< I I ' hr±— "My Mistress Is Not at Home." MffeeTASH of I .tIICIRCUMSTANCE WIM} HAPRT IRVING GREENE _ | MM&XJ Author <?/"" Yosonde of the. Wilderness"* j IllusfVrv.Tioiis tvy H»gnuS CJ. Ke"ttno r* N COPYMOMT jy W, O. CHAfMAJi V*m 1A SYNOPSIS. ■* _ A.bner Halllday, a miserly millionaire. JH found gauge, tbounii and Insensible In his r'som, Ills safe rilled and $40,000 miss 3ng. T'he thread of the story Is taken up by his pephew Tom. Diving In the same house are other relatives; reckless Bruce Halllday and pretty Clare Wlnton. Bruce, who is a bond broker, has been trying to raise slo,oon to put through a deal and save himself from financial ruin. He has applied to his miserly uncle and to others for the loan but has been refused. Tom ■sends for William I.eDuc, an old-time friend connected with a detective agency. In relating the story Tom reverts to his acquaintance with a Airs. Dace, a wealthy widow, whoso business agent is Richard Varkay, a boodler and political Doss. Tom is Jealous of Mackay ami l« deeply 1n love with Mrs. Dace. Bruce Halliday varus him to shun her as an adventuress. Tom sees Mrs. Dace and Mackay togeth er. He afterwards meets the woman at .a horse race, and. happening to mention that Bruce had u tip on the winner, she gives him 1500 to place on the race. The tip goes wrong and she loses her money. ?..Bter Tom invests In stocks. He makes j«ome money, and returns the lost SSOO to Mrs. Dace. It is at this juncture that the theft of the $40,000 from old Abner Halli day occurs. I.e Duo meets Clare and Bruce. He learns that the key which Clare had to the house is missing. Mac kay's dealings with Mrs. Dace make Tom more Jealous. The detective Intimates a iruspicion against Bruce Italliday as the ,hief. Thl3 Clare Winton indignantly re pudiates. Mrs. Dace accepts Tom as her ilance. CHAPTER Xlll.—(Continued.) "But nevertheless I atn going to do It. Soul and body I want you to pre vail, and your sacrifices to the com mon cause shall be mine. There will ■be enough wine left for us when we <3o nut have to think of a tomorrow. Come. Let us go now." I looked around and then glanced at my watch. It was 11 o'clock and a steady stream of humanity was flowing towards the exit, as we wedged ourselves lato It. Once outside the enclosure I started the motor and taking my place assisted her to her seat, standing erect for a moment there after as I allowed my eyes to wander over the outpouring stream. Through the midst of it I saw a big man with a coarse face and (lowing mustaches plowing his way, his small evilly set eyes riveted upon me with ominous fixity. It was Richard Macltay, and the malevolent Jealousy of his expression filled me with an unholy joy of triumph. I laughed point blank in his face as I seated myself beside my fiancee and tucked the robe close about her with lingering and ostentatious familiarity before throwing forward the lever. A t-idelong glance stolen at her told mo that she had not noticed him in the press, and with no reference to his having been present I sent the car humming homeward. She asked me if I cared to come within for a few moments and to gether we were lifted to her floor. In her reception parlor I seated myself close beside her, gathering her hands in mine. The first intoxication of success had passed and a great, quiet Joy had settled upon me, soothing and reposeful. Never had I been filled with better Impulses than In this hour. In my victory the better side of my nature t> .me uppermost in my gratitude to <ne Infinite. Firmly I resolved that my life In the future should be one of which no man might be ashamed, and for what I had done in the past that was unworthy I si lently avowed amends. For the sake of the woman by my side I should had a life that our sons would be proud to emulat«. I would command b*r remp&U ic >ll things. Sacculation I did not consider a moral offense. It was but a battle of money and wits, and to the victors of the earth the spoils legitimately belong. I told her the general trend of my thoughts with much earnestness and she listened without comment, her face slightly averted and her hands resting contentedly In mine. I kissed her eyes and forehead and she sighed softly as her bosom rose. Just what the sigh meant I did not know and did not ask, but believed It was the responsive chords of her nature sound ing to my touch. She had told ma that slie cared more for me than for any other man, and that under condi tions which I appreciated were not unreasonable, she would rather live within my arms than those of any other person. Neither had she'made my financial success an unqualified condition of our marriage, but had merely pointed out the great desira bility of it as an added stimulus to my endeavors. That the principal reason she had advanced as to why she wished me to possess wealth was that I might be able to be more often at her side thrilled me with joy whenever it recurred to me. Had she not really loved me her desires in this respect must have been Just the reverse. The buzzing of the door bell aroused us from our close communion with a mutual start. It was an unusual sum mons, one sharp pressure upon the button closely followed by two more of some seconds duration each. At the first alarm her hands involun tarily tightened In mine, and as the longer notes hummed their insistence I saw the color rush from her cheeks In a scurrying tide. Her form straightened and grew tense, and arising she glid ed with swift noiselessness across the room and touched the buttoin that summoned her maid. As though she had been waiting In the doorway Janet slipped into the room. Her mis tress addressed her swiftly. "Janet, say that I am not at home. Under no circumstance permit him to enter. If he says that it is important, tell him that he may call me up In the morning." Beyond all question greatly agitated she returned to near where I sat, placing herself before the piano in the attitude of one about to play. Her face was un naturally bloodless and a thin, ) air like line about the corners of her mouth seemed to be constricting her lips. Altogether the change in her appearance was not to my liking, and the quick stealth of her movements caused a most uncomfortable sensation to run through me; a mingled feeling of guilt and doggedness as though I had been surprised in a forbUden bower by its rightful lord. A totally different type from the soft and per fectly poised creature of the moment before was revealed to me in tliose fleeting seconds of quick action and swift sentences, and my breath c»me faster before the contrast. In the few steps that had been require 1 to take her across the room and I ack, her face had become that of an oder, harder woman. The sensitive be tuty of her mouth had been lost in Its compression; her cheeks were like polished marble; the soft luste of her eyes had turned Into the glinting brilliancy of gems. Whether It was fear or anger or a blending of the two that had wrought this uaglo transformation I could not determine. Almost breathlessly 1 watched the maid as she swung the door slightly and stood blocking the opening with her lithe form. From without rum bled the heavy tones of a man un steady and thick from drink. "Good evening, Janet. I would like to see Mrs. Dace." The girl's answer was softly apologetic. "My mistress is not at home." The reply which followed was preceded by a laugh. "You know better, Janet. Tell her T wish to see her. Tell her, also, that It Is a matter of importance." "But I have said that she is not at home. But of course she will be here In the morning and you can then communicate with her. I have no doubt she will be pleased to hear from you." In the instant of heavy hanging si lence which followed I shot a glance at Mrs. Dace. She had leaned slight ly forward, her hands clenched and her ears strained in the direction of the door. Then the notes of the man arose again, a sullen growl sounding through them. "Did she order you tell me this non sense or are you acting upon your own responsibility?" The voice of the yellow girl, theretofore respect ful, took on a cold insolence. "That is a matter for you to form your own opinion about. At least I am willing to accept any responsibility for what I may tell you. You may ask her concerning It when you see her again." Plainly and distinctly Mackay swore, and I saw the door yield slight ly to the pressure of a heavy hand from without. In the twinkling of an eye the maid's slender figure became that of an enraged panthress, and her tones rang out with positive vlcious ness. "If you try to force your way in here, against me I will have you thrown head and heels into the street by the employees. Release that door instantly." He swore again, the pressure ceased and I heard his heavy step as it re treated down the hall. In a trice the maid had closed the door behind him and stood before us with a hot flush upon her face and her eyes alight. Mrs. Dace drew a long breath and her form and features softened. Once more she became the low-spoken, per fectly self-controlled woman of the minute before. "You did vety well, Janet. I think that is all for the pres ent. You may retire now." Noiseless ly the girl slipped past us and disap peared behind the portiere. I turned to her mistress. "What does this mean, Matie?" I asked quiet ly, but with the sickening sensation that I had experienced once before, making my knees weak and my throat dry. She faced me with an almost imperceptible lifting of her eyebrows and shoulders. "So far as I know it means nothing except that Mr. Mackay has been drinking and wished to see me for some reason of which I am as Ignor ant as you are." "But at this hour of the night! It seems strange that even a man like him should have the presumption to ,call. I think under the circumstances I have a right to inquire. Does he sometimes do such things?" "He never has before. He had no right to do so now. if it is a matter of important business he should have notified me of his coming at least a few moments in advance." "But what business could he pos sibly wish to confer with you about at such a time of night that could not be transacted over the telephone?" 1 pursued unhappily. She waved her hand. "I am sure that I am as ignorant and disturbed over the affair as you can possibly be. When I see him again I shall demand an explanation. Then I will be able to tell you." "And those rings—they sounded al most like a signal—one short and two long ones." "It is one of his peculiarities. I think he so announces himself every where." She came close beside me. dropping her hand upon my shoulder. "You told me once that you would never mistrust me again. You are do ing so now. I cannot wholly control the actions of others, and there are reasons why I do not wish to quarrel with Mr. Mackay unless I am driven to It. Your Jealousy may ruin our prospects and make us bad friends after all. I do not feel flattered by It." I got upon my feet and slipped my arm about her. "You must forgive me once more, dearest. While I ad mit that my love is a Jealous one, yet where my heart is my faith also re poses. I trust you impllcity and will ask you nothing further. I was very much surprised, that is all." She smiled upon me with a sweet ness that was incomparable, and for an instant her palms held my cheeks. "You had better go now, Tom. It real ly is late and I am Just plain, physic ally tired. You may kiss me good night if you wish—just once." She turned her cheek to me and my lips paid reverential tribute to It. She accompanied me to the door, her hands locked above my elbow, blew me a farewell from finger tips that touched her lips and disappeared be hind the oaken panel. Sobered of spirit by the occurrence of a few minutes before, and despite myself somewhat depressed by thoughts which, notwithstanding the fact that I would not permit them to crowd themselves Into my brain, nevertheless hovered upon the horizon of it, I started homeward on a brisk walk aft er having ordered the car, now hers, to one of the garages within the build ing. A vacant lot with a path cutting diagonally across it spread itself be fore me, and in accordance with my usual custom I took this short cut aa a saver of steps. The remains of a natural grove wero scattered through out It, and upon Its center the night shades lay heavily. As I passed an oak that leaned over the path I was conscious of a slight rustling move ment at my back and ducked my head with an involuntary quickness that is the gift of a natural boxer. Then I whirled with my heel for a pivot. Close behind me through the murk I saw a big form lurch across the way I had Just left behind me, thrown completely from its balance by a ter rific blow that had been wasted in the empty air. In a flash I became a fight ing machine; my flsts knotted and muscles hardened as with my guard raised I edged towards him, on the alert for either attack or defense. At the same Instant he regained bis bal ance and came towards me. "You puppy," growled the heavy voice of Mackay. Cold as Ice. externally, but never theless with the fires of satisfaction burning fiercely within, I stepped backward and to one side, my left hand darting towards him In rapid feints. Knowing the man's reputation as I did, I was not in the least sur prised at his attempted thuggery, and I now determined to give him the worst beating I was capable of with out using more than my flsts or en dangering his life. Ills reputation was as an open book. When sober he used his brains for the destruction of his enemies, but when drunk the beast within him arose raging, and many was the man who, crossing him in his cups, had been felled unconscious by his great fist. Instinctively disliking him to the very core of my being, raging Inwardly at the cowardliness of his attack, I stopped his approach by a straight left-hand blow that cracked like the report of a pistol and sent his head rocking. He was prob ably as powerful a man as myself, but much slower, much older and in much poorer condition physically and mentally. Mis bear-like rushes and swings I evaded without difficulty, sending his head backward with short, quick blows until his wine-filled mind whirled and he staggered as he tried to reach me. My time had come and deliberately T took full advantage of it. For the first time I used my right hand, sending it over his guard with the vlciousness with which I would have struck at. the head of a serpent. He spun in his tracks, threw up his hands and came down like a falling wall. 1 stepped back, readjusted my coat and stood waiting. Perhaps thirty seconds later he stirred and climbed "If I Don't Get You for Thi3, You Will Be the First One That Got Away From Me." to his feet after several unsuccessful efforts and stood rocking in his tracks as he wiped the blood from his face and glared at me. "If I don't get you for this you will be the first one that ever got away from me," he said, wickedly. For the second time that night I laughed in his face. "At any time and place that suits you, Mackay. There is a beauty doc tor a few blocks down the street — open day and night, I believe. I wish you a pleasant evenirtg with the devil for your partner." He picked up his hat, coughed once in his peculiar way and disappeared without reply in the direction of the lighted street. Al though I knew that I had made on unforgiving foe, against whom it had been charged and almost proven had more than once hired professional thugs to half kill his enemies; know ing also that there was no reason why he might not do the same in my case, I was still more than half glad that the affair had happened. At any rate, if he had any status beyond that of a business agent with the woman who had promised to be my wife, this Incident would develop the fact. Even though he was her financial guardian he would be seriously embarrassed should he attempt to uphold himself In what he had done this night; and certainly if she cared for me at all she would express her satisfaction to me over the outcozno. Nursing wy sole Injuries, which were conflhed to I a pair of battered knuckles, I went to the nearest public telephone and Palled her up. She answered rather sleepily at first, her voice quickening a bit as I told her what had hap pened. But when I had finished I waited In vain for her answer. "Have you nothing to say?" 1 In quired at length, rather coldly per haps. Her voice came to my ears again, strained, it seemed to me, and somewhat expressionless. "I very much regret that the afTair happened. Certainly you did quite right to protect yourself. Hut I am really unfit to talk nny more tonight. You may come and see me tomorrow and tell me more about it, If you care to. I wish you a restrul sleep after your adventure. Good night." Taking everything together, I went homo fairly content. She had re pulsed his attempt to call upon her; had made no attempt to excuse him for his actions then or later in his at tack upon me; and all In all it had been a bad night for the enemy. In the nature of things, it was but natural that she should be more or I<RS perturbed over the two disagree aDle events of the night, and I could well appreciate that she might be re luctant to talk of such matters over a public telephone, with all Its pos sibilities of unseen listeners. But I was confident that she would express herself with more warmth upon the subject when we were together on the morrow. CHAPTER XIV. Somewhat contrary to my expecta tions, Mrs. Dace had little to say con cerning the matter when I next saw her. She accepted my version of the episode practically without comment, and when I tried to draw from her some expression of sentiment on the subject, she threw the whole matter bodily out of our conversation with the request that we talk about some thing less unpleasant. In a measure this disappointed me for the reason that 1 felt that I was entirely In the right and that she, therefore, should have been rather more outspoken In her approval of my actions. Still. I be lieved that I understood her thoughts. Mackay was her business agent; was in a position to be of great service to her, and for that reason she did not care to antagonize him by coming out in open partisanship over our disa greements. I had given him a hand some whipping and escaped unhurt myself, and so far as I was concerned, therefore, there had been no damage done. I accepted this as the natural solution of her desire to refrain from further comment upon the matter. From my own standpoint I considered mj'self invulnerable to him, except in the case of treacherous physical at tack, and that I could guard against by watchfulness. Figuratively speak ing, I snapped my fingers In his face. Of Uncle Abner, still mumbling and grumbling like a bear stung upon the nose by a bee, I saw as little as I conveniently could. When I was at home I kept myself pretty close within my own quarters, and he sel dom disturbed me beyond the occa sional opening of the door to glare at me for a moment and then close it with a bang. In fact, he seemed to more and more consider me as respon sible for his loss by reason of my not having been present upon the night of the assault. The few attempts I made to reestablish myself even par tially in his favor met with such lit tle success that I gave them up, leav ing matters to take their natural course. The securities that he had previously kept in the safe he had now deposited in the bank, even going to the extent of reposing his gold watch among them and buying a dol lar timepiece for his dally use. The experience of the night of the crime had seemed to make an arrant cow ard of him. I had not Men LeDuc for several days. I wag MiTlwa to mtot him, a* I was wondering considerably what he was up to, and was desirous of questioning him as to progress. Brueo I had hunted up on one occasion after my interview with 'the detective, an<i had found him in seemingly far beto ter 6pirits than when I had last seea him upon the day after the burglary. He did not seem to hold it against ma that I had charged hiin with having had the key, telling me he had no doubt but that I was honestly mista ken. Hut when I made a slight al lusion to his operations on the board, he shut up tight as a clam, which of course was unusual for Bruce. There fore I did not -feel warranted In pur suing the matter further. He was op erating openly now and I thought a« recklessly as ever, but whether hi» deals were being made on his own ac count or on behalf of some client II had no Information beside what th» detective h~.d given me. Clare wh!l» equally uncommunicative about hi#' business affairs, still remained defi antly loyal to him. "I don't believe there is a crooked 1 hair In Bruce's head; won't listen to* anything that anybody may stiy i against him, and have my own opln-i ion of those who do," she assertedl strenuously. I sincerely admired her fealty and told her so as I emphatical ly indorsed her views. Still I could not help secretly acknowledging that there were very ugly looking features about the case that I would have con sidered him wiser had he explained. But he seemed rather inclined to avoid me since the affair of the safe, and as it was his business after all, and as I did not care to be snubbed, I went my way and allowed him togo his without disturbance. A few evenings later I happened to> be standing In front of one of the leading hotels. I had nothing In mind that I cared to do, and was Idly watch ing the passers-by when some on» gave me a poke in the back and ® turned to find LeDuc grinning at me. We shook hands and sauntered off together as I plied him for the latest information. He was mystically eva sive. "Talk about hustling." he said, with a short laugh. "A fly on a ban quet table Is Idle beside the way I have been buzzing around. If there has been any busier man in town t would like to stand somewhere and behind something and watch him go by. He'd whizz like a bullet. I havo run down every possible clue that I could get hold of and ti'ied out every reasonable theory that I could conjure up, and at last know pretty near where to put my fingers next. Any way, I know who stole the money." I stopped short, seizing him by the arm. "Who?" I demanded. He pulled pie along with him, gently shaking hia head. "Can't tell you Just yet. It is al ways bad Judgment to let a cat out of a bag until the right time comes. But I know who he is and I will tell you soon enough." Burning with im patience to know whom he referred to, but restrained from further ques tioning by the manner of his refusal to enlighten me, we continued our way for some distance without fur ther conversation. In a certain sense, his statement was a shock to me, and I could not rid myself of a haunting impression that when he made his disclosures there would be disagree able facts revealed. Yet my curiosity could hardly have been at a higher point. "Are you positive?" I ventured after a while. If there was any doubt in his mind as to the identity of the criminal his voice did not betray it. "As absolutely sure in my own mind as though I had been hidden in the room and seen him. But you know proving these matters to the satisfac tion of other people Is finite another proposition, and it is the proof that will convince those who do not wish to be convinced that I am after now." He turned to me with a slow scrutiny of my face. "But I am going to get that proof tonight, and I want you to help me." I pondered his proposition over briefly. I could see no objection to acting upon his suggestion, and it might give me an inkling of whom he had in his mind. Therefore after a short reflection I agreed. "Very well, I will give you any assistance that I can. Where are you going and what do you want me to do?" He pulled out his watch. "It Is nine o'clock now and Is aa dark as It is going to be tonight. We can take a stroll around and inspect the place I want to visit. If the coast is clear we will go ahead; if not we can wait until It is." He uttered a little chuckle. "For your information, I will say that I am going to commit a burglary on my own hook." I must have hesitated a little In my pace, for he laughed, and taking me by the arm led me, half resisting, with him. (TO BR CONTINUED.) Naming the Gerrymander. The gerrymander was christened in 1813, although it must have been in operation long before that. A stanch old Federalist, Gov. Elbridge Gerry, controlled through his legislature the redisricting of Massachusetts under the census of 1810. In the office of Benjamin Russell, an ardpnt Republican editor, hung a map of the state as newly subdivided by Gerry and his men. Gilbert Stuart's ready pencil whimsically added to the outlines of a grotesque district the wings and tail of a dragon "Ha!" he said when he had fin ished. "How's that for a salaman der?" The Republican Russell growled: "Petter call It a Gerrymander" And American politicians have taken hi* fcdvic*. —TU# Independent.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers