Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-11-30
N S E n S E Q I
, r AM 4
Bv ARTHUR STRINGER
"Surer" was his curt answer.

"Surel" was his curt answer.
That's cowardly lie cried out at him. "Noure
coward and liar, like all your encakins kind that
skulk about dark corners and crawl under beds and
arm yourself to the teeth and stand ready to rur-
der innocent women, to strike them down IN the
lowest and neanest kind of cowardiccp
."What's eatin' you anyway" he demanded.
"What We done?"
you've done some of the meancst ard dirticst
work can stoop to. You've skulkod and
erawed and SUNK through the dark to rob women
WHO'S given you a license to call me coward:"
do you dare to intimate there's anything but low
and arrant cowardice in work like this.
why should I try t?" I demanded DO YOU
suppose because l don't carry jimmy and a gun
that ! can't face honest danger when need to-"
l glanced round at my den walls studded with
trophies as they Wef from the 9 5 y ap h
The other man followed my glance but with lip
curl Of contempt
actin! Get up against what have, and you'd tone
down your squeal! Then you'd walk into the real
The real thing, black jacking chambermaids and
running like pelted cur at the sight OF brass
You just go out in the middle of the night he
went on with dersivc volubty. Go out at
night and look at house Stand or and look at 1t
and what's don' behind them brick walls, and who's
awake, and where shots gon' to come from, and
of the bit you'll get if you're pinched! Just stand
there and tell yourself you've got to get inside that
house and make your haul and get away. with the
goods-that you've got to do it, or go with empty
CUTS! Try it, and see if it takes nerve!'
,"All risht" said suddenly turning him as as
try it together For I'm going to make you take
this stuff back, and take it back tonight"
| could see his face cloud. Then second change
came it. His ratlike eyes actually began to
twinkle.
II think we ought to have the police, ;,r,' re-
o+aI 1hnri, doubt
one, sir"
Il saw, on more sober thought that it would be
giving my friend too much rope, too many chances
for treachery A second idea occurred to me, a
rather Intoxicating one.
Benson | said. I'm going to leave this worthy
gentleman here with you. And while you look after
him, I'm going to return this peachboom vase to
He amt in town tonight broke in my troubled
burglar
And to demonstrate to his somewhat cynical cas-.
of mind that there's nothing extraordinary in his
particular line of activity, propose 20 return it in
the same manner that it was taken
Benson looked troubled.
q beg pardon, sir, but mightn't it get us all into
bit OF trouble? Couldn't we leave it until morning,
sir and talk it over quiet-llke with your friend Mr..
McCooey or the gentleman from the Pnkerton
Officer"
And have a cuff-shooter running for help over
such riviaty? Never, Benson, ncyer!
Nobody have contended, is altogether sane after
midnight. This belief back | stood
before that gloomy-fronted Fifth Avenue house. in
wav is empty. wondering What law behind the
brownstone mask. asking myself what dangers
lnrked about that inner Gloon, speculatng as 70
What sleencr, stirred and what ewes even as {
stood there, might be alert and watching
There was a Jingle OF novelty even in standfn Q
before a grimv Substantial and ahoeethe, forbi1-
dinplookinp house and being consciou, OF the fac.
that YOU had decided on its secret invasion I could
M lonoer denv that if took certain crude form Of
nerve
But the house itself seemed as imprcgnable as a
fortress For the second time | turned and saunt-
eastward again | found that the last house on The