Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-22

on the floor near il scrap of paper-a
leaf torn from notebook.
He bent down quickly, picked it up,
and went out.
Only outside the door did he examine
it, thus showing the acumen of more
than a novice at the game. On one side
il was addressed simply to:
"CHARLES"
in large letters to catch his eye. That
side had lain uppermost. On the other
side was scrubbed:
"'Tell the manager Anna stuart wants
you to use a private telephone. Telephone
to Hilbert, Ritz Hotel. that picture he
wants can't be bought from van Kiet
but only from people who won't touch
dealers Tell him Maxim's private room
at FIVE o'clock, and ask there for Anna
Stuart"
The young man ran downstairs and
sought the manager When he had de-
livered the message, answered various
questions of the millionaire at the other
end and confirmed the appointment, he
| ordered bottle Of champagne, and
carried a tray upstairs himself. Anna
and van Kiet still sat at the table and
never had the young woman, in Charles
experience, looked more alluring. She
cried:
Goodness, what a time you've been !
| You've brought champagne, haven't
you? We've settled the business. He
buys the Damsel at 10000 and a cheap
thing she is, too. He knows she is
cheap"
Van Kiet did He counted out the
notes. rolled up the picture again in
brown paper, and drank Annals health.
They all drunk each others health. 1t
was a cordial affair.
They went downstairs together. One
taxicab was passing at the moment, and
| Charles hailed it for Annals benefit. A
loafer, hollow faced and blear eyed,
stole up, hoping to open the door, and
kept lowering near on a curious encour-
aging glance from the tail of Anna S
eye Van Kiet said he should walk to
Piccadilly Circus and take the tube to
| Dover street. He was going straight
to the Ritz. He saw Anna and Charles
into their cab, and she pressed his hand
with her little white gloved one.
"Good-by. You have made one good
bargain and hope you make another"
81 hope so, miss, thank YOU" replied
the dealer, striding away. Anna leaned
over her side of the cab-which was
open-and beaming with kindness,
dropped a coin into the ready hand of
the loafer who had hoped to open the
door. And she also said to him. very
low and swiftly:
You saw the gentleman who has just
walked away with a brown paper roll in
his hand? If that parcel was stolen
from him he could not raise any fuss.
He is obliged to keep quiet. And if you
get it before he reaches Piccadilly Cir
Gus tube, and drop it into this cab which
will come along shortly, you shall have
IS handed to you instantly"
She opened her hand for one second,
showed gold, leaned back, and gave the
order through the speaking tube:
Drive very slowly toward the Cir
Gus"
Tho loafer had melted away. They
drove very lcsurcly into Coventry street
Her eyes darted right and left, and in q
few moments, during which they crawled
a long, she saw coming at a smart walk
that approached q run nearly as was
safe, lank and ragged form that, espy-
ing them suddenly, dashed at their cab
4 roll OF brown paper dropped on her lap
painted: quick, lidy for Gawd's sike
| Two or free people sor - burst from
, him Five sovereigns changed hands.
All this in the thick crawling traffic al
the corner with other pedestrians ven
turing into the road and darling back
was hardly remarkable.
Anna gave a sharp order through the
tube.
Down the Haymarket-along the
Mall"
Traffic moved on with a rush. and she
| pointed out to Charles the tense figure OF
van Kiet hurrying back IN his tracks in
tent on pursuit He did not look into any
of the many taXcabs that fled by him.
. but scanned the pedestrians on the pave
ment.
Anna leaned back comfortably.
Now" she said, they turned into
the Mall, there is the sale to arrange
, with Hilbert
And them" asked Mr.. Captain.
. THE picture should. morally, be re-
turned to the Louvre. The reward is n
fairly good one. 1t is not by despising
/; the small things that one gets on in
life" And again Anna Stuart's virtuous
expression was very piquant. What is
the time?'
, Nearly o'clock"
Take me to tea somewhere"
So they directed their taxicab to Bond
street, where they had tea at Charlton
nels.
by 4:30 they had returned TO Maxim E.
, with THE Jocund Damsel," and they
waited for Mr. Hilbert In the same pri-
; vate room where that well-known Ameri-
can dealer, van Keit had come by his
downfall
Mr.. HILBERT came, very suave, very
, charming. but exceedingly keen. and
looked at them warlly.
, 1--WE refuse" said Anna firmly when
they had greeted him, ito do business
through dealers"
. And your price," asked the collector,
who did not care straw by what repre-
hensible means the picture had been
wrenched from the French nation
Fifteen thousand pounds replied
Anna.
I'm cases like this" Mr. HILBERT said.
"one never cares 90 give a check He
selected some notes and handed them
with a little bow. to Anna
Fifteen thousand pounds" she count
ed THANK you The picture is yours
With her own hands, very white In the
fading light. she rolled tho picture up
once more
''You know" said she anxiousiy TO Mr..
HILBERT that you run grave risk in
taking this yourself? You may have
been suspected and Swallowed even now
You are a wcll-known collector"
Il guess would face the risk for this"
he replied smiling like a lover at the
,ouari,, tbat hid 1.-The JOCund Damaal"