The Washington times., 1921-03-14

MI been nonpuised py TINS ques
AVA ton. Before he answered
Homer broke in:
"Mr. barley didn't know him ana
we didn't know him because he hed
his hat pulled over his eyes. ana
besides he had on ? UNIFORM.
II see" said Linton, with . look
that meant he didn't believe them'
Here. you fellows, chase through
the house and see II this pair are
hiding anywhere"
He waited till his subordinates
were on their way and again turned
his attention to the owner OF the
house.
"As 1 figure this thing up you're
not crazy for an investigation, are
your"
4If there's anything to investi-
gate I'm in for It," said Darley'
asbut for the life of me ! can't see
what's to be done"
'You admit the butler. Mendoza.
was q crook"
"No. I don't! Crooks don't usual
" return their loot, do they?"
"Ordinarily, no: but circumstances
here were different. This crook
wasn't looking for jewels: he was
looking for something else"
You know more about 1t than
I do" said barley.
II only known what Slower toid
me-"
"welI, II you know that. my re-
mark holds good" barley protested.
Here's q chap" went on Linton
who's been in Jail: he sees Slower.
the Old warden, in this house and
he says to himself, I'll get even
with him. He's got 1t figured out
that Slower has q paper that's valu-
able. So he lays a plan to get this
paper and make 1t appear like an
incident in the big scheme. l guess
you get me. Mr.. barley?
"All right Slower wants the pa
Der back. He won't tell mo what
was on Il. but he wants It. Sud-
denly this fellow, Peter, disappears
With tho girl and the policemen arc
fooled to the kings taste. I'm go
ing to get this fellow. I'm going
to get him for holding up your
quests and for impersonating an
officer. Do you get thatr
FAITH IN DARLEY.
you'll worm no accusation out
Of me-" said barley, NOR out OF
anyone In this ROOM
ssNow Linton raised his voice.
'~That's what wanted to know. II
tells me a lot. Now, Mr.. barley
let me put you q question. How
much did you pay Mr.. Mendoza to
pull of this stuntT'
barley had difficulty in restrain
i ing his anger. IT understand you're
from out of town. Mr.. Linton" he
said coldIy. You'd better 60 back
from. wherever you came; you
can't start too soon. There's the
door. sir"
Linton was not q bit abashed.
tive heard that stun before" he
said. ct believe the thieves are
in this house."
Look through the house then,
and hurry about 1t. I don't like
your methods and don't propose
to stand for your manners.
During this unfortunate little
oollouuy Peter and Clare had man
aged to put q good many city
blocks between Sergeant Linton
and themselves. The young man
was under no Illusions. He felt
that in spite of his good intentions,
the hold-up would be used against
him by Slower, the one man whose
enmity he would have preferred
to forego.
The proxy lay in ashes on the
ballroom floor, but Peters little
scene had cost him q good place,
had again raised the hand OF the
police against him and had made
more difficult his resolve to run
straight.
AS for Clare she felt 4 greater
love for Peter than ever. Deep in
her heart she had hoped the hold
60.
she discovered that not one OF the
yaluables was to be retained, she
realized that the old life was
buried forever.
For II Peter could do this thing
and then calmly give back such
treasures, he could Withstand any
temptation. His road was her
road.
"You didn't forget the little pic
ture in your pocketr' she whis-
pered while they waited for train
IN q dark corner of the station.
81 never forget that" he an
svered. "Cheer up. Clare, 1t will
all come out right In the end I've
got enough faith in Mr.. barley for
that.
WORTHY OF HER.
But there was one other thing
even nearer to Peters heart than
any concern for his own safety,
and that was Clare and her future.
His former care-free attitude had
changed. He wanted to be In u
position to protect the woman he
loved. and the only right way to
do that was to ask her to marry
him.
AS the train rumbled along
through the dark Peter lived over
again the scenes that had pre-
ceded his prison sentence. All
through his term Glare had re-
manned faithful to him In deed and
thought The least he could do
KSSFeNSISR0/