Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-05-05

figure supine on the divan against the
further study wall the old man shut.
fed to the instrument, lifted receiver
from the hook, and applied it to
his ear.
well, well?" he demanded with that
impatience characteristic of the illit.
crate for modern methods of communi.
cation. "Pwhat the divvle ails ye?"
"Rayspicts to ye, ma'am, and It's
sorry l am l didn't know twas a
leddy."
Hes not"
WAN o'clock, there or thereabouts." 4"
Faith, and he didn't say"
"Pwhat name will be tellin him %
"Kape ut to yersilf, thin. 'Tis none
OF me business"
"If We do, I'll not answer. Sure. am
! to be climbin' two flights av sthairs
iv'ry foive minits-"
"Good-by yersilf." hanging up the re.
ceiver. "And the divvle fly away wild
ye," grumbled O'Hagan.
AS he turned away from the instru.
ment Maitland managed to produce a
sound, something between a moan and
Il strangled cough. The old man
whirled on his heel. "Pwhat's thot ??
The next instant he was bending
over Maitland, peering into the face
drawn and disfigured by the gag. "The
saints presarve us! And who the
diyvle are ye at all? Pwhy don't ye
spake?"
Maitland turned purple; and emitted
furious snort.
"Misther Maitland, be all thots
strange! Is ut mad l am? Or how
did ye get back here and into this fix
sor, and me swapin' the halls and
polishin' the brasscs fernist the front
dure iv'ry minute since ye wint out p
Indignation struggling for the upper
hand with mystification in the Irish
mans brain, he grumbled and swore;
yet busted his fingers. In trice the
binding gag was loosed, and ropes and
straps cast free from swollen wrists
and ankles. And, with the assistance
OF kindly arm behind his shoulders
Maitland sat up, grinning with the
pain of renewing circulation in his
limbs.
"Wid these two oies mesilf saw ye
lave three hours gone, sor, and
c'u'd swear no sowl had inferred this
house since thin. Pwhat does ut al
name, be all thot's holy?"
1T MEANS" painting brandy ant
soda, O'Hagan, and be quick"
Maitland attempted to rise, but his
legs gave under him, and he sanl
back with stifled oath, resigning him
self to wait the return of normal con
ditions. AS for his head, it was threat
ering to split at any moment, the tight
wires twanging Internally between hit
temples; while the corners of hi!
mouth were cracked and sore from the
pressure of the gag. All of which
totted UP considerable debit agains
Mr.. Anisty's account.
For Maitland, despite his suffering
had found time to figure it out to hi!
personal satisfaction-or dissatisfac
tion If you prefer-in the interval be
tween his return to consciousness anC
the arrival of O'Hagan. 1t was simple
enough to deduce from the knowledg,
in his possession that the burglar hav
ing contrived his escape through tn,
disobedience of Higgins, should hav,
engineered this complete revenge TO
the indignity Maitland had put upoi
| him.
How he had OWNED the fact of tn,
| jewels remaining in their owners DOS
session was less clear; and yet it wal
reasonable, after all, to presume tina
Maitland should prefer to hold hi
own. Possibly Anisty had seen tn,
girl slip the canvas bag into Maitland
pocket while the latter was kneelin,
AID binding his captive. Howevel
that was, there was no denying tha
| he had trailed the treasure to its hid
ing place, unerringly; and succeede,
in taking possession of 1t with consum
mate skill and audacity. When Matt
land came to think of 1t, he recalle,
distinctly the trend of the burglar
inquisition in the character of "Mr
SIaith," which had all been calculate,
to discover the location of the Jewels
And, when he did recall this fact, an,
how easily he had been duped, Matt
land could have ground his teeth II
melodramatic rage-but for the cir
cumstance that when first it occurre,
to him, such feat was physical i'm
possibility, and even when ungagget
the operation would have been painful
to an extreme.
Slipping the grateful drink which
O'Hagan presently brought him, thu
young man pondered the case; will
no pleasure in the prospect he fore
saw. If Higgins had actually com
municated the fact Of Anisty's escap,
to the police, the entire affair was likel,