Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13

on in the neighboring room he put his
ear to that part of the wall.
It was in this way that he heard
LaWson's easy wooing and later his less
sentimental interest in what was being
kept In the oak chest. He. even heard
Lawson try to open that chest. But
Shaw was too good a locksmith and
the chest resisted.
Then Morrison heard Lawson per-
suading Catherine to- steal the key
from her father, bring the contents
away and take up life with him.
II know horse racing. With a little
money to start u.s." Lawson was say
ing, you and I will % be In clover.
In a week I can make a pound for
every shilling We start with. Then 1t
will be Monte Carlo and all sorts OF
nice places for you and me, sweet
hearth"
Catherine seemed more than willing
to try to make the vision real.
But the old miser has taken good
care to hide the keys" she said. 81
don't know where they are, but they
must be in the house"
X y X
WHILE the two lovers were search
ing for the keys to the chest,
Morrison went looking for Shaw. He
knew the neighborhood in which the
locksmith was plying his trade and
found him.
I've no love for you, Shaw" Morri-
son said. But I'm not so heartleSs as
to want to see you robbed both of your
daughter and your h~ard-earned savings.
You're being robbed at this moment.
A young thief your Catherine has picked
up is in your home. They've been
looking for the keys to your oak chest.
If they find them it'll be the last you'll
see of your money and your daughter!"
Shaw hurried home. He entered 1t
so suddenly that the couple he startled
showed every sign of guilt he had ex-
pected. Striding over to young Lawson,
he put one big hand about the Scruh
of his neck, the other on his rear and,
ruHing him to the hall door, threw him
across the landing and down a flight
Of stairs.
Then he slammed the door shut and
addressed himself to the daughter. He
had not much to say, but the interview
ended with the young woman prone on
the floor of the living too bat
tered ever to sit up.
Then the father opened up his lock-
smith kit and began working on the
door to his fat. When he got through
with it that door was as well secured
with locks as the oak chest.
His daughter raised her bruised and
tear-stained face and, gathering her
self together, she collected some clothes
and made for the door.
Where are you going?" her father
demanded.
where I'll never have to look at
your hateful old face again!" she cried
passionately. IF I come back it'll be
only for the pleasure of seeing 1t in a
cofin!"
Her father preceded her to the door.
eff YOU leave this house 1t will have to
be by way of the windowl" he said. "I've
put two of my best locks on that door.
The keys will never leave my pocket.
AS for that theft you've picked for a
lover, he'll have to prove himself a bet
ter burglar than I'm a locksmith II he
wants to see you again!"
Singing his working kit over his
shoulder Shaw left the house and his
daughter stayed in 1t. She spent a
historical time trying to break open the
door. Then she ran to the window.
But she was too fond of life to try
escape in that direction.
X X X y
NEVERTHELESS, it was through the
~ window that there came to her
hope of escape. Lawson could do moth
ing against the locksmith physically; he,
too, was too fond of himself to expose
his body to violence. In stealth and
strategy, however, Shaw was no match
for Lawson, and in a few days love
again laughed at a locksmith-if what
brought Lawson back could be called
love.
Concealed in a neighboring doorway,
Lawson watched the Shaw tenement
and saw the locksmith go out on his
days work. In the window of the Shaw
fiat he saw Catherine. She saw him.
It was not the first time they had COM
municated by signs.
Lawson had with him two bulky
handbags. With these he crossed the
street and entered the tenement next