The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-04
PACKARD


 Rough Rorke of headquarters. who on one occasion was very much inter ested in Gypsy Nan; and enough men to make the round of arrests They should be conveniently hidden across the road now, and waiting for my signal My idea, you see. was to aI- low Mrs. DangIar to enter here with out haV1ng her suspicious aroused, and to see that she did not get away again if she arrived before those who are duly qualified-whfch I am not to arrest her did; also, in view Of what transp1red earlier this evening, must confess I was a little anxious about those several years accumulation of stolen funds up there in the ceiling. AS said at the beginning. hardly ex- pected the luck to get you both at the same time; though we should have you you. Danglar. and every one ot the rest of the gang before morning, and-'
 You, Rhode Gray whispered, .fyou are not a thief" Brain and soul seemed on fire It seemed as though she had striven to voice those words dozen times since he had been speaking, but that she had been afraid afraid that this was not true this great, wonderful thing, that it could not be true. ''You-you are not a-a thief"
 The Adverturer's face lost it's in- mobility. He half rose from his chiar. staring at her in startled way-but IL was Danglar now who spoke.
 Its ie!' he screamed out 'Its ne! The mans reason appeared to De almost unhinged; a mad terror semed to possess him. Its a lie! T never heard of this rajah bunk before In my life! I never heard of Deemer. or any Jewels before. You IieI I tell you, you neI You can't prove it: vol, can't"
 "But I can," said Rhoda Cray in q low voice. The shawl fell fron, bar shoulders; from her blouse she took the package of jewels and held them out to the Adventurer. Here are the stones l got them from where you had put them in old Luertz's room, Il was hidden there all the time last night. She was removing her spec tacles and her wig or tangled gray hair as she spoke, and now she turned her face full upon Danglar. ''I heard O--~N'S your brather last night, and plan to get rid of C1oran, who you thought was the only existing witness yon need fear. and-''
 Great God! "The Adventurer cried out. You-Fhoda! The White MoIl! IT don't understand though I can see you are not the woman who orig lnalIV masqueraded as Gypsy Nan, for l knew her. as I said. by sight"
 He was on his feet now, his face 'ahame with a great light. He took a step toward her.
 ''Wait!" she said hurried1y. She glanced at Danglar. The mans face was blanched. his body seemed to have shriveIed up. and there was light in his eyes as they held upon her that was near to the borderland Of insanity. That night at Skarbo- lov'c!" she said, and tried to hold her vonce in control. /'tGypsy Nan, this mans wife, died that night in the hos pttal. I had found her here sick. and l had promised not to divulge her sec ret. I helped her get to the hospital. She was dying; she was penitent in a way; she wanted to prevent a crime that she said was to be perpetrated that night, but she would not inform on her accomplices- She begged me to forestau them, and return the money anonym ously the next day. That was the choice I had-either to allow the crime to be carried out, or else swear to act alone in return for the Information that would enable me to keep the money away from the thieves without bringing the police into it. IT was caught. You-you saved me from Rough Rorke, but he followed me. put on Gypsy Mans clothes, and I managed to outwit him l--li had no opportunity to return the money, which would have been proof of my innocence; the only way I could prove it, then, was to try and find the authors of the crime myself IT have lived since then as Gypsy Nan, fighting this hideous gang of DangIar's here to try and save poNself, and-and tonight I thought ! r0uid see my way clear. IT knew ealough at last about this man to make him give me a written statement that it was a pre-arranged plan to rob Shar- bolov. That would substa ntiate my story. And"-she looked again at Danglar; the man was still crouched there, cycling her with that same mad light in his eyes-'and he must be made toto do it now for-
 But why didn't you ask me?" cried the Adventurer. You knew me as the Pug and therefore must have believed that I. too, know all about it"
 ''Yes." she said, and turned her head away to hide the color she felt was mounting to her cheeks. TT thought of that But I thought you were -htef and-and your testimony wouldn't have been much good unless, with 1t, I could have handed you, too, over to the police. as intended to do with Danglar; ar;and-and-I-I couldn't no that, and Oh, don't you see ?" she ended desperately.
 'Rhoda! Rhoda!" There was a glad, buoyant note in the Adventur- CTS voice. 'Yes, I see! We'll, I can prove it for you now without any Of those fears on my behalf to worry yout I went to S&arbolov's myself. knowing their plans.to do exactly what you did. I did not know you then, and. as Rough Rorke, who was there