San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-30

"Thatw The barrel Of the gun
turned in the direction of the safe.
"Oh!" said Miss Glaub. 'It-it
isn't worth the trouble"
Suppose we take a look-eh, sis
ter?"
"You dirty brute!" she cried. "You
great big hulking thief! Picking on
poor defenseless woman. You-you-"
The gun came up with a jerk. The
ugly snout stared straight into her
eyes. With a whimper of terror Miss
Glaub collapsed into the chair from
which she had just arisen.
"Shut upw
He was standing over her now,
shapeless almost, and menacing.
sect up"
Trembling, Miss Glaub rose again.
"Open that safe.
With long, tapering fingers which
refused to retain the dial within their
grasp, Miss Glaub strove to obey. Ro-
nance was a dead thing.
sect a move on! A Waterman comes
on this block at O'Clock
Finally the safe stood open. With a
chuckle the man waved her aside with
the gun. SECT over there in the cor
ner," he commanded, land stay there"
In mingled terror and despair, Miss
Glaub watched the open space before
the safe pile up with small jewelry
novelties and papers.
"Where's the money!"
Dumbly she indicated small ia
panned box in the recess, The man
opened it with a screwdriver taken
from the pocket of his blue serge coat.
1t was too dark to count. 1be man
lit a match. Leaning weakly against
the wall, Miss Glaub heard him curse
and move toward the corner.
"Quit your kidding. Where's the
money? ] amt looking for the collec-
tion-plate."
Somehow she managed to whisper
that there was no more, that the rest
the very little rest-had been bank
ed during the afternoon.
He moved back to the safe, where,
presently, he grunted in apparent sat
isfaction. Slipping back from the win
dow, he lit another match.
In the sickly yellow flame Miss
Glaub saw that he was holding up a
strand Of heavy imitation pearls, the
ornate purple plush case held beneath
his elbow. He whistled softly as the
flame died between his fingers.
"Sister, are these real2"
Without knowing why, except the
fear ofswhat might happen if she. an
swered rightly. Miss Glaub nodded.
"Not part Of the rest OF this truck,
eh?"
"No."
"Sure?" He was standing over her
again, his face thrust suspiciously for
ward, his breath. from beneath the
piece of white silk, choking her nos
trils with a peculiar odor like the
scent of cloves and nutmeg.
With a choking cry Miss Glaup. Tor
the first time in her SO acknowledged
years, tainted gently away.
She came back TO consciousness in n
blaze of light. In the glare Miss
Glaub made out the anxious face of
the Waterman, and the glitter OF brass
buttons on blue cloth.
whats been the trouble, ma'am?"
Miss Glaub sat erect with moan.
"Thieves," she gasped. Robbers !"
She beat the floor with small clench-
ed first. Water" she cried wildly.
Burly figures filled the doorway. A
bull throated voice in evident command
demanded what was the matter.
From her position behind the watch
man Miss Glaub made her presence
known.
Nov them" 1t was the sergeant.
The Waterman broke out excitedly.
With a majestic gesture the sergeant
shut the man off. "Now then, lady"
he said, and Miss Glaub felt that his
eyes registered respectful admira-
ton, suppose you tell us the story"
Simply Miss Glaub presented him
with the facts.
"What did he look like?"
"He was young" she whispered
softly.
Tall or short?"
"Tall."
Could she see his hair? Could she
describe his features?
Dreamily Miss Glaub went on. His
hair was dark, of course, and the man
was masked and wore cap. well
down over his forehead. But he had
an air of being something other than
common burglar--a subtle something
which marked him as different. Miss
Glaub paused in the middle OF it.
-would-would it be in-that
is, have to-be in the newspapers"
"I'll have to make a report, ma'am.
And a police report is common prop
erty. Naturally the papers get EN-"
The sergeant grinned. and natural
ly where a pretty woman is con-
cerned-"
Miss Glaub blushed. "Oh. Ser
geant," she thrilled. cant something
be done? The horror of it, Would
would they have to have my pic
ture?"
"By hook or crook, ma'am."
Miss Glaub shook her head sadly,
but her heart was pounding. The
large cabinet portrait was more dis
tinguished, but several of the snap
shots enlarged were truer ikenesses
and younger.
whats been taken?"
"The cash drawer money and my
pearls"
pearls, Were they real?"
Miss Glaub eyed the man coldly.
About to admit the joke, she remem'
bered that this was not the end. That
a police report was public property
especially if it concerned a good
looking woman. And-Adele, Inc,
robbed of an imitation! Romance
whispered also. 1t was nobody's bust
ness. after all.
"Do you think" she demanded con-
temptuousiy, that / would have