The Delta independent., 1911-10-13

the hand sank back again to her pi
low. She could still feel, however. o,
fancfed she cou d. the icy rim of tn.
metal that had touched her brow
This was a great feat OF Imagination
for Mrs. De'aroche
That's right: lie still" continue
the voice. IF you know what's goot
for you"
Rough thorgh the voice was. 1t wa
carefully subdued. 1t could not hav
been heard in the corridor. Mrs. Della
roche drew a deep. f1uttering breath
and was evidently on the point O.
making another attempt to speaf
when the metallic ring touched he
forehead again. chilling her to silence
and the voice went on:
See here. lady. I've got no time to
waste with you. Just you stay where
you are. and don't make a sound. un
less you want to get this!" and the
metal was pressed a little harder to
her forehead. Il am going to get out
OF this room quietly, and I'm going
right now. If you make any noise for
the next five minutes. I'll blow your
head on"
The cold pressure was removed
from her forehead, and the burglar
moved about the room. The thicf
carpet and doubtless the felt so'es on
the mans feet as auxiliaries. made his
steps sound'ess. He went from her
dressing table to a writing desk. light
ing each in turn with a vivid circle
of rays from an electric pocket torch.
but holding the Illuminating device
always In such position that no faint
est CLEAN fell upon himself. Not for
a moment. however. did he slacken
his alertness SUN GENTLY for Mrs. Del
aroche to have a good chance to get
to the inner room. He pretended to
search thoroughly several places
where money or Jewels might be
kept, but. even to a woman of her
slow wit, 1t was apparent he did so
in halfhearted way Millicent felt
assured the man knew just what he
had taken from beneath her pillow
and that he was satisfied with it. He
showed that to be true when he gave
up the pretended search without so
much as trying the handle of a small
safe in far corner OF the room. Re
turning to the bedside he renewed his
warning. throwing so much savage
meaning into his words that Mrs. Del.
aroche was certain there was no pre-
tense about that.
Then he walked to the door giving
on the corridor. turned the handle
cautiously. thrust his head through
second opening. and looked up and
down the hall. Evidently treasured.
ba
and closed 1t swiftly and silently
There was not sound to Indicate
whether he had gone along the corri
dor. or still stood Just outside the
door. Mrs. Delaroche waited. listen.
Ing intently in the hope OF hearing his
footsteps. but she listened vainly. She
waited perhaps a minute. for she had
no desire to hazard a shot from that
terrible thing the burglar had pressed
against her brow. Then her courage
oozed back. and she bounded to the
floor, screaming with all her might,
Uausing only long enough to snatch
peignoir and throw 1t about her
shou 'ders ere she pulled open the out
er door of her suite and sent her
shrieks shrilling down the long hall
Her cries. for she was a magnihcently
constructed animal of most expansive
lung power. not only echoed far along
the corridor. but penetrated even the
sound-proof doors of the other apart
ments. The disturbance she made
was alarmingly novel to the exclusive
calm of the Hotel Renaissance Doors
were flung open, heads popped out,
and dozen inquiries were flung at
ha-
but Mrs. Delaroche had exhausted her
conference in framing that one pur-
pose of screaming with all her might
until some man of action should speed
to her assistance. She did not waste
any strength In articulation She sim
ply screamed, and so eloquent were
her shrieks that although she uttered
no concrete word. only few of them
were needed to tell the more intelll-
gent of her auditors that she had been
robbed, and that what she had lost
was of priceless value to her
Before the fusilade of her cries
died away in scattering fire of
gasping sobs. half dozen pajamaec
specters were racing down the corri-
dor In the direction they deemed the
burglar had taken. What account
they would have given Of themselves
had they come up with the fugitive is
conjectural. They were spared the
disagreeable necessity OF submitting
their courage TO that test, for as the
burglar turned corner OF the hall
many yards in advance of his pursu.
ers, he was tripped by foot adroitly
interpolated In his path. and when he
ht
fall. 1t was to find two men of sturdy
build sitting upon him as composedly
as II nature had planned him for a
conversation chair. The pistol he had
carried in his hands throughout the