Part 25 (2/2)
He looked at the pistol; it was new and s.h.i.+ny; he looked at the athletic young figure silhouetted against the brilliant light.
”Well, if you make a point of it, of course.” He slowly held up both hands, higher, then higher still. ”Upon my word!” he breathed. ”Held up by a woman!” And he said aloud, bitterly: ”No doubt you have a.s.sistance close at hand.”
”No doubt,” she said coolly. ”What have you been packing into that valise?”
”P-packing into _what_? Oh, into that suit case? That is my suit case.”
”Of course it is,” she said quietly, ”but what have you inside it?”
”Nothing _you_ or your friends would care for,” he said meaningly.
”I must be the judge of that,” she retorted. ”Please open that suit case.”
”How can I if my hands are in the air?” he expostulated, now intensely interested in the novelty of being held up by this graceful and vaguely pretty silhouette.
”You may lower your arms to unpack the suit case,” she said.
”I--I had rather not if you are going to keep me covered with your pistol.”
”Of course I shall keep you covered. Unpack your booty at once!”
”My--_what_?”
”Booty.”
”Madam, do you take _me_ for a thief? Have you, by chance, entered the wrong house? I--I cannot reconcile your voice with what I am forced to consider you--a housebreaker--”
”We will discuss that later. Unpack that bag!” she insisted.
”But--but there is nothing in it except samples of marble--”
”What!” she exclaimed nervously. ”_What_ did you say? Samples of _marble_?”
”Marble, madam! Georgia marble!”
”Oh! So _you_ are the young man who goes about pretending to peddle Georgia marble from samples! Are you? The famous marble man I have heard of.”
”I? Madam, I don't know what you mean!”
”Come!” she said scornfully; ”let me see the contents of that suit case.
I--I am not afraid of you; I am not a bit afraid of you. And I shall catch your accomplice, too.”
”Madam, you speak like an honest woman! You _must_ have managed to enter the wrong house. This is number thirty-eight, where I live.”
”It is number thirty-six; my house!”
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