Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-06-09

fore had the long arm CT the law
stretched hungry fingers SO near his
collar. He went, springing down the
hall in long, soundless strides, vanish
ing into its shadows.
AS he disappeared Maitland stepped
to the door, raised his revolver. and
pulled the trigger twice. The shots
detonated loudly in that confined space,
and rang coincident with the clash and
clatter of shivered glass. A thin cloud
of vapor obscured the doorway, sway
ing on the hot, still air, then parted
and dissolved, dissipated by the en-
trance of four men who thrusting the
door violently open, struggled into the
hallway.
Blue cloth and brass buttons moved
conspicuously in the van, a grim face
flushed and perspiring beneath the he'll
NETS vizor, a revolver poised menac-
ingly in one hand, locust as ready in
the other. Behind this outward and
visible manifestation of the laws
majesty bobbed rusty derby, cooked
jauntily back upon the red, shining
forehead of short and thick-set per-
son with black mustache. O'Hagan's
agitated countenance loomed over
dusty shoulder, and the battered silk
hat of the nighthawk brought up the
rear.
Come in. everybody" Maitland
greeted them cheerfully, turning back
tnf La "a, Ixr and hn
yer, shreds of smoke still curling up
from its muszle, upon divan.
"O'Hagan," he called, on second
thought, Jump downstairs and see
that all New York doesn't get in. Let
nobody I'M"
AS the janitor unwillingly obeyed,
policeman and detective found their
tongues. A volley of questions, to the
general purport of Whats tn meanin'
Of all this here?" assailed Maitland as
he rested himself coolly on an edge
Of the desk. He responded, with one
eyebrow slightly elevated:
"A burglar. What did you suppose ?
That l was indulging in target practice
at this time of night?"
Which way'd he go?"
Back of the flat-through the win
dow to the fire-escape, suppose. /
took a couple of shots after him, but
missed, and, inasmuch as he was
armed, didn't pursue"
Hickey stepped forward, glowering
unpleasantly at the young man. "Yeh
go along" he told the uniformed man,
Ind see T he's tellin the truth. I'll
stay here md keep him company"
His tone amused Maitland In the
reaction from the recent strain upon
his wits and nerve, he laughed openly.
"And who are you?" he suggested,
smiling, as the policeman clumped
heavily away.
Hickey spat thoughtfully into a
Satsuma jardiniere and sneered. 81
s'pose yeh never saw me before?"
Maitland bowed affirmation. I'm
sorry to say that that pleasure has
heretofore been denied me-"
"Uh-huh," agreed the detective,
sourly, II guess that's hot one, too"
He scowled blackly in Maitland's s
amazed face and seemed abruptly to
swell with mysterious rage. my
names Hickey" he informed him, ven
omously, "and don't yeh lose sight of
that after this. It's somethin' it won't
hurt yeh to remember. Guess yer
mem'ry's taking vacation, huh?"
HMu doar mon coid Moitlo,J u-o,,
speak in parallels and-if you'll par
don my noticing it-with some un-
called-for spleen. Might suggest that
you moderate your tone? For" he
continued, facing the man squarely, "if
you don't, 1t will be my duty and
pleasure to hoist you into the street."
Il got a photograph of yeh doing
It," growled Hickey. Still, seeing as
yeh never saw me before, guess it
won't do no harm for yeh to connect
with this" And he turned back his
coat, uncovering the official shield of
the detective bureau.
"Ah!" commented Maitland, polite
ly. "A detective? How interesting!"
"Fire-escape winder's broke, all
right" This was the policeman, re-
turned. "And some ones let down the
bottom length of ladder, but there amt
nobody in sight"
mo-" interjected Hickey, end there
wouldn't We been If you'd been waitin'
in the back yard all night" :.
Certainly not Maitland agreed,
blandly; especially If my burglar had
known 1t. In which case l fancy he
would have chosen another route-by
the roof, possibly"
"Yeh know somethin' about roofs
yehself, donchuh?" suggested Hickey.
well, guess yeh'll have time to write
book about 1t while yeh-"
He stepped unexpectedly to Matt
lands side and bent forward. Some
thing cold and hard closed with a
snap around each of the young mans
wrists. He started up, face aflame