Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-10-21
cTOoyEPEEN
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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 tub yer lady by
name nd might pass 1t on to a re-
porter. What l 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 nod
to her, didn't seem tub take kindly
tub the notion of it's bein' known"
Hickey" ..
"Ah, excuse met"
Drive on, enthusiastically 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 we'll down over
brows, thrust both hands into his
trousers pockets, and shambled back
to the st. Luke building-his heavy
body vibrating amazingly with his
secret mirth.
And so, shutting sluggishly, he
merges into the shadows, into the mob
that surges about the building. and
passes from these pages.
II.
In the Gathering hanson, steadying
herself with a hand against the win
dow-frame, to keep from being thrown
against the speechless man beside
her, the girl waited. And since Matt
land in confusion at the moment found
no words, from this eloquent silence
she drew an inference unjustified, such
as lovers are prone to draw, the world
over, one that lent pathetic color to
her thoughts. and chilled little her
mood She had been too sure.
But better to have 1t over with at
once. rather than permit it to remain
forever a wall of constraint between
them. He must not be permitted to
think that she would dream of taking
him upon his generous word.
1T was very kind of YOU" she said
in a steady small voice, ito pretend
that we-what you did pretend, in Or
der to save me from being held as a
witness. At least, 1 presume that is
why you did it?"-with a note of I'M
certainty.
1T is unnecessary that you should
be drawn into the affair."" he replied,
with some resumption of his self-pos-
session. 1T isn't as if you were"
"A theft" she supplied, as he hest
tated.
"A thief" he assented, gravely
But II am" with a break in her
voice
But you are not" he asserted al
most fiercely. And, Dear" he said,
boldly, don't you suppose l know"
what do you know?"
That you brought back the Jewels,
for one minor thing. l found them al
most as soon as you had left. And
| then | knew-knew that you cared
enough to get them from this fellow
Anisty and bring them back to me-
| knew that l cared enough to search
| the world from end to end until
found you, that you might wear them
If you would"
But she had drawn away, had
averted her face; and he might not
! see it; and she shivered slightly, star
ing out of the window at the passing
lights. He saw, and perforce paused
"You-you don't understand" she
told him in rush. You give me
credit beyond my due. l didn't break
into your fiat again, tonight, in order
to return the jewels-at least, not fol
that alone"
But you did bring back the jewels?'
She nodded.
Then doesn't that prove what
claim, prove that you've cleared your
SELF"
NO" she told him, firmly, with the
firmness of despair; sit does not. Be
cause did not come for that only.
came with another purpose-to steal
as we'll as to make restitution. And
i stole"
There was a moments silence. OF
his part incredulous. II don't know
what you mean. What did you steal
Where is it?"
Il have lost it"
Was it in your handbag"
You found that?"
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