The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-04-28


was his turn. In this temper he ar.
rived. past one in the morning, under
the walls OF the Omber place.
Now II II were violation of the ten
cts of his craft to revisit premises
once successfully entered, he showed
them at least the prudent Difference OF
selecting a fresh point OF attack-one
chosen earlier, in the course Of his
first circuit of the walls II hadn't es.
capped him then that this brick-and.
plaster construction was In bad re-
pair; he had marked down several
places where the weather had eaten
the outer coat of plaster altogether
away. AT the first of these, midway
between the avenue and the junction
OF the side streets. he hesitated.
AS he had foreseen, the mortar that
bound the wall together was crumbling
II was no great task 10 work loose one
OF the exposed bricks, establishing a
foothold to a position whence his other
hand, gloved could seize the top OF the
wall, cast the ulster neatly 7ver the
glass-toothed upper curblng and. thus
protected, swing himself bodily atop
the thing.
But there, momentarily, he paused
In doubt In that singularly exposed
and comfortless position. poised ten
feet above the lifeless street on the
one hand and with the black mystery
Of the neglected park on the other, he
was seized and shaken by a sudden
and unpresaged revulsion of feeling in
no way colored by any sort of alarm.
He was afraid of himself-he, the
grim and deadly thing that walked by
night. the Lone Wolf, the creature OF
pillage and rapine, the scourged slave
Of that self which knew no law. And
for little longer he fingered there in
trembling, not knowing whether he
was to go back or go forward.
Then slowly that terror passed like
the lifting of a nightmare from the
brain of sleeper. and with a start,
with little shiver and a sigh, Ian
yard went forward as one driven
Dropping to the ground with an Inn
pact muffled by the soft, damp turf,
he made himself one with the shadows
of the park, as silent, as intangible, as
fugitive as they, until presently he
came out beneath the stars. on the |
open lawn running up to the wing that |
housed the library.
From one of the library windows a |
shallow stone balcony jutted out eight
feet above the lawn-a height so insig- |
nificant that, with one bound, grasping
its stone balustrade, the adventurer
was upon it in brace Of seconds.
Nor did the windows-long French
opening inward-offer any
obstacle; a penknife ex-
peditiously removed the old, dry putty
round one of the small, lozenge-shaped
panes. then dislodged the pane itself;
his hand through this opening readily
found and turned the latch a cautious
pressure created an opening between
the two wings wide enough to permit
the passage of his body, and-he stood
inside the library, refastening the
latch.
He had made no sound and, thanks
70 thorough prior acquaintance with
he combination of the safe, he needed
10 light. The screen of cinnabar af-
'orded him all the protection he re-
luired; and because he meant to ac-
,omplish his purpose and be out of the
louse with almost inconceivable swift
less, he didn't even trouble to explore
he household-beyond a swift and
casual survey of the adjoining salons.
The clock in the reception hall
.himed the three-quarters as he en-.
conced himself between screen and
afe and grasped the combination {
mob.
But he did not turn it. That mellow l
music died out slowly and left him {
in the silence and gloom, his {
yes staring wide into blackness at I
othing, his jaw set and rigid his knit
ed forehead damp with sweat, his S
ands so tightly clenched that the
ails bit painfully into the flesh of his f
aims, while he looked back over the /
byss that yawned between the Lone t
Volt of tonight and the man who had, +
7ithin the week, knelt before that safe |
! company with the woman he loved b
ent on making restitution Of his theft
lat his soul might be saved through a
er faith in him. S
He closed his eyes to shut out the q
ccusing darkness, and knelt on un-
.irring, save as he shuddered now and I
gain with the sickness of a strong q
an rent in the conflict of mans dual c
ature. S
Minutes passed without his knowl-
lge in the crisis of that struggle. u
But at length he grew more calm; :,
s hands relaxed, the muscles of his !,
'ow smoothed out, he breathed more 9,
owly and more deeply his set lips :.
lrted and through them a profound :,
gh escaped, whispering through the -,
illness.
A great weariness was upon him as
, rose slowly and heavily from the
,or and stood erect, no longer the =,
ave of self, but its master free at .,
st and for all time from that ancient n
ii which so long had held his soul in
'ndage. p,
And then, in that moment of victory, of
rough the deep hush reigning in that 81
use, he hea 4 the sound of an incau- IN
JUS football on the parquetry of the III
llway. w,
or
CHAPTER XVIII. IN
to
A Meeting BY the Safe. hr