Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-06-17

sign: finally succeeding in throwing
him fat; and knelt upon his chest, re
tanning his grip but refraining from
~throttling him.
AS it was. all strength and thought
of resistance had been choked out of
Anisty. He lay at length, gasping
painfully.
Maitland glanced over his shoulders
and saw the girl moving forward, APP
parently making for the switch.
mol" he cried, pe~remptorily. Don't
turn off the light-please!"
But" she doubted.
Let me have those curtain cords, If
you please" he requested, shortly.
She followed his gaze to the win
dows. interpreted his wishes, and was
very quick to carry them out. In a
trice she was offering him half a
dozen of the heavy, twisted silk cords
that had been used to loop back the
curtains.
Soft yet strong, they were excellent
ly well adapted to Maitland's needs.
Unceremoniously he swung his captive
over on his side, bringing his neck and
ankles in juxtaposition to the legs of
that substantial piece of furniture, the
lounge.
His hands, the first to be secured, and
tightly, behind his back, Anisty lay
helpless, glazing ~vindictively the while
gradually he recovered consciousness
and strength. Maitland cared little
for his evil ~glances; he was busy. The
burglars ankles were next bound to-
gether and to the lounge leg; and, an
instant later, a brace of half-hitches
about the mans neck and the nearest
support entirely eliminated him as a
possible factor in subsequent events.
Those loops around your throat"
Maitland warned him CURLY, "are
loose enough now, but If you struggle
they'll tighten and strange you. I'm.
derstand?"
Anisty nodded, making an inco-
herent sound with his swollen tongue.
At which Maitland frowned, smitten
thoughtful with a new consideration.
you mustn't talk, you know" he
unused half aloud; and, whipping forth
a handkerchief, gagged Mr.. Anisty.
After which, breathing hard and in a
maze Of p~erplexity, he got to his feet.
Already his hearing, quickened by the
emergency, had appraised him of the
situations imminent hazards. 1t
needed not the girls hurried whisper,
The s%ervants!" to warn him of their
danger. From the e wing of the
mansion the sounds of hurrying feet
were distinctly audible, as, presently,
were the heavy, excited voices of men
and the more shrill and frightened
cries of women.
Needless of her displeasure, Matt
land seized the girl by the arm and
urged her I've to the open window.
Don't hang back" he told her ner-
vously. you must get out of this be-
fore they see you. Do as l tell you,
please, and well save ourselves yet!
If we both make a run for it, we're
lost. Don't you understand"
mo. Why?' she demanded, reluc-
tant, spirited, obstinate-and lovely in
his eyes.
IF he were anybody else,' Maitland
indicated, with a jerk of his head to-
ward the burglar. But didn't you
see? He must be Maitland-and he's
my double. I'll stay, brazen it out,
then, as Don as possible, make my es-
cape and join you by the gate. Your
motors there-wait! Be ready for
me"
But she had grasped his intention
ard was suddenly become plant to his
will. You're wonderful" she told
him with a little low laugh; and was
gone, silently as a spirit.
The curtains fell behind her in long,
straight folds; Maitland stilled their
swaying with a touch, and stepped
back into the room. For a moment he
caught the eye of the fellow on the
floor; it was upturned to his, sardonic-
ally intelligent. But the lord of the
manor had little time to debate con-
sequences.
Abruptly the door was flung wide
and a short stout man, clutching up
his trousers with a frantic hand, burst
into the library, brandishing over
head a rampant revolver.
lands hup!" he cried, ~leveling at
Maitland. And then, with a fallen
~countenance: "G-r-r-reat %'eavins, sir!
You, Mister Maitland, sir!"
"Ah, Higgins" his employer greeted
the butler blandly.
Higgins pulled up, thunderstruck,
painting and perspiring with agitation.
His fat cheeks q~uivered like the wat
ties of a gobbler, and his eyes bulged
as, by degrees, he became alive to the
situation.
Maitland began to explain, .forestall-
ing the embarrassments'of cross-exam-
ination.
by the merest accident, Higgins, /
was passing in my car with a party Of
friends. Just for a joke/I thought I'd
steal up to the house and see how you
were behaving yourselves. BY chance
-again-I happened to see this light
through the library windows" And
Maitland, putting an incautious hand
uron the bull's-eye on the desk, with
drew it instantly, with an exclamation
OF annoyance and four scorched fin
gers.
He's been at the safe" he added
quickly, diverting attention from him
self. Il was just in time"
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