Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1914 — WITHIN THE LAW [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WITHIN THE LAW

By MARVIN DANA

FROM THE PLAY OF BAYARD VEILLER Copyright, 1913, by th* H. K. Fly company.

CHAPTER XIV. The Noiseless Death. RED suddenly made a slight hissing noise that arrested the attention of the others and held them in moveless silence. “I hear something,” he whispered. He went to the keyhole of the door leading into the passage. Then he whispered again, ‘‘and it’s coming this way.” At the words Garson snapped his fingers. The room was plunged in darkness. ‘ There was absolute silence in the library after the turning of the switch that brought darkness. Long seconds passed, then a little noise—the knob

of the passage door turning. As the door swung open there cfline a gasping breath from Mary, for she saw framed in the faint light that came from the single burner in the corridor the slender form of her husband, Dick Gilder. J The next instant he bad stepped within the room and Chicago Red had pounced on his victim, the huge hand clapped tight over the young man’s mouth. There came a sound of scuffling feet, and that was all. Finally the big man's voice came triumphantly: ‘T’ve got him!” “It’s Dick!” The cry came as a wail of despair from the girl. At the same moment Garson flashed his torch, and the light fell swiftly on young Gilder, bowed to a kneeling posture before the couch, half throttled by Chicago Red. Close beside him, Mary looked down in wordless despair over this final disaster of the night. Garson retired a step farther before he spoke his command, so that, though he held the torch still, he, like the others, was tn shadow. “Get away, Red.” The fellow let go his grip. Freed of that strangling embrace, Dick stumbled blindly to his feet. Then, mechanically, his hand went to the lamp on the table back of the couch. When the mellow light streamed forth he uttered an ejaculation of stark amazement, for his gaze was riveted on the face of the woman he loved. "Good God!” It was a cry of torture wrung from his soul of souls. Mary swayed toward him a little, palpitant with fear—fear for herself, for all of them, most of all for him. "Hush, hush!" she panted warningly. "Oh, Dick, you don’t understand!” "1 understand this.” be said brokenly at last. "Whether you ever did it before or not. this time you have broken the law.” A sudden inspiration

on his own behalf came to him. For his love’s sake be must seize on this opportunity given of fate to him for mastery. “You're in my hands now. So are these men as well. Unless you do as 1 say, Mary, I’ll jail every one of them." "Who’s this, anyhow?” Chicago Red demanded. “I’m her husband.” Dick answered. “Who are you?” “Don’t speak any of you.” Mary directed. “You mustn’t let him hear your voices.” Dick was exasperated by this persistent identification of herself with these criminals in his father’s house. “You men back there!” he cried “If I give you my word to let every one of you go free and pledge myself never to recognize one of 1 you again, will you make Mary here listen to me? That’s all I ask. I want a few minutes to state my case. Give me that. Whether I win or lose, you men 50 free, and I’ll forget everything that has happened here tonight.” There came a muffled guffaw of laughter from the big chest of Chicago Red. “Your safety depends on me," the young man warned. “Suppose I should call for help?” “You would only call once,” Garson said grimly. His hand went to the noiseless weapon in his coat pocket. “Once would be quite enough.” “You win,” Garson said, with a half laugh. He turned to the other men and spoke a command. “You get over by the hall door. Red, and keep your ears open every second. Give us the office If you hear anything. If we’re rushed and have to make a quick getaway see that Mary has the first chance. Get that, all of you?” Garson turned to Dick. "Make it quick, remember.” Dick spoke at once, with a hesitancy that betrayed the- depth of his emotion. "Don't you care for me at all?” he aslied wistfully. The girl's answer was uttered with nervous eagerness, which revealed her own stress of fear. “No, no, no!” she exclaimed. “I know you do, Mary,” he asserted confidently; “a little anyway. Why, Mary, can’t you see that you’re throwing away everything that makes life worth while? Don’t you see that?" There was no word from the girl. Her breast was moving convulsively. “Mary, Mary!” he cried. “You’ve got to change. Don’t be so hard. Give the woman in you a chance." The girl’s form became rigid as she fought for self control. “I am what 1 am,” she said sharply “I can’t change. Keep your promise, now, and let's get out of this.” “You can change." Dick went on impetuously. “Mary, haven't ybu ever wanted the things that other women have—shelter and care and the big things of life, the things worth while? They’re all ready for you now, Mary. And what about me? After all, you’ve ■ married me. Now, it’s Up to you to give me my chance to make good. I've never amounted to much. I’ve never tried much. 1 shall, now, if you will have it so, Mary—if you’ll help me. I will come out all right, I know that; so do you, Mary. Only you must help me. I need you. and yoy need me Come away with me.” “No, no! I married you not because I loved you, but to repay your father

the wrong he had done me. I wouldn't let myself even think of you, and then I realized that 1 had spoiled your life.” “No, not spoiled it. Mary! Blessed it! We must prove that yet." “Yes., spoiled it,” the wife went on passionately. “If 1 had understood, if Icould have dreamed that I could ever care— Oh. Dick, I would never have married you for anything in the world!” “But now you do realize,” the young man said quietly. “The thing is done. If we made a mistake it is for us to bring happiness out'of that error,” “Oh, can’t you see?” came the stricken lament. “I’m a jailbird!” “But you love me—you do love me, 1 know!” The young man spoke with joyous certainty, for some inflection of her voice had told the truth to his heart. Nothing else mattered. “But now, to come back to this hole we're in here. Don’t you understand at last that you can’t beat the law? If you're caught here tonight where would ;/ou get off—caught here with a gaAg of burglars? Why didn’t you goto Chicago, as you planned?’’ “Planned? With whom.!*’ “Why, with Burke.” ,/< “Who told you had arranged any such thing?”

"Burke himself did." “When?” Mary was standing rigid now, and the rare color flamed in her cheeks. Her eyes were blazing. "Less than an hour ago.” . “Where?” “In this room.” “What was he doing here?” “Talking to my father.” The seemingly simple answer appeared the last straw to tire girl’s burden bf frenzied suspicion. Her voice cut fiercely into the quiet of the room. “Joe. turn on that light! I want to see the face of every man in this room." The blaze of the chandelier flamed brilliantly over all. Griggs moved stealthily a little nearer the door into the passage. But Mary’s next words canie wholly as a surprise. “Dick.” she cried, "what are those tapestries worth?" She pointed to--<rard the draperies that shrouded the great octagonal window. “Oh, S2OO or S3OO, 1 suppose,-’ he answered. “Why?" “Never mind that. How long have you had them, Dick?" “Ever since I can remember." "And they’re not famous masterpieces which your father bought recently from some dealer who smuggled them into this country?” “I should say not!” “It’s a trick! Burke’s done It!” Mary’s word came with accusing vehemence. There was another single step made by Griggs toward the door. Mary’s eye caught the movement, and her lips soundlessly formed the name: “Griggs!” The man strove to carry off the situation, though be knew well that he stood in mortal peril. He came a little toward the girl who had accused him of treachery. “He’s lying to you!” he cried forcibly, with a scornful gesture toward

Dick Gilder. “I tell you those tapestries are- worth a million cold." Mary’s answer was virulent in its sudden burst of hate. “You stool pigeon! You did this for Burke!” “I swear I didn’t! I swear it!” “ TF a frameUD!’* Garson broke M

ferociously. His tones came in a .lead ened roar of wrath. On the instant, aware that further subterfuge could be of no avail. Griggs swaggered defiance. “And what if it Is true?" he drawled, with a resumption of his arlst<M-ralic manner. He plucked the police whistle from his waistcoat pocket an-l raised it to his lips. He moved too slowly. Garson had pulled tlie pistol from bls pocket, had pressed the trigger. There came no spurt of flame. There was no sound - save perhaps a faint clicking noise. But the man with the whistle at his lips suddenly ceased movement, trembled Ijorrlbly and in the next instant crashed to the floor, dead. In the first second of the tragedy Dick had not understood. But the falling of Griggs before the leveled weapon of the other nuin, there to lie in that ghastly immobility, made him understand. Ile lea tied to ward G a rson - would have wrehebed the pistol from the other’s grasp. In the struggle it fell to the floor. Before either could pick it up Chicago Red called his warning. “Somebody's opening the front door!” [ Garson sprang to the Octagonal win- i dow a.s Dick took posession of the pis- ! tol. _ - '•■ -| “The street's empty! We must jump for It! Come on, Mary," he cried. Already Chicago Red had snapped off the lights of Ihe chandelier, had sprung to the window, thrown open a panel of It ami had vanished into the night, with Dacey at his heels, As Garson would have called out to the girl again he was interrupted by Dick: “She couldn’t make It, Garson,” he declared coolly and resolutely. “You go. I’ll take care of her!" “If she’s caught”— There was an indescribable menace in the forger's half uttered threat. "She won’t be." “If she is. I’ll get you, that’s all,” Garson said as he dropped out of sight. (To be continued.)

“I hear something,” whispered Chicago Red.

Dick Gilder Throttled by Chicago Red.

“Don’t you care for me at all?”

Gilder Leaped Toward Garson.