Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-16
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES

AIYrER first duty was to save the man
II in the next room from her fathers
treachery. and she was here now to dc
that: but she was here. too, TO dc
something else. She could. and would
stand between Dave Henderson and the
nersonal harm that threatened him
through the trust he had reposed in
Nicolo Capriano, and she would do
this at any cost and Mt any sacrifice TO
berae'f; but she could not, and she
would not, connivc at anything that
would tend to keep tho stolen money
from the possession OF its rightful
owners.
Her hands lifted now and pressed
hard against her temples, which had
begun to throb. Yes, and she must do
even more than that. There had been
not only treachery on her fathers part
toward Dave Henderson, there had been
treachery and trickery toward the po-
lice in an effort to cover up the stolen
money and, tacitly at least, she had
been an accomplice in that, and there
fore morally she was as much n thief
as that man next door. as much thief
as her fnther had intended to be-unless
now. with all her strength, with all
her might, she strovc to undo and make
had had a part. If IL lay within her
power, not adventitiously, not through
haphazard, but through the employment
toward that end Of every faculty of
brain and wit and courage she pos
sessed, she had no choice now but to
get possession of that money and re-
turn It to the authorities. Her con-
science was brutally frank on that
point. and brutaIy direct: there WIS
no room TO temporize, no halfway
course-and here was the final, ulti.
mate and supreme test.
Her face In the darkness whitcned.
Her lips moved silently. 1t was
strength and hep she asked now. Her
mind was already made up. She would
fight for. and, In any way or by any
means that offered, get that money,
and return it. And that meant that
she must watch Dave Henderson. too.
There was no other way OF getting It.
He alone knew where It was, and since
II was not to be expected that he would
Voluntarily give 1t up. there seemed left
but one alternative--to take it from
him.
Her mind was almost overpoweringly
swift now in its fow Of tormcnting
thoughts. 1t seemed an impossible
situation that she should warn him Of
danger from one source, only to do to
not IN danger with her; that was the
difference. But---but it was not easy
to bring herself TO this. She was alone
now, with no bonds between herself and
any living soul, except those strange,
fncongruous bonds between herself and
that man in the next room whom she
was, In the same breath. both trying TO
save and trying to outwlt. Why was
It that he was a thief? They could
have been friends II he were not n
thief; and she would have been so glad
OF 4 friend now, and she had liked
him, and he did not look Ike Il thief.
Perhaps her mother had liked Nicolo
Capriano in the early days, and per-
haps Nlcolo Capriano then had not
looked like thief, and perhaps her
mother had counted on turning Nicolo
Capriano into an honest man. and
Teresa rose abruptly to her feet. She
felt the hot color food her face. She
saw the man as he had stood that first
night on the threshold of her fathers
room, and he had looked at her so long
ana steadily-and there had been no
onense in his look. She caught her
breath sharply. Her mind was run
hlhg riot! IT must not do that! She |
nag many things to accomplish tonight,
ana she would need al her wits.
one forced her thoughts violently into |
snother channel. How long would it |
90 before this Iron Tavern closed for |
the mig ht, and Dago George was in bed |
ana asleep? She did not trust Dago |
ueorgc! She knew him as one utterly |
without scruples, and one who was in |
adlousiy crafty and dangerously cum
nIng' She began to rchcarsc again the !
scene that she had had with him-and !
studeh J drew herself up tensely. Why,
at the last moment as he had left tho !
room, had he reverted 10 her fathers !
oeatn, and why had he waited until |
men, when it should naturally have
oeen one OF his fret questions, 70 in
qulre-so p!ausbly--when her fathers
Death had taken place?
her lips grew suddenly hard. Nine
Gays! She. had told nine days. Was
mere any significance IN that-to Dngo |
Heorge,, or to herself? Sho had been
70 ayed IN leaving San Francisco BY her
ia.hers funeral. Dave Henderson had
h Mn there several days earlier, but he
tS tSa Gnly arrived here at Dago Georges
mgt; sOnIght; True. the difference in time
kIasS kTI.snt De accounted for through Dave
a.. WI plcSuIlleu necessity OF
travelling under cover; but, equally. II
might not. Had DQgo George thought
VI that-as she was thinking of it now?
hmas It possible that Dave Henderson
naa already got that money, aud had
Sune here for refuge with it: that il
nas , now, at this moment, In that next
piSohI there, and that, below stairs,
taso Heorgc, too, was sitting, waitinr
!, tOr INC INC hours to pass, and sleep to como
" ! but himself!
she went mechanically 10 the win.
a avw' and stood for moment staring
SSuI Sun upon a vista Of dark, shadow
buildings Ooildlngs that made jagged, i'll defined
SJ,,ts p.h against the sky ine--and then,
WIN WIN a sudden start, she raised tho
INFLOW MN cautiously. soundlossly, inch by
,aeS rs and leaned out. Yes. she was
ssS .Sat The iron platform Of a fire.
~ ape was common to her room and to
'ae room next door,
,ns or another moment she stood there.
u .oor, then returned softly across the
'oVm to her chair.
II Is too early yet !" she whispered
$40; $40; with her chin in her hands,
s,c ~ back IN her chair, and stared
'a'o the bIackness.