Cogswell Polytechnical College - Cogswell Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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THE COGSWELL 55 I haven't time to talk about that now. Oh, they're breaking the door in, and he shook lrightlully. Tell me. XYell, he faltered, l have been burglarizing for the last two or three months, trying to get enough money for my wifes doctor bill. I ani known as the Society llurglar. Uh, what a fool lfve been. If I get-- Oh, you'll save me. wou't you? I think you had better leave. Oh, no! You wouldn't do that. and he grabbed her tiny hand plead- ingly. You have heard! I Here they come! For lJad's sake, hide me! No! I If my wife should know and my baby boy grow up and found that his father was a- Go into that room until I call yon, and she drew the curtains behind him. NYhere is he? Eleanor. where did he go? My, how pale you look. He must have frightened you, but we'll get him. Perhaps he is in there, and -lack moved toward the room where Lord Norfolk was hiding. Eleanor, trying to act calm and unconcerned, said: Hxxvllilll is the matter with you, -Tack? XX'hat are you looking for? lYhy-er-haven't you seen him? The burglar? The Society Burglar ! IYhy, of course not, and she laughed merrily. But he came in here not more than live minutes ago, and I've been trying to get in ever since. Yes, I notice that the door is broken, and I think you have a nerve breaking into my house at such an hour looking for a burglar. But I thought-I- You didn't see any one come here. No one has been heref, .Tack started down the stairs. I-Ie wheeled suddenly and yelled: XYho is in that room ? Lord Norfolk had incautiously stepped on the hardwood floor and it had squeaked slightly. . IVhy-why-th-that's-th-Iohn, our butler, and Eleanor turned pale as death. IN'hoever it may be, said Jack sternly, 'KI give him just Hve seconds to come out- I thought so. Put up your hands. You're quite a man, coming to play on a woman's sympathy, and jack slipped the handcuffs on roughly. And as for you, Eleanor, well, I won't say itg it would choke me. Colne on, you coward, follow me ! Don't Jack, don't take him awayf, Eleanor sobbed bitterly, he's-he's my brotherf' jack released his gripg then he tightened it again. You lied to me oneef' I swear it! Oh, God, believe me, and have mercy upon us!',

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54 THE COGSWELL On the dresser lay the chamois bag, and beside this several rings andlbrace- lets. jack backed away and then made quite a little noise as if coming up the stairs. He knocked on the door and in a minute or so Lord Norfolk opened the door, yawning. . f'VVhat do you want? he said. You woke me up. My head, how it aches ! Throw up your hands ! cried jack, and he drew his automatic from his Pocket. Lord Norfolk obeyed, but as he threw them up he managed to knock his own revolver from his pocket so that it fell on the Hoor beside his feet. He stooped to pick it up, but Jack halted him by saying, Let that be- Keep your hands up. I'll tend to that, and jack made a quick grab for the pistol. Here was the lord's only chance. Like a flash he sent a powerful left into Jack's jaw and made a quick getaway. The blow only stunned Jack for a moment. He rose, snatched his gun and, half staggering, ran after the fugitive. There were a number of cars outside, one of which had kept the engine running all evening. It was a big Stutz and built especially for racing. Lord Norfolk made a dash for the car and in a minute was traveling sixty miles per hour down the wet street. Jack just reached the pavement in time to see Norfolk make his getaway. He glanced quickly over the remaining cars and noticed a Mercer runabout at the end of the line. At the point of a gun the chauffeur drove furiously after the Stutz. They swerved from side to side, skidded around corners and hit all the high spots in the road. The cutout on the Mercer was open, the exhaust roared and roared through the pipe. They were gaining. Only two blocks separated the two cars. As the Stutz was nearing Broadway it skidded half a turn and then hit the curbing of the sidewalk. There was a terrible crash and the spokes of the rear wheel were demolished. The driver was unable to move the car, and, as jack was but half a block behind, Lord Norfolk ran down the street and dodged into a beautiful house. jack was paralyzed. It was the house of Eleanor Forbes! Eleanor Forbes was about to retire. She had turned out all the lights in the living room and had reached the staircase when she saw the figure of a man with bent head coming toward her. She tried to scream, but she icouldn't. She felt as if she were being choked. At last she stammered, VVhat do you want? VVho are you ?,' Sister! Eleanor! She took one look at him and then she fell in a half stupor. Her brother took her in his arms and whispered, Save me! Save me! H631-P The bell is 1'iI1g'iHg'! Listen! some one is pounding on the door! Eleanor recovered her self-possession and released herself from him. You.? You? That's what you are, is it, when we thought you were working in the Vlfest? You'cl better go. Oh, don't, for God's sake, don't! Haven't you any feeling for me. Y . Cant you hea1 them pounding on the door? Hide me ggmewlqeye and fell them no one came heref' VVhat have you been doing?

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55 THE COGSWELL You knew what he was when I first went after the Society Bufs1Hf?,' No! lNhen did you last see him P Three years ago. He must go! Come on. - nlack, jack, dear, you can't! Youill break my heart! My brother in a prison! Oh, it would be terrible! And look how it would hurt dad. He wouldn't be elected. People would say he was crooked. And think of me! A sister to a burglarli' and she threw her arms around IaCk'S 116614 21115 looked eagerly into his eyes. His arm went around her waist. jack was puzzled. Wfhat should he do? As he looked into her beautiful eyes he tightened his grip. She fascinated him. He loved her beyond everything. Should he give her up after he had been working for three years to win her, or should he do his duty? His mind was in a whirl. Sud- denly he released his arm from her waist. He had decided. 'fCome onf' he said sternly, and he marched the Society Burglar out of the room amidst the cries and pleas of his sweetheart. CARLETON BRYAN, 'l4. il 4 211 er 1511111 Glzmfmr Ihr Glhinga Zflhat Arr Glzizaarli' UI contend that position amounts to everything, whether it is in a game of billiards, sailing a ship or being a herof' I looked up to discover the reason of the rather sudden announcement of this philosophy on the part of my uncle, otherwise known as Captain R. F. Harding, formerly with the Inter-Oceanic Steamship Company, but now retired. Discovering him in the act of clipping the end of one of his choice I-Iavanas, I calmly laid aside my book and proceeded to make myself com- fortable during the story which I knew was forthcoming. 'fD1d I ever tell you about the heroism of First Officer Campbell of the Neptune? asked my uncle. As a matter of routine I answered negatively. IfVell, I'll tell you about it. You may think that it should be stated differently. If you do, just set it equal to my first statement and you will have a perfectly balanced equation. if -S l Q . . A few yeais before you were born I was in command of the Good ship 1 . 6 Neptune, which plied between San Francisco and the Orient In those days she was one of the largest and finest steam vessels afloat. She was equipped with watertight bulkheads and many other improvements, which most vessels didnot have at that time. Naturally, I was very proud of my