Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-27
cHAPrER 1v-continued.

L
Burning with indignation and shivertng
a bit avith fear of the man, she stopped
short, midway down the ramp TO the
lower level" and momentarily contem-
plated throwing herself upon his mercy
and crawling out of It all with what
ever grace she might; but his ironic and
skeptical smile provoked her beyond
discretion
"oh, very well!" she said ominously
turning, If that's the way YOU feel about
II we may as we'll have this thing out
now"
And she made as If to 60 back the way
she had come. but his hand fell upon
her arm with a touch at once light and
Imperative.
'steady!" he counseled quietly. This
is no place for either pickering or uare-
faced condolences Besides you mustn't
take things so much to heart. l was
only making fun. and you deserved as
much for your cheek now you know
Otherwise, there's no harm done Ii
you banker to go to Boston go you
shall, and no thanks to me. Even II
do pay the bill. owe you heap more
than I'll ever be able to repay, chances
are. So take It easy, and l say, DO
brace up and make q bluff, at least, OF
being on speaking terms. I'm not pad
sort, but I'm going to stick to you like
grim death to a sick darky's bedside
until we know each other better. That's
nat, and you may as well resign your
self to II. And here we are
Unwillingly, almost unaware, she had
permitted herself to be drawn through
the labyrinth of ramps to the very
threshold of the restaurant, where, ne
fore she could devise any efectual means
of reasserting herself, bland head
waiter took them in tow and, at Blue
Serges direction, allotted them taole
well over to one side of the room, out
of ear-shot of their nearest neighbors.
Temporarily too fagged and fustered to
react either to the danger or to the
novelty of this experience, or even to
think 10 any good purpose. Sally dropped
mechanically into the chair held for her,
wondering as much at herself for accept
ing the situation as at the masterful
creature opposite, earnestly but amiably
conferring with the head waiter over the
bill of fare.
Surely strange sort of criminal, she
thought, with his humor and ready ad-
dress his sudden shifts from slang of
the street to phrases chosen with a dis
eliminating taste in English. his cool
Indifference to her threatening attitude
and his paradoxical pose OF warmth
seemed-personal interest in and consid-
Grafton for a complete and, to say the
least very questionable stranger
She even went so far as to admit
that she might find him very likable. If
only it were not for that affected little
mustache and that semioccasional trick
he practiced of looking down his nose
when he talked.
On the other hand, one assumed all
criminals must seem strange types to
the amateur observer. Come to think
of It, she had no standard to measure
this man by, and knew no law that pre-
scribed for such as he either dress cloth
ing with an inverness and a mask of
polished imperturbability. or else a pea
40 kFf MI
with bow legs and a rolling gait.
There, fancy that will 90. But hurry
it along. please"
Very good, sir-immediately."
The head waiter ambled off, and Blue
Serge faced Sally with an odd. illegibe
smile.
.'At last" he hissed in the approved
manner of melodrama, I'VE are alone"
She wasn't able to rise TO his irrespon-
sible humor. The impression fingered of
a hand of steel beneath that velvet glove,
Thus far her audacity seemed to have
earned nothing but his derision. He was
not in the least afraid of her-and he was
a desperate criminal. Then what was
she in his esteem?
Such thoughts drove home a fresh pain
full realization of her ambiguous personal
status 1t began 10 seem that she had
been perhaps little hasty in assuming
she was to be spared punishment for her
sin. however venal that might in charity
he reekoned. Chance had, indeed, offered
what was apparently a broad and easy
avenue of escape; but her own voluntary
folly had chosen the wrong turning.
Her hands were twisted tight together
in her lap as she demanded with tense
directness:
what have you done with them"
He lifted the ironic eyebrow. "Them?"
1.-THE Jewels. l saw you steal them
watched you from the dining room,
through the folding doors"
'The deuce you did"'
II saw you break open the desk-and
everything"
well" he admitted fairly, I'm Jig
geredr'
''What have you done with them?"
''oh. the jewels?" he said with curious
intonation. ''Ah-yes, to be sure; the
Jewels, OF course. You're anxious to
know what I've done with them?"
"Oh, no." she countered irritably; "I
only ask out of politeness."
'Thoughtful of youE' he laughed
.sWhy, they're outside, OF course-in my
bag"
"outside?"
Didn't you notice? checked 1t with
my hat, rather than have row. l ought
TO be ashamed or myself. know, but