The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-04

professional men, however, l recog-
nized the cxigencics of the case, and, af
ter the usual civilitcs, explained the
reasons of my call. He was tall
man, rather thin, with weak eyes. but
sufficiently gentlemanly to pass muster
both In dress and manner. Rather to
my surprise he readily agreed TO ac-
company me, and postpone for a few
days the private engagements which he
had on hand at the time; but in the course
of our journey down (for we returned
that night) the reason of his compliance
came out He wished to include
the robbery in his advertisements,
and all that could say to the contrary
would not convince him that my friend
would scarcely care for his name to be
mixed up in the matter. After consid-
cradle discussion we thought it best to
inform Mrs. Cargill later in the even
ing who and what our visitor really
was
The professor explained to us thai, rs
Mrs. Cargill knew the diamond and had
worn 1t so long, she was the one who,
with her hand in his, could best COM
municate to him where to lead her.
IF. said he, 1.-THE day is clear and
I bright, l shall lead you tomorrow to
the spot, Mrs Cargill. provided you
have sufficient strength of mind to keep
your ideas fixed entirely upon the stone.
You must keep it wildly before your
minds eye. and l shall lead you to it if
1t is in the house or grounds"
Nothing had occurred in the house.
hold since my departure in the morn
ing, and the robber (whoever he was)
must now, we judged, be beginning to
feel somewhat easier in mind; SO in case
OF his deemng 1t necessary to alter the
probable hiding-place of the stone, we
Determined upon immediate action, de-
ciding to commence next morning at
daybreak. The professor d not much
appreciate the idea of such an early
start, but we succeeded in overcoming
his scruples, and it was arranged before
we parted for bed that we should all
meet in the dining-room at three o'clock
next morning.
Mrs. Cargill was down before me,
and Harold shortly after. Of course,
we were all before the time, and to wait
in dumb silence (cven with the pros
pect of most interesting experiment.
for twenty minutes in the cold dawn
was any thing but lively. At length
the professor appeared, looking, we
were glad to see, equal to his business.
We had left the front door ajar in case
of need, rs it was our impression $50
thorough search having already been
made insidc) that the object of our
quest must be without the house. 1t
was rather cerie work for us al except
the professor, who was equal to the oc-
casion and seemed to scent the battle,
SO to speak, in the shape of some far
Off diamond which he had never seen.
At twelve minutes past three, then,
Mrs. Cargill took the professors hand,
he having been previously blindfolded.
mot" he said,, .'that such thing was
necessary, but it calmed his power of
thought to some extent" Harold and
1 retired a few steps, and the silence for
several minutes was deathlikc. AT last
the professor made a step, another. and
certainty had replaced doubt. He went
lowing (and we, too, discrectly down
the avenue to the first turning; and
then bang against the fence in most
disturbed manner. This little incident
seemed to have upset his train OF
thought, and it was some minutes be-
fore he seemed 10 grasp the situat on.
1t was fortunate thing that the
morning was fine, though the grass
looked abominably wet l inwardly
shuddercd ut the idea that, had there
been gate, we should have felt OBJ
liged to open it, and take to the grass;
and catching Harolds eye, we both felt
somewhat guilty, rs though we might
be shirking something. But the ''some-
thing" was not to be shirked. The
professor calmly commenced to climb
the paling, which, rs his one hand was
occupied, and as he was an exceedingly
ungainly man, obviously never born
for feats of agility, seemed rather an
extraordinary proceeding. Over he
would go, however, and over Mrs, Car
gill must go with him; when a man is
in trance he is very unreasonable
how Mrs. Cargill stood it can not tell,
save that she herself was, perhaps, Il
little affected,
We were helping them quietly over
when the professor got into most un.
accountable hurry, and had we not both
devoted our attention to Mrs. Cargil
she and her leader must have fallen
and the train of thought been broken.
We had been asked to maintain dis
Greet silence, but could almost have
sworn l caught smothcred eXclama'
ton from Harold as Mrs. Cargill's foo
was brought smartly round upon the
side of his head owing to the professor
unreasonable haste.
Once over the paling the scent seemet
to have grown weaker. OF course,
there was no hesitation in the avenue
and a very evident absence of such
feeling when palings had to be sur
mounted; but once on the dewy gras.
, things might be taken more easily. i
went back to the paling to join Harold
and we left the pair to themselves til
, we got fairly across the field. Thcr
the professor seemed to recognize the
proximity OF another paling, and W,
had to run to be in time to help then
/ over. We were getting more used to i
now, and Mrs. Cargill was bearing VI
wonderfully. We handed them Owe
, without any mshap. save that the pro
: fessor's foot got twisted in the fence
, and his boot Zone of those elastic-sidct
, monstrosities, and very olD came off il
/ the struggle to extricatc him.
, Harold and l had, up till now, beer
) feeling not q Wtle skeptical about tn,
proceedings, but the fact that we wer,
in the wood by this time, and that tn,
/ professor seemed totally unconscious o
the absence of his boot, began to i'm
: press us. 1t seemed, too. little OK
y traordinary that he should be able t.
go calmly on now without knockn,
NSf tSI,t Nn Il,