The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-04-26

the coffee, lifted her brown head at the
sound of the door slam, let loose, as it
were, her own private and particular
devil, sprang up and ran to Charles.
Now" she cried, "for the eggs"
But it seemed that Mr.. Rosrown had
asked the housemaid to rearrange some
furniture and lay different carpet in
the room exactly opposite his own. The
secretary and the companion had to go
downstairs again.
! They stood together, later in the CEN
1 ter of the room, and cast about for fur
ther possible hiding places. So the door
was behind them. 1t opened very gent
ly and quickly, and in stole Mr.. Ros-
rown, sleepy eyed and quiet as a cat,
and he locked the door after him and
dropped the key into his coat pocket.
/ They heard the click OF the lock,
turned, saw him, noted in a fash the
pocketing of the key, and for the first
time in their new acquaintance Charles
Captain flung a thrilling arm around
Anna.
We'll, WELL" said Rosrown, what
are you two doing in my ROOM"
Charles Captain saw that his right
hand rested in his coat pocket where he
had dropped the key of the door and
that his left hourished a cablegram.
you needn't" said Rosrown, not
waiting for an answer, try another
prank on me. It's up. l know you.
You don't belong to us. | cabled yes
terday to headquarters in New York to
ask il either Charles Captain or Anna
Stuart were on our rolls, and I've got
the answer here"
Quite sharp" said Charles, after an
observant pause.
Rosrown went dull red to his tenn
pies, suffered, resumed command of
himself, and went on still under his
breath:
Now what are you? Anyway, you're
bunglers, both OF you. | don't pretend
to have fathomed your methods, nor
how you worked the Job, but haven't
you bungled it, What you are looking
for left my care just as soon as heard
from New York. Oh, aren't YOU fools !"
In his right hand steel flashed, and it
was not the door key. Captain met him
like lightning, coming in well under the
right wrist. twisted it till it cracked.
Still Rosrown did not drop the knife.
you damn spies!' he was suffering
under his breath You damn spies I'll
bury you in this room! I'll bury your
The two swayed and heaved and
struggled. and except for Rosrown's
stammering whispers, there was not a
sound made.
Anna darted round the two, hardly
noticed, dipped her light-fngered hand
into Rosrown's pocket, and took the
key. She had not screamed once. She
still wanted the eggs, and never so much
as at this moment She unlocked the
door, flung it open, switched off the
light, and running behind Charles, flung
herself against him, adding her weight
to his to force Rosro~n from the room
into the lighted corridor beyond.
"Out. Charles. out" came her pant
ing whisper to Captains throbbing ears
He realized her help behind him Step
by step he forced his adversary back
into the light that flooded the doorway,
step by step-grinding, Keeling, strug-
Cling. and never word now passing
between either OF them. Out they
swept. a whirl of three, into the cor
ridor.
Noislessly Anna closed the door Of
the room they had left slipped past the
, struggling men. and rushed, like wing
ed thing, down TO the drawing-room
She flung open the door. and leaving it
open. rushed hack to the hall. The men
were now fighting down the staircase.
and Rosrown's right hand. still held
alOft by Charles. had not released the
knife She shricked once-twice-thrice.
with loud and terror-Strickeu cries.
Doors slammed in the Dasement-ser-
wants rushed up-the cook and the par
Tor maid. joining their shrieks to hers,
were aware in a fash of the tableau-
the drawing-rOom door flung open, as
evidently Miss Stuart, in the rush from
the room at the noice of the fracas. had
LETT 1.-THE struggle, grim and sinister.
raging on the stairs, and Miss Stuart
herself pulling open the front door. run
ming down the steps into the street
shrieking for Police! Police Police"
Someone blew whiStle-and it was
the cab tout aforementioned He rush
ed toward the house, sprang on the
steps, and waved away passers-by who
would have entered at Annals calls
Plainclothes conStableS materialized at
his side. it seemed from nowhere. They
all hustled into the hall. Anna tremb-
ling before them. Some one knocked
the knife from Rosrown's hands. and
received him from Captains grasp. Two
minutes passed, and Rosrown stood
painting, captive and sullen. Charles
Captain leaned against the wall, and
wiped his brow, and Anna ran crying
to his side. The tabieau was perfect
art.
"Oh, Mr.. Captain" she might be
heard to falter. How DREADFUL What
is it all about? l do not understand.
Where can Mrs. Vanderdecken be-"
The whilom cab tout made a sign to
the two constables and they disappeared
with the prisoner into the dining room.
The man left requested the maids to
return to the kitchen, then regarded the
heated young man and the frightened
young woman.
Il should like to speak to you both"
he said briskly.
They all went, Anna instigating the
movement, to the drawing-room, shin
ing example of quiet domeSticity. Here
she sank down upon the sofa, extreme
ly pathetic, and dropped and trembled.
Where is Mrs. Vanderdecken?" she
cried.
Il regret to say we don't exactly
t,,ouy ,,adap,n -ooI;oJ 81. jatae+;,a