
as the Maitland temper showed dan
gerous indications OF going into active
eruption: Il s'pose yeh don't want me
tub mention t yeh're married, jes'
yet? Mrs. Maitland here" with a nod
to her, didn't seem tub take kindly
tub the notion of it's bein' known"
''Hickey!"
"Ah, excuse mel"
Drive on, cabby-instantlyl Do
you hear?"
Hickey backed suddenly away and
the cab sprang into motion: while
Maitland with face OF fire sat back
and ragged and wondered.
Across Broadway toward Fourth
avenue dashed the hanson; and from
the curb-line Hickey watched it with
a humorous light in his dull eyes. In
deed. the detective seemed in extraor
binary conceit with himself. He
chewed with unaccustomed emotion
upon his cold cigar, scratched
his cheek, and chuckled; and, chuck
ling, pulled his hat well down ovel
brows, thrust both hands into his
trousers pockets, and shambled bacl
to the St Luke building-his heavy
body vibrating amazingly with his
secret mirth.
And so, shufiing sluggishly, h'
| merges into the shadows, into the mol
that surges about the building. ant
passes from these pages.
II.
In the Gathering hanson, steadyinl
herself with hand against the win
dow-frame, to keep from being thrown
against the speechless man besid
l. her, the girl waited. And since Matt
| land in confusion at the moment foun,
| no words, from this eloquent silenc
she drew an Inference unjustified, sue
as lovers are prone to draw. the worl
over, one that lent a pathetic color +
her thoughts, and chilled little he
mood. She had been too sure.
But better to have 1t over with q
once, rather than permit it to renal
forever a wall Of constraint betwee
them. He must not be permitted t
think that she would dream of takin
him upon his generous word.
TT was very kind of you," she sal
in a steady small voice, ito preten
that we-what you did pretend, in o
witness. At least, l presume that
why you did it?"-with a note of Ill
certainty.
'1t is unnecessary that you shoul
be drawn into the affair."" he replied
with some resumption Of his self-po
session. 1T isn't as If you were"
"A thief?" she supplied, as he hes
tated.
"a thief" he assented, gravely.
But II am" with break in he
voice.
but you are not" he asserted a
most fiercely. And, Dear" he sal
boldly, don't you suppose know"
what do you know?"
THAT you brought back the jewel
for one minor thing. l found them a
J most as soon as you had left. An
then l knew-knew that you care
enough to get them from this fello
Anisty and bring them back to m
knew that l cared enough to scare
the world from end to end until
found you, that you might wear thel
If you would"
But she had drawn. away, ha
averted her face: and he might M
see it; and she shivered slightly, sta
ing out of the window at the passin
lights. He saw, and perforce pause
"You-you don't understand" sh
told him in rush. You give m
credit beyond my due. didn't brea
into your fiat again, tonight, in orde
to return the jewels-at least, not fc
that alone"
But you did bring back the jewels
!, She nodded.
) Then doesn't that prove what
claim, prove that you've cleared you
self"
NO." she told him, firmly, with tt
firmness Of despair; "it does not. B
, cause did not come for that only.
came with another purpose-to stea
, as well as to make restitution. And
Il stole"
, There was a moments, silence, G
his part incredulous. II don't kno
what you mean. What did you stea
. Where is it?'
Il have lost tt"
'Was it in your hand-bag?"
'tYou found that?"
CTO BE CONTINUED)