The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-28


perfectly natural--was wonderful
deep shade of soft brown. Her eyes
were long and narrow-almost Orien-
tai in shape-and they seemed in
some queer way to match the room:
he could have sworn that in the fire.
light they flashed green. Her body
and limbs, Notwithstanding her ex-
IRENE slightness, were graceful, per.
haps. but with the grace of the tigress.
She wore green silk dressing jacket,
pulled together with belt of lizard
skin. and her neck was bare Her
skirt was OF some thin black material.
She WAS obviously in deshabille. and
yet there was something neat and
trim about the smaller details OF her
toilette.
Go on. please. Peter she begged.
!" You are keeping me in suspense
There isn't much to tell" he an
sweTed. It's over-that's ALL
She drew a sharp breath through
her teeth.
You are not going to marry that
girl-that bourgeois doll in Streat-
ham,"
Fitzgerald sat up in his chair.
Look here" he said, seriously.
don't you call her names II I'm
not going to marry her, it isn't my
fault. She is the only girl | have
ever wanted, and probably-mo
probably-she will be the only one
ever shall want. That's honest, isn't
it?"
The girl WINGED.
Yes" she said, lit is honest! !"
Il should have married her." the
young man continued and / should
have been happy. had my eye on
yilla-not too near her parents-and
/ saw my way to little increase of
salary. | should have taken to gar
dening, to walks in the Park, with an
occasional theatre, and / should have
thoroughly enjoyed fortnight every
summer at Skegness or Sutton-on-
Sea. We should have saved q little
money. | should have gone to church
regularly. and If possible should
have filled some minor public offices.
You may call this boNygeois-it was
my idea of happiness
Was. she murmured.
g Is STILL he declared sharply, "but
shall never attain to 1t. Tonight l
had to leave Maud--to leave the sup
portable OF Daisy Villa-through the
window!
She looked at him in amazement.
The police he explained. That
brute Dory was at the bottom OF it,
" But surely" she murmured. you
told me that you had bona-f1de stu
atom"
SO had" he declared, and
was fool not to be content with 1t.
1t was my habit of taking long coun-
try walks, and their rotten auditing.
VIII; oh, lor
that this was all before met Maud?
Since the day spoke to her, turned
over new leaf have left the night
work alone. and repaid every penny
OF the firms money which they could
ever have possibly found out about.
There was only that one little affair
Of mine down at Sudbury"
Tell me what you are going to
do? she whispered.
have no alternative he an
swered. The law has kicked me out
from the respectable places. The law
shall pay.
She looked at him with glowing
Have you any plans?" she asked,
softly.
Il have he answered II have
considered the subject from a good
many points of view. and have de-
cided to start in business for myself
as private detective"
She raised her eyebrows
My dear Peter! she murmured.
Couldn't you be little more origi-
nAl?"
That is only what l am going to
call myself he answered. may
tell you that l am going to strike out
On somewhat new lines
Please explain" she begged.
He recrossed his knees and made
himself little more comfortable
The weak part. of every great rob.
berry, however successful he began.
is the great wastage in value which
invariably results. For Jewels which
cost-say five thousand pounds. and
to procure which the artist has to risk
his life as well as his liberty. he has
10 consider himself lucky II he clears
eight hundred. For the Hermitage
rubies, for instance, where I nearly
had to shoot a man dead. realized
rather less than four hundred pounds,
1t doesn't pay"
Go on" she begged.
II am not clear" he continued
how far this class of business will
attract me at ALL, but l do not pro
pose, in any case, to enter into any
transactions on my own account.
shall work for other people. and fol
cash down. Your experience of life
Violet. has been fairly large Have
you not sometimes come into con
tact with people driven into stu
tion from which they would will
ingly commit any crime TO escape
II they dared? 1t is not with then
question of money at all--it is sim
ply a matter of ignorance. They dc
not know how to commit a crime
They have had no experience. and
II they attempt it, they know perfectly
well that they are likely to blunder
A person thoroughly experienced IL
the ways Of criminals person Of
genius like myself--would have, with
ont doubt, an immense clientele, !,
only he dared put up his signboard
Literally, ] cannot do that. Actually
! mean to do SO. | shall be willing t.
accept contracts either to help ner
yous people out of an undesirable
crisis; or, on the other hand. to meas
ure my wits against the wits of Scot
land Yard, and to discover the crimi
nails whom they have failed to secure