The Burglar and the Blizzard: A Christmas Story

nd saw the girl still sleeping peacefully. He almost wished that she would never awake to all the dreadful surpr

an up stairs with not a little anxiety. Indeed so great was his dread that he would have been really relieved to see the closet door standing open as an

ay out of

ave you been a

back at all. It did not l

is Ce

tairs a

ou have had the devil of a time. I bet you wished o

't child

s are all well enough among men, but women!" h

ved nobly," said

ound to. Still it mus

ard trip fo

I wasn't speaking of the trip. I

y anything. She

when you told her I was bo

slight pause. Then he added: "Why s

nows nothing abou

profes

a notion

oat on her back, and the

nd-hand store where I could get things for nothing." He chuckled, and Geoff

asked with a faint appeal in his voice

gullable," said

a conscious smile, "I must

d followed his impulse, would have flung McVay back

I want to look up

he burglar, "it wou

ake you with me for the pleasure of your company,

anything unpleasant was said,

urs would take it as a hardship, but, to me it was a positive rest. I really in a way enjoyed it. It is one

said Geoffrey. "After I got in

hen he said with dignity: "Asleep? Well, really,

said Geoffrey, "you'

to keep a supply of canned eatables in the house to be ready whenever the whim took him. On these he now

ght of. He asked for his tools and on b

e tools? Look at my touch,-so light, yet so accurate. I take no credit to my

fortunate for you if you

at, Holland. I might have

d you had," s

by, and they soon set to work heating soup and smoked beef. When all was ready and spread in the dining-r

he added firmly, "I'll give you a few minutes alone w

shut the door behind him, and sat down on a bench

thought of her as he had seen her asleep, of the curve of her eye-lashes on her cheek, of her raising those lashes, awaking to be met with McVay's revelations. Even if she were guilty, Geoffrey found it in his h

they came out together. His eyes turned to her face at once, an

en she had passed them

e had had something to eat-shock on an

free. "You infernal cow

McVay, "you didn't tell her yo

fair. I did not

with a chuckle. "I've been knowi

her into the

ntly decreed him by Fate from the beginning of time. He could look at her, and now and then, in spite of her delicious reluctance, could

the general conversation which McVay kept attempting to set up, wer

nly remembered that

stmas dinner," observ

, "this is luncheon. I'll c

g her had manifestly come. Wherever they might next meet it would not be

the other man was directing toward him; "we shall not be here at dinner. Yo

ow

on

not need any other reason than your wish that we should go," she s

ss to start as late as this," said

ease say no more about the matter, Bil

ans certainly freezing to

also risen and was trying to compel the

swered and shut t

he said, "you are quite right. It is too late to start to-night. We must stay here un

ink of her position,

tter be withheld until just as we ar

,-my word of honour not to escape

d I am a quick man with a gun. There may be some quicker, but not in the East, and it wasn't in the East I got my training. You will always keep in front of me where I can see you plainly, and y

and," he said, "isn't that the least little bit exag

things I should dislike even more, a

t I am impulsive. You must have noticed it. I get carried away.

for this is the only

u would really shoot me in cold blo

behave as if y

. "Suppose, for the sake of argument, that I did forget,-t

shoot in

the shock t

And another thing, it may be very gay and amusing to be forever foolin

t does, it must amuse you.

out that you are not only a thief but that you h

t of that. But then," he added more brightly, "who can tell if it will actually fall to

ave had to shoot after all." With which he ope