ht; the other was propped open by an eyeglass,
which, however, dangled on its string when I appeared.

"A woman, begad!" the warrior exclaimed. "And where's the man, you
scarlet hussy?"

Not a word could I utter. But, in my horror and my amazement, I have
no sort of doubt that I acted the part I had assumed in a manner I
never should have approached in happier circumstances.

[Illustration: It was the fire-eating and prison-inspecting colonel
himself. He was ready for me, a revolver in his hand.]

"Come, come, my lass," cried the old oak veteran, "I'm not going to
put a bullet through you, you know! You tell me all about it, and
it'll do you more good than harm. There, I'll put the nasty thing away
and--God bless me, if the brazen wench hasn't squeezed into the wife's
kit!"

A squeeze it happened to have been, and in my emotion it felt more of
one than ever; but his sudden discovery had not heightened the
veteran's animosity against me. On the contrary, I caught a glint of
humor through his gleaming glass, and he proceeded to pocket his
revolver like the gentleman he was.

"Well, well, it's lucky I looked in," he continued. "I only came round
on the off-chance of letters, but if I hadn't you'd have had another
week in clover. Begad, though, I saw your hand-writing the moment I'd
got my nose inside! Now just be sensible and tell me where your good
man is."

I had no man. I was alone, had broken in alone. There was not a soul
in the affair (much less the house) except myself. So much I stuttered
out in tones too hoarse to betray me on the spot. But the old man of
the world shook a hard old head.

"Quite right not to give away your pal," said he. "But I'm not one of
the marines, my dear, and you mustn't expect me to swallow all that.
Well, if you won't say, you won't, and we must just send for those who
will."

In a flash I saw his fell design. The telephone directory lay open on
one of the pedestals. He must have been consulting it when he heard me
on the stairs; he had another look at it now; and that gave me my
opportunity. With a presence of mind rare enough in me to excuse the
boast, I flung myself upon the instrument in the corner and hurled it
to the ground with all my might. I was myself sent spinning into the
opposite corner at the same instant. But the instrument happened to be
a standard of the more elaborate pattern, and I flattered myself that
I had put the delicate engine out of action for the day