Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-10-01
CHAPTER XXI.

THE SECRET is REVEALED.
Il is now plain that the detectives had
taken such precautions that tho escape of
any one from the Farm was an impossibility
Another officer in plain clothes had joined
my friend, and two men were to be seen ap-
preaching the Farm, carelessly as it seemed,
but they, too, were there on business. The
police lad, in fact, traced the strange man
| to the Farm the night before, and they had
the best reason for knowing that he had not
left since suppose they had set watch
| Anyhow, the theory of the police was that
| their man was within the walls at that mo
ment.
All this time Vanity showed no agitation.
| She led the way with her swift, fearless step,
and the detective looked at her with an ad-
miration he could not conceal The more
| sure he was that his man lay in the house
| the more he admired the girls daring. There
was something professional about it. 1t was
bold, skillful play, where nervousness and
incapacity might well have been pardoned; !;
and such play the officer honored, feeling
meanwhile certain elation on his own ac-
count, as he thought tina these clever people
were, after all, fairly caught in his snare.
He gave vent to his admiration later on in
this way and as his words embody the expe-
rience of the man of very remarkable
| world, write it down here:
II would give money to know what women
are made Of Couragei Why, have known
some Of 'em go right up the very crack Of
their doom and never move an eyelash. The
odd thing is that they can't do it for them
selves. Let themselves be in danger, and
they run and squeak like mice; but let it be
| to save miserable bit Of child or scape-
grace Of husband, and cage of tigers
wouldn't frighten 'em Which makes me
always say, would like to know what
women are made Of
aAndrew,n the stout man said to the COM
panion at his side, ''you and I walk in.
| Now, miss, l 60 first; you second, if you
1 please; and this gentleman third
Easy he and easy she If the pair had
been footmen with silk legs and powdered
hair, and she my lady, Miss Vanity could
| not have treated them with more naughty
i indifference. And SO they walked into the
parlor; and Willie following, not knowing
(he told me afterwar6 what he did, hut like
/ man in a dream.
The parlor was quiet and orderly. There
sat the old gentleman, with tumbler ol
water beside him and a newspaper spread
open on the table, and be cropping out the
words and pronouncing them to himself, as
have noticed deaf people sometimes do. HI
looked up at the party with great curiosity
and after wondering gaze from the detec
tives to Vanity, and back again, he callee
out:
aWho are these peopley'
Vanity went to his side and replied, in tina
bigh-low voice in which we speak to th
deaf:
mo one Of consequence father; it is onl.
the landlord"
And then, for the first time the poo
Young woman's heart began to beat, and sh
spoke with tremble in her voice, and actu
ally cast beseeching look at the detective
as much as to say, aSpare me all you can.
And he, who seemed really good-natured
and treated her as IL she were lady of hi
i own profession, only in another department
called out to the old man:
1--WE heard, sir, that there was something
wrong in the upper story Of the house
Which was cleyerly put, you observe
& ,.What storyY' asked the old man, in
i most querulous tone.
j ''The upper story Of the house, father,
i Vanity said, in the deaf mans voice, as be
fore.
l The old man locked up and scrutinized th
party with a penetrating air.
| HE must be = good landlord il he come
4 TO see about repairs before he IS asked to.
i .sDo YOU mind that, Andrewg' the stou
man remarked to his companion coolly, bu
with an air Of amusement. HOld gent ha
cct his wits about him still. Now, let u
see.
He passed out Of the room, and Andrev
with him.
Now. for the first time Vanity seemed i
i The Boston girl never refers to del
II rum tremens as the jim,jayns. 81
i drops dec0rously into slang by callir