Hearts and Masks

"Or to talk too much," supplemented his master, smiling. "Talk, my

friend, rounds me up with a bullet in the arm, and a long sojourn

behind stone walls. Never talk. Thank you, Miss Hawthorne, and you,

too, Mr. Comstalk, for the saving grace of humor. If it were possible,

I should like to give Miss Hawthorne the pick of the jewels. This is a

sordid world."

"Ye'er car-r is coming!" shouted Moriarty, running to the window.

So the girl and I passed out of Hollywood Inn, leaving Haggerty with

his mysterious prisoners. I can't reason it out, even to this day, but

I was genuinely sorry that Haggerty had arrived upon the scene. For

one thing, he had spoiled the glamour of the adventure by tingeing it

with blood. And on the way to the car I wondered what had been the

rogue's past, what had turned him into this hardy, perilous path. He

had spoken of a woman; perhaps that was it. They are always behind

good actions and bad. Heigh-ho!

Once we were seated in the lonely car, the girl broke down and cried as

if her heart would break. It was only the general reaction, but the

sight of her tears unnerved me.

"Don't cry, girl; don't!" I whispered, taking her hand in mine. She

made no effort to repulse me. "I am sorry. The rascal was a gallant

beggar, and I for one shouldn't have been sorry to see him get away.

There, there! You're the bravest, tenderest girl in all this world;

and when I told him I loved you, God knows I meant it! It is one of

those inexplicable things. You say I have known you only eight hours?

I have known you always, only I had not met you. What are eight hours?

What is convention, formality? We two have lived a lifetime in these

eight hours. Can't you see that we have?"

"To shoot a human being!" she sobbed. Her head fell against my

shoulder. I do not believe she was conscious of the fact. And I did

not care a hang for the conductor.

I patted her hand encouragingly. "It had to be done. He was in a

desperate predicament, and he would have shot Haggerty had the

detective been careless in has turn; and he wouldn't have aimed to

maim, either."

"What a horrible night! It will haunt me as long as I live!"

I said nothing; and we did not speak again till the first of the

Blankshire lights flashed by us. By this time her sobs had ceased.