Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-11

her that Silva had taken no chances.
There was no back door to the place.
no fre escape, and of course he had
locked the front door and taken the
key with him.
Aa for his statement that his pal
was waiting out front. she did not
doubt 1t for a minute. In fact. looking
thru the lace curtains of the window,
she thought she could see the man in
tho shadow Of the doorway across the
street.
1t was no use! Escape was entirely
cut of. and when Moll realized this.
she acted like any other woman under
the circumstances. She laid her head
on her outflung arms and wept bitter
tears.
near. Now they seemed gone forever!
But after a time, when she heard no
sound from the adjoining apartment.
she gathered courage. After all Bill
was clever. there was no denying that.
His wits were more than a match for
Perhaps he was even now working on
some plan of escape.
! Moll dried her eyes and. being Of
an intensely practical nature, she
she could. for sho argued she would
need all her wits to help him.
So she went itno the next room. and
slipping into her night things she crept
into bed. first making sure that her
loaded revolver was under her pillow.
Worn out with her anxietics and emo
tons, she allowed herself to fall into
half doze. She was partly awakened
by a stcalthy sound. but looking up
at tho window shade. she saw 1t being
drawn in and puffed out by the night
breeze. and accounted for the noise
in this way.
Nevertheless. to make svre. she let
the shade roll up quito to tho top, and
then listened also; she took her re-
voiver and went out into tho hall.
1t really was the window. and she
slipped back under the covers. still
holding hcr revolver tightly. After all.
her lover had his loaded gun. and was
more than a match for Silva. sho told
herself proudly. With this thought in
her mind. she allowed hcdself to rc-
lax. and fell into a sleep more pro-
found than the one before.
As soon as he was quite sure that
all was safe, Black Mike once moro
pushed the door open. fixing the latch
so he could make a quick escape. His |
Portuguese blood showed itself in his
swift and noisclcss movements for tho |
can never hope to equal
the cat like tread OF tho Latin. Tho |
sixth sense. which made him a power |
in the underworld, told him that he |
could safely venture into the bed room. |
As hc fclt quite sure the necklace was |
hidden there. this WAS naturally his
first move, and so he found himself |
looking down Mt Moll as she lay |
flushed in sleep.
She had dozed off thinking Of Bill. |
and as she lay there. relaxed and with |
a little smile on her lips. shc looked |
so much moro beautiful than tho |
ganGstcr had ever seen her. that tho |
blood began to hammer in his veins,
and the thought came to him that per- !
haps here was the finest jewel of all.
And Moll woke suddenly to find him |
bending over the bed, with his eyes
burning into hers. J
But Black Mike was not called the
King of Chinatown for nothing. Quick |
AS the movement OF her arm which |
held the concealed rcvolver-far quick
or was the iron grip In which he i'm
prisoned both hcr hands. Moll was
not a weak woman. There was n ter
rihc struggle during which they fought |
like tigers around the room. II MolI |
had only been able to scream for
hclp-to call out to her lovcr-cvcn to
hro the revolver! But this was impos-