Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-08-26
RIGHT 1907 - ras soses-4san,LL co.

Its light, transient as 1t was, gave
him some inkling of the situation. I'm
thinkingly he flung himself forward
ready to grapple with that which first
should meet his hands. Something
soft and yielding brushed against his
shoulder, and subconsciously, in the
auto-hypnosis of his excitement, he
was aware of a mans voice cursing
and a woman's cry of triumph trailing
off into a wall of pain.
On the instant he found himself at
grips with the marauder. For a mo-
ment both swayed, daZed by the shock
Of collision. Then Maitland got a foot
ing on the carpet and put forth his
strength; the other gave way, slipped
and went to his knees. Maitlands
hands found his throat, fingers sinking
deep into flesh as he bore the fellow
backward.
A match flared noiselessly and the
gas blazed overhead. A cry of aston
ishment choked in his throaat as he
recognized his own features duplicated
in the face of the man whose throat he
was slowly and relentlessly construct
ing. Anisty! He had not thought of
him or connected him with the sounds
that had thrilled and alarmed him over
the telephone wire coming out of the
void and blackness of night. Indeed,
he had hardly thought any coherent
thing about the matter. The ring of
the girls moi" had startled him, and
he had somehow thought, vaguely,
thatO'Hagan had surprised her in the
fat But more than that
He glanced swiftly aside at the girl
standing still beneath the chandelier,
the match in one hand burning to.
ward her finger tips, in the other An.
isty's revolver Their eyes met, and
in hers the light of gladness leaped
and fell like living flame, then died,
to be replaced by look of entreaty
and prayer SO moving that his heart
in its unselfish chivalry went out to
her.
Who or what she was, howsoever
damning the evidence against her, he
would believe against belief, shield her
to the end at whatever hazard to him
self, whatever cost to his fortunes.
Love is unreasoning and unreasonable
even when unrecognized.
His senses seemed to vibrate with
redoubled activity, to become abnor-
mally acute. For the first time he was
conscious of the imperative clamor of
the electric bell in O'Hagan's quarters,
as well as of the janitor's rich brogue
voicing his indignation as he opened
the basement door and prepared to as
cend. Instantly the cause of the dis
turbance flashed upon him.
His strangle hold on Anisty relaxed,
he released the man, and, brows
knitted with the concentration of his
thoughts, he stepped back and over to
the girl, lifting her hand and gently
taking the revolver from her fingers.
Below, O'Hagan was parleying
through the closed door with the late
callers. Maitland could have blessed
his hot-headed Irish stupidity for the
delay he was causing.
Already Anisty was on his feet
again, blind with rage and crouching
as If ready to spring, only restrained
by the sight of his own revolver,
steady and threatening In Maitland's
hand.
For the least part of second the
young man hesitated, choosing his
way. Then, resolved, in accents of
determination: Stand up, you hound!"
he cried. Back to the wall there!"
and thrust the weapon under the burg
lars nose.
The move gained instant obedience.
Mr.. Anisty could not reasonably hest
tate in the face of such odds.
"And YOU" Maitland continued over
his shoulder to the girl without remov-