What right had a criminal to offer his hand to his daughter?
“Good-bye, Earle,” she answered, clasping it warmly, while a big tear trickled down her cheek and dropped hot and burning upon it.
Then she turned quickly away, drew her vail over her tear-stained face, while Mr. Dalton led her from the room, himself bestowing only an indifferent nod upon the offending culprit.
CHAPTER II
THE ROBBERY
About three months previous to the events related in the preceding chapter, on a dark and stormy night, two men might have been seen prowling around a stately mansion in an aristocratic portion of the city of New York. After carefully reconnoitering the premises, to see that no one was stirring within, one of them cautiously proceeded to cut out a pane of glass in one of the basement windows, while the other kept watch upon the sidewalk.
The glass was removed without the slightest noise, whereupon the burglar unfastened the window and lifted the sash. Then making a little noise like the twittering of a sparrow, he was immediately joined by his companion, and both disappeared within the house.
A few minutes later a third man coming along the street, saw the sudden glimmer of a light in one of the lower rooms of the mansion.
Something about it instantly attracted his attention.
It was a quick, sharp flare, and then seemed to go suddenly out.
He waited a minute or two, and the same thing was repeated.