The Washington times., 1911-01-20

, that he would not have been surprised
had he slipped to the floor and spread
out like a boneless sea-creature. he
was mental and emotional incoherence
The intention to steal had orousno II I
him here. That intention was over an
hour old, but since it had been neither
| fulfilled nor Countermanded, IL was
| stored energy; and presently II oegan
| to move his willess members, as the
stored energy of a coiled spring sets an
| automaton at its appointed task. he
took from the floor the plunder bag
| Kate had given him, and, holding the
| lantern and the edge Of the Dag
mouth in his left hand, he swung open
| the plate glass door of the cabinet. his
| eyes selected a golden bracelet, and ms
| hand moved slowly forward ana look
| it up,
Then suddenly his fingers unclosed,
the bracelet clicked back upon the slass ass
shelf, and his hand withdrew from the
| cabinet. The coiled spring OF his lnten-
| ton had snapped. The touch or what
! was another mans had readJusted MS
| confused senses. His blurred feellngs
| became definite, his dumb brain aftlcu-
! late He saw what he was doing-saW
| Il clearly as a bare act, unJusuneo Dy
| the arguments his bitterness had urgeu
upon him an hour before-saW that ne
was committing theft!
| A chill swept through him and ne sat
stiffy upright in his chair and stared at
| the bracelet he had dropped.
| If the mood he had been in an hour
or two before David would not nave
drawn back from theft any more thali
anv other normal starving man, could
| il have been committed quickly, upon
| impulse. But the hour that had passed
| the deliberateneSs which was surrounu-
ing the theft, had given opportuLilty, IT,, 10
| his moral being to overthrow the I'M
pulse and assert itself. He locked the
cabinet door, pocketed the Key and
rose. He would leave the house at
| once. ,,,,
But as he passed out or the drawing
| room il came to him that he could not
20 away without telling Kate OF his
| purpose Before him ne saw flight OF
! stairs; she was somewhere above. he
! stealthilv mounted, passed through a
doorway, and found himself in libra
ry, He stood moment with strained
ears. but got no sound of her. He must
20 through the floor. and perhaps
through the floor above; but petore
| proceeding further ne must get the Ia
| of the house ;,
He moved noiselessly toward the H.
hrary table, drawing out the plan OF
the house Kate had given him. He set
the lantern on the table beside tele-
phone. spread out the sheets, and was
sitting down when cautious footballs
sounded without. and the next instant
a blade of light stabbed the rooms
darkness.
! Yes"
They came toward each other and each
threw a light into the others masked
face. ,,,.
1--WE got the old lady,s twinklers'" wi! she
! II didn't take it," he whispered I've
changed my mind. I'm going.
| What"
I'm not going to take anything. In
going away. came TO tell you mat. at.
SPACE gazed up into his eyes in amaze
ment. The deep night silence of thu
great house flooded over them
You're in earnest?" she demanded.
eyes,
"Why?"
II cannot. It was a mistake. my com
ing" ,e
noints, she trcmbled with passion, ant
She plunged her whispered words In vi
to the hilt. .,..
SO that's the kind of nerve you'y.
got, Oh. what coward you are! Well
get out! I don't want YOU;
She brushed him wrathfully by. and
tensely erect, her free hand clinched
walked out of the room behind the shaf
of light.