Gilpin observer., 1917-01-11

your terms fairly and sQuarely."
"D'ye mean that you're Nillin' to
pay?" broke In an eager voice.
"That is to be settled at the expira-
tion Of an hour" was the calm an
swer.
"He thinks he's playin' with u.s."
sneered Mother Flanagan, "but I'll
teach him. See If don'tl"
Meanwhile some stirring events had
happened in the city. It will be re-
membered that Burton had employed a
Japanese valet during the absence on
vacation of the smooth-spoken English
servant who usually filed that office.
He had come to like the little brown
man, and retained him in his service,
SO that the two Wallets alternately per-
formed the same duties.
When the gunmen made their at
tack on Burton's house, choosing the
hours Of broad daylight as the safest
for their purpose, and depending for
success wholly on rapidity of move
ment, the japanese happened to be
in dressing room adjoining the IL
brary where his master was at the
moment attending to some belated cor
respOndence.
Hearing sudden hubbub of rushing
feet and muttered oaths, the little man
ran in, only to be blackjacked forth
with. He fell like pole-axed OK, and
the Hell-cats did not care whether or
not he was actually dead. The fate of
valet was of no account. What they
wanted was bound and gagged mil
lionaire safe in the limousine of a fast
car, and this Achievements they carried
out with daring and efficiency worthy
of a better cause.
So the Jap recovered his senses, and
was able to give the police a fairly lu-
cid account Of the attack.
=
Grace Coe was sitting down to a be-
lated luncheon when her brother ran
In with an evening newspaper in his
hand.
II am sorry to be the bearer of bad
news, Grace, but feel that you ought
to know the worst. Burton has been
captured by the Hell-catsi They actu-
ally took him bodily out of his house,
and have rushed him in car to some
place which the police have not been
able to locate. I think you can help.
Those people at the Settlement"
The words died away on his lips,
for his very heart was chilled by the
sight Of the wan misery in the girls
face. But she rose steadily enough,
and her voice was extraordinarily un-
der control.
II half expected this" she said.
Eyes, must do what can. Don't
come with me, George. I shall go
alone. You do not know the ways of
my poor friends. If you are there,
they will be dumb, but to me they will
tell the TRUTH"
On reaching the Settlement she
found Blanche Griffin there. Her own
despair was equaled by that of the girl
whom she had dragged out of the gut
ter, for the newspaper reports made
1t clear that Bill Reilly, the ex-convict
who had found redemption, was MISS
ing as well as the millionaire. Poor
Blanche was already harboring
dream of her own wherein quiet cot
tage home, children, and the happiness
which comes alone from love and hon
est work, might one day be hers. That
vision was rudely shattered. It was
replaced by grim and tragic reality.
Wherein John Burton Solves the Prob
lem.
In looking back through the history
of an individual, as of n nation, it
would seem as though idle chance
played the most important part in hui
man affairs. 1t is not so, of course.
The apparently aimless currents of
life mingle at last and unite in one
mighty and irresistible stream of prog
ress.
Who. for instance, could possibly
have imagined any active connection
between the arrival that day of a
worn, frayed, elderly woman at the
city's central depot with the deadly
menace threatening John Burton and
his faithful friend, Bill Reilly? Sure
ly not the poor creature herself! On
leaving the train, she stepped into
crowded street. and the bewildered,
half-frightened, haff-despairing express
sion betokened by dropping lips and
lack-luster eyes showed that she, at
least, was irresolute of mind and sad
ly aware of her own unimportant place
in the general scheme of things.
Amid the noisy chaos OF the passing
multitude she picked out policeman,
and approached him timidly. Fumbling
in reticule which she carried, togeth-
er with dilapidated suitcase, she pro-
duced n photograph.
"Pardon me, mister" she said in a
quavering, apologetic voice, "but do
Ia