Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-16
MARY Roberts Rinehart 81
Thrilling Mystery of
1.-The Curve of the CatenarY'

you have done, what you are going
Her voice broke. Good night
Ollie" she said. And that time she
knew she said it,
l kissed her hand. I couldn't help
it. | might see her again, but this
was our good-by. Into that bit of
| | felt. l couldn't tell her l loved
her. but it wouldn't hurt to let her
know it. and that she could count on
me to the finish.
Well
l robbed the house. I'm rather a
nifty little robber. l learned some
thing, too, doing it.
4, Crime is like golf. If you try too
hard, YOU cramp your form.
didn't care whoop in hades that
night what happened to me, and
couldn't even make a noise! | put
my hand against the pane to find
where to smash it with a brick, and
the whole glass fell in on pillow or
something without a sound.
Can you beat it?
| got the suitcase and carried it out
to my car. 1t was heavy but | didn't
notice it. With what brains l had
left | was trying to picture Hazel mar
ried to Martin, and the rest of the
world a sort of empty place, with me
in the middle.
l had an idea, for n while, that l
was being watched. 1t wasn't a mat
ter of noise. l didn't hear anything
except my own footsteps on the pave
ment
Once I stopped suddenly and looked
! pack; There was nothing in sight,
and | went on.
l had plenty to think of. For one
thing, it was clear, or l thought it
was, and after all the holdup at Bois-
/ seau's had had nothing to do with the
other events of that ghostly night. If
Id had any idea of making a grand
stand play, and dropping the matters
pearls in her lap, it had vanished,
| say l was thinking of that. But
in the back of my brain there was
only one thought. and if you've ever
! been 23 and have seen the only girl
about to marry one of your friends,
so that you can't even try to make a
case Tor Yourself, you'll know what
that thought was.
I'll tell you, the river looked good
to me that night Foolish? No.
Twenty three
My car is a roadster. / reached in
and dropped the suitcase started the
engine, and walked around and kick
ed the tires to see if they were all
right. Then l got in.
had just put my hand on the gear
lever when something cold pressed
against the back of my neck
til take that suitcase Mr. Gray"
said strange voice behind me.
minute before I'd been looking
at the river and wishing | couldn't
swim, but do you think | took any
risks with that revolver? | did not.
Take it and be hanged" / said.
And keep your finger off the trigger
of that gun. If you're as nervous as
| am, it may go off"
He dropped his bandit manner then
and laughed. | don't know that 1 ever
heard of a highwayman laughing
while in the active pursuit of his busi-
ness. But this one did.
"All right" he said "I'll be care
ful. But no tricks, please"
No tricks. please" Do you get
1T? That was what the man in the
dressingroom at Boisseau's had said
He had an electric flash = the same
tlash, dare say-and he turned il
on the suitcase.
"All right, son." he said. It'll get
out and you can toss it to me. I've
got you covered, you know"
had faint glimpse of him from
distant street light. He had a hand
kerchief tied over his face, and If
had any idea that 1t was the man the
, n. G. had sent after me, it went then
This fellow was jaunty, rather tai
and slender. The other chap had
, been short
Come over. Ollie" he said. "Oper
the suitcase. l don't want any soiled
J laundry. and I'm tired of this fooling.
| l stared at him, but as far as
! could tell I'd never seen him before
Well, | opened it. There's no argu.
t ment with a loaded gun. The suit.
case was on the seat beside me, ano
, as | threw back the lid he turned the
flash on 1t.
; Did you ever read "The Lady OF
) the Tiger" The story ends, yor
| know, without your knowing which
I've half mind to stop here, ant
let you go on wondering whether
he saw lot of photographers iunl
t or million dollars worth of trim
mings.
Which was it? You've got a fifty
{ nifty chance to be right, you know
{ Well. I'll tell you. 1t was Junk
0 lenses, parts of cameras, springs ant
y wire.
l don't believe the fellow coult
1 speak at first. He poked around witt
e his free hand, and if | had had th,
e car wrench within reach | could hav,
l swatted him like a fly in cold weather
He was torpid.
I Then he closed the lid carefully.
:. "All right son." he said. i've mad,
i a mistake. that's all. Run along. Yo,