Gunnison news-champion., 1917-01-05

ZV-X |
snvritten. He had satarsd. pscsuslns
b his mind familiar acsas. six faDll
ias fAess: and this instaaA! Il voul1
have AyDeoeissa anyoas.
4 baoekAeaA! A sheepf 10 have
allowed himself to b tFussed up thia
vay. without . sinsie GlSugsis. VIII
oUt . voed! 4 me detective! He
strainea e HIS hands. anA thsa q his
ankles. b1t assistsA Vhsn u chair
threateaea 70 toppls over. o. ~
Aooe ~ voslA - absoauaely Asaplsss.
% ~ sat there b The dask, no1th1no
q his haAdksrcAisl anA trying - ~
his tsstA into T.
he DaA AaA . freshly skinno6
knuekIa He would rsosahsr -tAaa
vAsa the police cana He would
never - able 70 recall the votee. -
e9ectnally nu0ea beAinA tAe curtain
q the 0ask. ln svsaing drsss. too.
anA voes Il b he nannss besa: hsss
in neaie o1a New Yesk. Ana thsa 4
cans upoa hin VIII ~ dasslsosaa
Of sunrise. TAs nystsssoas burglar
of the nevspapsesl
He began 70 swear again; cultural
sounds which started in his throat and
ended, basooonlike. IN hie nose. DasA
he door-boy. 70 have givea him The
wrong dooe! SomeWhere up above
or down below they were waiting for
him; the cards were purring. the
chips clicking musically against one
another. Deuces Wild. II you held .
king and queen Of any suit, together
with three deuces. you could call Il four
queens. o. four kings. q . royal Just
~ you pleased. Open On anything:
no weary waiting for jacks or better;
something doing every minute. III
never occurred to him that the bur.
slar had already saved him about
my dollars!)
And when the occupants OF this
room returned they would doubtless
and with reason. hand him over TO the
police. and the deuce (wild. indeed!) }
would Be to pay. Moreover. he would
never hear the last OF II. He. who haA
never left himself open to ridicuia,
would be the laughing-stock Of the
town.
Numbnsss crept into his arms and
legs. He could net shift the haudker
chief solitary inch. not fraction Of
an inch. Occasionally he heard sounds:
the lift-door closing. someone going up
or down the stairs. the rattle Of . Tar.
on elevated train. the honk Of an auto
horn In the street below. Beautiful
situation for J. Mortimer Forbes. d.
nous ILLUSTRATOR! Hours and hours and
hours passed; ct least % It seemed
to him. OF course Il was Just his luch
to strike . place where the people
kept ungodly hours. He would not Be
able to work for days. The gold thread
Of the stole cut like q razor's edge.
Tho beggar might have left the lights
on. 20 that he could have found some
amusement In staring at the furnish
ings and speculating ~ 70 the taste oi
the absent ones. But to cit in pure
darkness (for the blinds were DOWN.
his nerves all awrack from listentns
and waiting. his lungs aching for ths
want Of . deep breath-it was III
mighty unpleasant
Thank heaven! Someone was turn.
ing . key In the lock. They had come
at last. He suddenly found himself
blinking into the light. Over the
threshold came an elderly man and Q
young woman.
Good heavens!" cried the young
woman.
Forbes said nothing. but his eyes
threatened TO fall out Of his head.
For the young woman was no lees {
person than she OF the copper.bescA
hair: and her face was - sad and
beautiful - Bsllini's Madonna" n
that rickety old church by the side ol
that smelly old canal In Venice!