"That might be a good idea, Officer--I"ll think it over," the pilferer thanked him.
Then he went on with his task of taking the back out of the mounting of the Rubens, showing that he did not trust his knife with such an ancient and priceless canvas.
Gladwin was thinking up another ironic opening when the door bell rang. He jumped and cried:
"If that"s the lady, sorr, I"ll go and let her in."
"No, you wait here," the other objected. "She might be frightened at the sight of a policeman--you stay here. I"ll let her in myself," and he strode swiftly out into the hallway.
CHAPTER XXIX.
IN WHICH THE HERO IS KEPT ON THE HOP.
Travers Gladwin watched the big handsome mis-presentiment of himself disappear into the hallway with every nerve at full strain.
As he heard the door open, then a delighted feminine cry and the unmistakable subtle sound of an embrace, he ground his finger nails into his palms and bit his lips. Every fibre of him burned with jealous hatred of this impostor.
If there had been only more of the brute left in the Gladwin strain undoubtedly there would have been a sensational clash between the two men for the benefit of the beautiful young girl who, Gladwin strove to acknowledge, was the helpless p.a.w.n of circ.u.mstances. But the refinements of blood rob the physical man of his savage resources and impose a serious hamper upon his primordial impulses.
Helen came into the room with the thief"s arm about her waist while Gladwin stood dumbly at attention, his features hardened and inscrutable.
At sight of his uniform and failing to recognize him in his disguise the girl turned pale and uttered a frightened exclamation.
"Don"t be alarmed, dear," the man at her side rea.s.sured her, smiling down upon her, "this is only officer--" He looked up with a laughing expression of inquiry.
"Murphy, sorr," responded Gladwin, through tightly compressed lips.
"Yes," the pretender nodded quickly. "Murphy, Officer Murphy, my dear--looks after my house when I"m away. He is one of the city"s best little watchmen and he is going to see that everything is made safe and secure after we have gone."
Helen breathed an exclamation of relief, but the fright in her eyes lingered as the unconscious feeling struck in that the att.i.tude of the policeman seemed more than a trifle strained.
She carried a little grip in one hand, which the bogus Gladwin took from her and handed to the real Gladwin, nodding significantly for him to leave the room. Turning to Helen, he said:
"But why did you bring the bag, dear? My man told me he found your trunk at the Grand Central Station."
"Yes," Helen answered, "but auntie insisted that I go to the opera, so I had to pack my travelling dress. I slipped out of the opera during the entre act, and went home to change my gown. I was so frightened and in such a dreadful state of nerves that I couldn"t."
A shudder ran through her and she seemed on the point of breaking down when the man with whom she had chosen to elope drew her to him and said with what had every expression of genuine tenderness:
"There, there, dear! Calm yourself. Why, you"re trembling like a leaf.
There is nothing to be frightened about now."
She yielded to his embrace and he bent down his head to kiss her on the lips.
Whatever he projected in the nature of an enduring osculation was spoiled as Gladwin dropped the bag to the floor with a crash.
The man looked up angrily and the girl gave a frightened cry.
"What"s the matter with you, officer?" the thief shot at him.
"Excuse me, sorr," said Gladwin, with mock humility, turning away his head to hide his emotions.
As the girl shrank from his arms the thief switched his attention from Officer 666 and led her to a chair, resuming his gentle tones. He pressed her to sit down, saying:
"I am just packing up some pictures. I shan"t keep you waiting long.
Now, that"s good; you"re getting calmer. You"re all right now, aren"t you?"
"Ye-es, Travers dear," she responded with an effort, looking into his face. "I shan"t break down," she went on, with a nervous laugh. "I"m stronger than I look. I"ve made my mind up to it. The trouble is that my heart won"t behave. It"s beating terribly--just feel it."
He was about to place his hand on her heart when Gladwin was seized with a paroxysm of coughing. The thief straightened up and turned scowlingly upon the young man.
"Say, what"s the matter with you, McCarthy?"
"Murphy, sorr," Gladwin retorted. "Me throat tickled me."
"Well," returned the other sharply, "if you would move around as I told you, your throat wouldn"t tickle you. Get something to pack these paintings in. There isn"t anything in this room--go upstairs and get a trunk."
"I don"t know where there is none, sorr," Gladwin objected.
"Well, look around for one--a small empty trunk, and be quick about it." He spoke with crackling emphasis.
Stung to the quick by the overbearing insolence of this command, it required a prodigious effort for the young man to control his voice.
He said with difficulty:
"I was thinking, sorr--suppose--the--trunk--is--full?"
The thief squared his broad shoulders and walked threateningly toward Gladwin. He stopped directly in front of the young man and said through his teeth, slowly and deliberately and without raising his voice:
"If the trunks are full--now listen carefully, because I want you to understand this--if the trunks are full, then empty one. Do you get my meaning? Take the fullness out of it, and after you have done that and there is nothing more left in it, then bring it down here. Now do you think you get my idea clearly?"
"Yes, sorr," said Gladwin, dully, feeling that there was no way out of the situation for the moment save to obey. Strive as he might he could not wholly shake off the influence of this splendid big animal"s dominating will power.
And if it affected him that way he didn"t wonder at the spell the man had cast upon the impressionable and sentimental Helen.
He left the room with a sudden spurt and swiftly mounted the stairs, the chief object of his haste being to prevent an extended interview in his absence and a resumption of tender dialogue.
He had scarcely gone when the spurious Gladwin turned again to the girl with his most engaging smile and softest tones:
"You see, dear," with a sweeping gesture that included his work of spoilation, "I am taking your advice--packing only the most valuable ones."
"I am afraid, Travers," said Helen, rising from her chair and coming toward him with all her impulsive love and confidence restored, "that I am giving you a lot of trouble."
"Trouble!" he cried, with the gushing effusiveness of a matinee idol.
"You"re bringing a great joy into my life."