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Show liluslrutcd fctj Ii-wtfiAyerJ Copyright ty6eorge H-DorcnCo. CHAPTER XI Continued. 13 fie wns u curious lustrum'-nt of Kuril ahslrart Justice. lit; served fate us If It lui'l sworn out a police court warrant. As a nemesis lie was n clown, or lit least a beadle or a bailiff. The maimer In Which he served Inevitability Inevit-ability will appear. Mr. Sidney's crime, I soon saw, whatever manner or kind of crime It had been, was one of unesrapabie consequence. "A man named Iiravada," said Morgan, Mor-gan, after we hail looked nt each other oth-er In Interrogative, hostility for an In-Ktant, In-Ktant, "has come to our agency with n very strange tale. From wliat I learn of the things he and his disreputable disrepu-table nltorney have (lone, I can see that they are heading directly lido the nenltenllary. 1 understand that the lawyer Is deail and that nil their schemes are closed. Dravada lias come to our agency, and I have come directly to you. I want you to understand under-stand our methods of dolus business. They are honent. The paper Diavada carries about him says that crime has been commltliMl. Are you familiar with I liat paper?" "I have seen what n blackmailing lawyer said was a copy of a sheet In the possession of Pravada." "I am not much of a literary man." Bald Morgan, taking from n black leather ease n manuscript which lie handed to me, "but I've read 'The Moonstone,' and this looks to me like n couple of chapters copied out of It. Probably you are familiar with 'The Voonstone.' " "I have read It several times." "Tlxsi what do you make of that EinWrtcrlpt ?" I looked at several of the pages. The manuscript was a copy of part of "The Moonstone." "I am right, then," said Morgan. "'Moonshine' It had heller be called. That's the manuscript the maid stole out of your man Jed's room and that Dravada took after the lawyer had been killed. Here's my reasoning maybe you will be interested: This man .led and this fellow Dravada worked for Mr. Sidney in Montevideo. Dray ad a is a Ikief; Jed isn't much better. Dravada got one sheet of a iiianusr-ript that had something to do Villi concealed crime. Jed got the test uf the inanur.cript, so Dravada 'Says. Dravada has been trying to tn'jRe Jed go 50-50. lie has been trying try-ing to get the rest of the manuscript. He'll murder Jed yet. "Vow here's the way I look at it: A man. like Jed does not go to the trouble trou-ble of copying a couple of chapters '.f The Moonshine' and planting the fop in his room just to devil a des-tjefiite des-tjefiite fellow like Dravada. He does WJ! "I Suppose You're Something to Miss Sidney, Too." It for a purpose. That proves he has the real manuscript. That proviS there is a concealed crime. Our agency agen-cy is interested In Ending out what thnt crime was. As an agent of the law I am interested in this case. Are you' Is this family interested?" "I am not, and the family is not." 'Til take your word for it, but Til gee Mr. Sidney." "It is quite impossible. He uevir sees callers. I aiu his doctor. 1 should forbid It" "Then I'll seo ii'rs. Sidney." "That also is impossible. I an ber ifprescnui live." "Well, I'll talk to Miss Sidney." "That also is out of the question." "I suppose you're something to Miss Kidney, too." "I am nor fiance." "You are a little bit of everything around here. Well, how about seeing this man Jed?" "That can be arranged," I said, and I rang for Jed. When he came in, I 6aid : "Jed, this is Mr. Morgan, of the Metropolitan Detective agency. He wants to talk to you." "Yrs, sir," said Jed, and I went out M Ujh rooa. In about twenty minutes Jed came to me again. "Mr. Morgan wishes to speak to you once more," he said. "Well?" I said, looking at him in-quirl in-quirl ngly. "A downright, direct and positive sort of a person," he said, smiling, "but although keen, not a real intelligence. intel-ligence. He Is waiting for you, sir." CHAPTER XII. Mr. Morgan was pacing forth and back In the office much enraged. "Look here," he said. "Tills does not get us anywhere. My time is valuable. val-uable. I am wasting a lot of It. I'll tell you now I've got enough Information Informa-tion to know this is the sort of case we like, a tough case. I haven't been fooled a bit. You may not be interested. interest-ed. Maybe no one here is interested, but I'm interested. Do you get that, Mr. Doctor, Mr. Representative, Mr. Fiance? I'm Interested. Tills case is going to be gone into. There's a crime concealed somewhere which will do our agency good to discover. We " sha'n't do it for money. We shall do it for publicity. The advertising will be worth thousands of dollars to us. Do you understand me?" "I know you can make life very miserable mis-erable for us for a couple of days. You will have to use your own judgment." judg-ment." "I can pack that lawn out there with reporters and plxitographers from the city. They'll see and talk to Mr. Sidney. Sid-ney. Take my word for that. They'll see and talk to Mrs. Sidney and to Miss Sidney. I can bring that down to you by midnight." "The house has some protections," I said. "You might suggest that to the" newspaper people for their own good." "The shyster and that common thief Ann Forth got in, didn't they?" "I don't know Ann Forth." "No; but you know Agnes Mitchell. Well, you know Ann Forth, man. Say, you simpleton, you rlon't know what you're up against. This story just as it stands copy of sheet from manuscript manu-script Spaniard running off with Jed theft of manuscript death of shyster Ann Forth back in house hidden crime millionaire recluse beautiful daughter haunted house it's copy for every paper in the country." coun-try." I knew it and was appalled by the certain prospects. "It would be a very cruel and useless use-less thing to do," I said, "but as I told you, you must use your own judgment. judg-ment. We are not interested in this child's nursery story you are following, follow-ing, and I do not intend to have people peo-ple who are not well disturbed by the questioning of a detective." I knew how to deal safely with Morgan, but the method was out of the question. I should Indeed have been a simpleton if I had not known. All I had to ask was "How much?" We were wholly resolved against paying blackmail, knowing that it was only a gradual descent to ruin. It was better to go in one direct plunge if it were fated. Morgan looked at me steadily for a few moments as if giving me a chance to listen to the voice of reason. His method had been perfect. He was beyond be-yond a legal suspicion, and I knew ho was dangerous. "Well, young man," he said at last, "we are both wasting time at least I am. But it's only fair to you to tell you that this is not the end of the case. It's the kind of "a case we like, something tough and difficult. We may not make any money out of it, but when we are ready, we at least shall be paid in publicity. You needn't be afraid of the reporters and photographers just now. It's too good a case to waste that way. There's al ways that, no matter what we turn up. "This case is just good enough to spend some money on. It's just good enough to send a couple of men down to Montevideo. I'll tell you in advance that is what we're going to do. "We'll go into the life of Mr. Sidney with a line-tooth comb, and we'll do It well.. We are accustomed to doing such things well. And we'll do this well. We'll get something here or in South America. We'll follow that something until we know why Jed copied two chapters of 'The Moonstone' Moon-stone' and hid them In a box built in the springs of his bed. "Then we'll come back here and ask for a little more co-operation in serc-iug serc-iug the purposes of the law, and if we don't get some help, the reporters and photographers will be swarming on the lawn. That's all, Mr. Doctor." I knew at first glance that Morgan's face was malevolent. Xow I saw It extraordinarily so. "I'll have Jed show you the door," I said. "And tell him we do not know whether we take Dravada to South America or not. It will make bim happy." Jed was scrupulously the servant as we dismissed Mr. Morgan. That was the fashion in which In evitability entered the house. We were no longer dodging chance. Morgan Mor-gan surely and certainly represented fate. It had become only a matter of time when in one fashion or another the security of this home, so carefully studied, would be Invaded successfully. successful-ly. That was apparent. It might be that Morgan would be able to expose us to nothing more than the publicity he mentioned. Hut that was sullicient; it would be destructive. I had telephoned McCuirp, telling him of Morgan's part in the new turn of events, and he later informed me that two of Ihe Morgan agency operatives op-eratives had sailed for South America, taking Dravada with them. The hunt had begun but a long way off. The hunters knew as much of the quarry as 1 did, and I had no way of knowing whether it was likely that they could lb id a trail back to Hartley Hart-ley house. It was impossible not to feel uneasy. Dravada had been to me, whatever he had been to Jed, merely an Incident grotesque and extravagant, ex-travagant, a preposterous dash of color col-or in odd conditions. The lawyer had ' been resourceful and cunning enough, but his actions had to be those of a slinking feral animal. He was not to be greatly feared, but Morgan was. lie had the machinery for the work. His cupidity was aroused. Every rascal ras-cal who smelled the mystery of Hartley Hart-ley house became eager to follow the scent into the strong box of the house. I thought I was not assuming enough responsibility. I asked Mrs. Sidney again if it would be of service to give me the secret of the house. I told her I was far from certain that my relia- v 1 f; And, by George! She Danced Up and Kissed Her Mother and Kissed Me. bility and trustworthiness had been established, es-tablished, but if they had been, and if the question were merely one of fidelity fidel-ity and stanchness, I hoped I could be regarded loyal. "If only those qualities were involved, in-volved, John," said Mrs. Sidney, "you could have the inmost secrets of my soul. I would trust you with anything anywhere, but for your own salvation I would not have this terrible thing in your consciousness. Knowledge of it would curse you. It will be" unless there is expiation in a great love, and exculpation in self-sacrifice; Jed's soul is gone beyond redemption. I dare not think of Mr. Sidney nor of myself. But Jed is n gross sinner." She was by nature and wish an unemotional, un-emotional, untheatric lady, but she was dramatic in Tier seriousness. Then she said : "I should like to have you for a son." I was much embarrassed the more so when she kissed me. To conceal some disconcerting emotions I laughed awkwardly and went on about my business. I was to go blindfolded into the intricacies of the strangest situations situa-tions I ever encountered. With early October beautiful days came and brought tranquillity. Life is full of zest in October, the rich, rare month of the year; physical senses are made more sensitive. Hart-Icy Hart-Icy house blazed out in autumn splendor. splen-dor. What had been beautiful before was now glorified. I could have hours, but not complete days of happiness. - I could use my common sense part of the time, but Isobel broke it down at other times. Occasionally I thought her willful and tried to believe that she amused herself her-self by playing the devil with the only man available, but when I came to my senses, I knew I was a fool. All she did was to associate frankly and friemllily with the only available man, and if she liked lo be with me, it was a compliment I did not see that I deserved. With Ihe return to normality, with Jed back and immediate alarms quieted, quiet-ed, our family routine was re-established. Dinner, which had been less the sociable occasion that It might have been, because of Jed's malevolent superservieeability, became a -pleasant event. Heretofore Jed had made it a point to restrict and embarrass our attempts at easy con ersation. Now he withdraw and left us to ourselves. It was owing to this extraordinarily favorable disposition that I, coming to dinner one evening in a sullen mood, had opportunity to take up a subject which concerned me. "Mrs. Sidney," I said when Jed had placed the coffee-tray beside her aDd had retired, "I must ask you to release me from the absurd position I am in." "What position, John?" asked the kindly lady. "I am engaged to Isobel," I said. "Which is a torment and a trial," said Isobel. "It Is," I replied with warmth. "It Is a trial and torment from which I wsn release. I do not want to be hedgyo in by the absurdities of this arrangement" arrange-ment" "John, my boy," said Mrs. Sidney, "what's happened to you?" "Nothing, but I'm confused. I'd feel better if Isobel and I were not on this preposterous footing." "But there was a reason," Mrs. Sidney Sid-ney suggested mildly, "and it still exists, and we relied upon you, John. We don't want to make you unhappy, but you don't care for Isobel. That's so apparent, and it helps us SO much." "I don't care whether he cares for me or not," said Isobel suddenly. "Wa are going to remain engaged. Get your precise mind reconciled to the fact, John. While you are in this house, you and I are engaged to be married." "Isobel 1" her mother exclaimed. "I'm going to have the freedom that this man John brings me as my betrothed." be-trothed." snid Isobel. "Both of you can reconcile yourselves to that. John, you are a victim. You are engaged to me, and I know you are unhappy. Mother, you see me do things because I am engaged to John. Well. I Intend to remain engaged and to do things and I love you both." And, by George ! she danced up and kissed her mother and kissed me. CHAPTER XIII. ' At times I hated myself as a methodical method-ical person,- but it did no good. I was methodical, and from It there was no escape. I kept a diary. And each night as I made an entry, I turned back to the day of the year before. In doing so this night I read in the entry of the previous year: "Mr. Sidney made a sudden and astonishing recovery ol strength. He walked about his room without assistance nnd was in a high degree of animation." I recalled that night with the sharper sharp-er interest because the entry I was about to make this uight was substantially substan-tially if not precisely to the same effect. ef-fect. Mr. Sidney had again revealed an astonishing recovery of strength and had displayed the greatest animation. anima-tion. He had asked us to have our dinner in his room, a thing very seldom sel-dom done, and he had been wonderful as the majestic, courteous head of the family, full of humor and joviality. Jed was an amiable servitor, bantered ban-tered by Mr. Sidney from time to time. Isobei's animation was as infectious as her father's, but Mrs. Sidney, I thought, had a look of apprehension in her eyes which was something apart from the pleasant smile on her face. She seemed to find the occasion significant, sig-nificant, and I wonder that I had to read my diary to be refreshed in memory. mem-ory. When I had read it, I also saw the significance, and turning the page In the record of the year before, I read : "Mr. Sidney is In a condition of exhaustion ex-haustion which might be called a complete com-plete and dangerous collapse. . . . Dr. Brownell, summoned in . alarm, says that during his acquaintance with the case this transition overnight from extraordinary activity, to exhaustion lias been noted once every year and at approximately the same time of the year, if not precisely on the same date." The apprehension which Mrs. Sidney Sid-ney could not wholly conceal had this good foundation. Mr. Sidney was in the periodic miracle of renewed health and strength, but for whatever cause, he would be found tomorrow morning in a precarious condition of weakness. The event seemed so certain that I thought it best to acquaint Dr. Brownell Brow-nell that night of the premonitory symptoms. I decided to telephone a message to Dr. Brownell's residence in the city, to be given to him immediately if he were awake or as soon as he arose in the morning. I did not want to be overheard, over-heard, by any chance, by any one. in telephoning this premonitory messjyre, and' thought that the office would be my most secure place. The house was not yet in full darkness dark-ness when I came down the stairs to the main hall. It was lighted, and the stairway leading directly to Mr. Sidney's Sid-ney's room was lighted, which indicated indi-cated that Jed was still with Mr. Sidney. Sid-ney. The office door never was locked. I did not want Jed blundering in on me while I was telephoning. He would be along presently, I thought, and I decided de-cided to go out on the main portico until by the extinguishing of the lights I should know he was on his way to bed. I was on my way to act on this plan when the light in the stairway leading to Mr. Sidney's room was extinguished, and I knew Jed was on his way downstairs. down-stairs. I did not have time to reach the entrance. I doubted that I even had time to retrace my steps'. I did not want to meet Jed. So I stepped into a sort of little lounging space off the hall, which was quite dark. In a few minutes Jed went by, humming, hum-ming, not singing. I had expected blm to be very tipsy, considering the Jovial Jo-vial mood of Mr. Sidney it had even occured to me that once a year, on a certain date one to be .commemorated Mr. Sidney joined Jed in the wine and that this caused the relapse. But Jed was not drunk, his step was steady. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |