The Washington herald., 1913-12-28

on the occasion as somewhat Of an event,
for such things naturally are not picked
up every day. And now the mere sight Of
tn vase took me back to the Gubtill
home to that rich and spacious house on
lower Fifth Avenue where / had spent not
a few happy evenings.
l put the vase down on my table and
turned away from it, not caring to betray
my interest in it, or 10 give to the ratlike
eyes still watching me any inkling of my
true feelings
turned and looked the criminal up
and down. / noticed, for the first time,
that his face was beaded with sweat.
Might l inquire just what you intend
doing with this?'' 1 asked, gazing back,
against my will, at that fragile little
treasure known as The Flame"
The man moved uneasily, for the first
time. For the first time, too, he spoke.
Give it to its owner" he said.
And who is its owner?"
He looked from me to the vase and then
back again.
1T belongs to a pal O. mine, over on
Fifth Avenue"
And where did you get it?'
"Out o. hook
could not restrain a touch of anger as
my glance fell on the all too eloquent i'm
plements of burglary.
And you expect me to swallow this?'
demanded.
Il don't give a damn what you swal-
low. know the trut' when I'm sayin' ii. ."
And you're telling me the truth?' I
found it hard to keep my anger within
bounds.
''Sure"' was his curt answer.
That's a cowardIy lie," cried out at
him. You're a coward and liar. like
all your sneaking kind that sIulk about
in the dark corners and crawl under beds
and arm yourself to the teeth and stand
ready to murder innocent women, to
strike them down in the dark. rather than
be found out, It's cowardice. the lowest
and meanest kind of cowardice"'
The sweat stood out on his face in glis-
tening drops.
Whats eatin you, anyway" he de-
manded. "What've ! done?'
l pushed the cluster of women's jewelry
closer to him. You've done some of the
meanest and dirtiest work a man can
stoop to. You've skulked and crawled and
skunk through the dark to rob women
and children"
Who's given you license to call me
coward?"
thing but low and arrant cowardice in
work like this?'
Just try it, he said, with grin that
made his face hideous.
why should 1 try it?'' I demanded.
DO you suppose because 1 don't carry
a Jimmy and a gun that / can't face hon.
est danger when 1 need to?''
l glanced round at my den walls, stud
ded with trophies as they were, from the
bull-moose antlers over the fireplace to
the leopard pelt under my heels. The
other man followed my glance, but with
a lp-curl of contempt.
Bah" he said, apparently glad TO
crowd me off into some less personal side
issue. That's all play. actin! Get up
against what 1 have, and you'd tone
down your squeal! Then you'd walk into
the real thing"
The real thing. black acking cham
bermaids and running like a pelted cur at
the sight of a brass button"
I could see his sudden vince, and that
it took an effort for him to speak
you'd find it took nerve. all right, all
right" he retorted.
My movement of contempt brought him
a step or two nearer. But it was Ben
son who spoke first
Hadn't We better have the police, sir?''
he suggested The burglar. with his eyes
on my face, stepped still closer, as
though to shoulder any such suggestion
as Benson's out of the issue.
You just go out in the middle of the
bility. Go out at night and look at a
house. Stand off and look at it good and
plenty. Then ask yourself who's inside,
and what's doin' behind them brick walls,
and who's awake, and where a shots
goin' to come from, and what chances
of a getaway you'll have, and the size
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
har cat h.
that you've got to do it, or go with empty
quits! Try it, and see if it takes nerve"
I must have touched his professional
pride. I had trifled with that ethical
totem pole that is known as honor among
thieves.
''All right said, suddenly turning on
him as the inspiration came to me. We'll
try it, and we'll try it together. For I'm
going to make you take this stun back,
and take it back tonight"
could see his face cloud Then a sec
ond change came over it. His ratlike
eyes actually began to twinkle.
Il think we ought to have the police,
sir" reiterated Benson, remembering
doubtless. his encounter below stairs
Hes an uncommon tricky one, SIR"
1 saw, on more sober second thought,
that il would be giving my friend too
much rope, too many chances for treach-
cry ne NOulu uOl De over nice IN
his methods, knew, now that had him
cornered. A second idea occurred to me,
a rather intoxicating one.
Benson" l said, I'm going to leave
this worthy gentleman here with YOU.
And while you look after him, I'm going
to return this peachbloom vase to its
owner"
He amt in town tonight" broke in
my troubled burglar.
And to demonstrate to his somewhat
cynical cast of mind that there's nothing
extraordinary in his particular line of
activity, 1 propose to return it in the
same manner that it was taken"
Benson looked troubled.
You will make yourself comfortable
here with this gallant gentleman of the
keep this handsome Colt
of his quite close about you while you're
doing it. For I'm going to take this
piece of porcelain back where it belongs,
even though 1 have to face a dozen lap
dogs and frighten every housemafd of
the neighborhood of Twelfth Street into,
hysterics"'
I might have waited decorously until
daylight, or might have quietly ascended
the wide stone steps and continued to
ring the electric pushbell until a sleepy
servant answered it. But that, after ali.
seemed absurdly tame and commonplace.
1t was without the slightest tang of
drama. And I was as waywardly impa-
tient to try that enticing tip-tilted instru-
ment Of steel on an opposing door as a
boy with a new knife is to whittle on the
nursery woodwork
I could no longer deny that it took a
certain crude form of nerve. was con-
WINGED of this. indeed, as saw the ap
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