had been just one mon

onary Society met at Hawkins' home the very day they moved in officially; and it had been hangi

uch matters; but when half a dozen women get together and discuss a few heathen and

e Committee to arrive, I experienced a sinking sensation for the moment. Then I secured my

himself ans

rked. "Committee talk

f the sort,"

e's something I want to

d English gentleman to stand around the premises if it's necessary

hed Hawkins. "I believe the cook and th

e altogeth

ng forward one of the big library chairs fo

gazing into the next apartment, the dinin

he heavy curtains rather proudly. "Most of

ing a frail-looking but artistic b

ation of sideboar

"You don't keep t

y n

could pry that door

a burglar, he'd have to get to the door befo

nd great difficulty in entering

"This isn't the average house, Griggs. The burglar who tries

dee

s a nocturnal entrance here has m

utomatic Burglar A

snapped the inventor. "No, there's n

el Dynamite-P

emark and busied hims

ansion Spring-Gun?"

your efforts at humor disgust one. In some ways, you are as

the conn

nst for two weeks, before she let me put it into operation peacefully!" Hawkins burst out. "There's wh

wife one little bit, Hawkins," I said. "I

to read," spat forth the inventor, pok

back squarely upon me an

polite o

I am pretty well accustomed to the inventor's moods, I must admit that in another fiv

shed the hangings. As I sat gazing pensively at the back o

hing near the top of the window, and concealed by the hangings, rattle

ately sullen countenance. As nearly as I could analyze it, i

he ex

l struc

Hawkins. "By

as

something dropped he

as something distinctly solid about it, too, for it dealt Hawkins

chair caressing the bump with an unsteady

iled. "What on earth did y

s," remarked Hawkins,

ed, staring at the pile of canvas on

kins coldly. "That, Griggs,

ook-Trap!"

now-it may not be past your understanding to grasp why

window, is knocked senseless by your trap, and next morni

Look here." Hawkins

g canvas bag, fully large enough to contain the upper half of the average ma

ar steps in, the bag is released, drops over him, these circular steel ribs contract

ood," I

continued the inventor enthusiastically. "It runs into a hood, is pressed against

ndow has been opened. I ring up the police-and i

admitted. "Why didn't i

didn't it? The window wasn't opened, anyway-it was the breeze that knocked down the thing. Furthermo

rglar. I tell you, Griggs, when this crook-trap of mine is on every w

. How much d

about-er-one hundred dolla

average house," I murmured.

at. "Why under the sun do you always try to throw a wet blanket over everything? Suppose it does cost two thousand dollars to

h at all-it was simply amusement at the inv

the joke come in?" h

!" I

't hus

counted.

med down on

the bell?" h

ing! Di

s had chimed six

wkins at me, and the invent

d by a stamping and threshing noise, pun

. There was a wealth of sat

body's caug

lls-that's the top story back-one of the servants' rooms. Somebod

crook-trap without a struggle. Also, from the volume and vigor of the

, still staring at m

el

pture him," announced the inventor, ga

. We'll let the chlorofo

to see the thing i

riosity about anything than I have abou

own here if you li

ose he has a big, wicked revolver, and learns that

ward the stairs. As for me, curiosity as

mering grew louder and more vicious; and when we finall

e cook's," said Hawkins, with a slight qua

is. Let's stay

n to watch it. He's n

ed the door

that semi-gloom of a city room whose only li

loroform. They fairly sent my head a-reeling, but th

ndeavor to gain freedom. The bag enveloped his head and shoulders, but a mighty pair of arms within the bag were

th added spice to the excitement, a

ns' doings; but the fun departed from this particular mess at the thought of what would happen when the co

Griggs?" stuttered Haw

"But come-let's get an offi

the inventor. "

yer!" screamed th

d Hawkins. "It's-it's get

then, ye cur!" r

on my arm sh

," he whispered. "What shall it be? We'

m work while we go out and

be working, Griggs. Don't know wh

e silhouette of a long arm appear

re! We'll have to squelch him now inside of ten

ed. "That's all I can suggest. And p

inventor, seizing one of the bedroom chairs. "If ev

m going to light the gas and watc

ed me of the day when, as a boy on the farm, I took the hatchet and started out to kill my f

ll him?" he choked. "G

rom the darkness. A tr

ised his chair, and darted

l blow, and a heavy fall-and just

ew seconds the scene dumfounded me past action; but short

ed to have suffered violent impact with some unyielding body, and b

rson decorated by sundry steel hoops and shreds of canvas,

hem lay t

e inventor. "Come quick! Get my wife! I

ried, shaking

Hawkins, faintly. "Just get my wife bef

ped the butler, hi

upright, black eyes, swelled face, and all c

ed the man. "Was-wa

g to his feet. "Look at this face!

did you-did you sorter str

es, Willia

it was you, sir, I sorter hit bac

e w

very room. See here, sir, this bag! Just as I opened the window, he kem behind me,

efly, with what must have seemed to

s evening, sir, and that the house would be empty like. So in he sneaks from the roo

wkins. "No one threw a bag over you. It was a new-

staring at the remnants from whic

"And don't stand there m

s,

lar note. You will immediately forget everythi

nded the butler,

ve his much abused features; and by the time he had finished, my

serted some twenty minutes before, Hawkin

ered. "Now, who under the s

bore r

ventor sadly. "But he's a bright chap. He'll keep his mou

account to Mrs. Hawkin

e were boxing and you

ng at the battered countenance. "You look more as

or once-just for once, Griggs-something has happened which my bett

erhaps,"

me of that old Scotch.

om. We turned our footsteps toward the sideboard.

y about the floor. And the little safe itself wa

o?" cried Hawkins in

e. "It must have been a sneak-thief, Hawkins. E

glared long

uttered at last, continuing his journey to

shuffled drearily back to the library, where he dropped once more into a

tep on the vestibule flooring without; she had

up the police and notify them. It wasn't my pla