The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-14
PART III.
A FRIENDLY BURGLARY.

A FRIENDLY BURGLARY.
considered it highly important TO
ascertain whether the young man who
pcrsonated the Greenville doctor really
had any knowledge Of medicine. If
he had, il would seem probable that he
was resident physician attending upon
Bertram i'm an illness that was by no
means the sudden and unexpected at
tack described to me by Mrs. Graves.
Accepting that view, two theories would
naturally suggest themselves to ac-
count for the duplicity ard concealment
that were being practiced by the house
hold. Bertram's illness might be Of
such a nature that il would better be
kept secret; he might be periodically
Insane. Second, he might be at the
point of death, and his wife and her
relations might fear that | would i'm
fluence him against them in the disposi-
ton of the money he had earned and the
valuable copyrights he held.
On the other hand, if the young man
we're not doctor, there must be some
sort of plot against my friend, whereby
he was held prisoner and prevented
from communicating with the outer
world. Perhaps his property was slow
ly being assorbed by the Graves con-
tingent. / was prepared TO suspect
Mrs. Graves OF anything. AS for Mrs.
Dyer, could not regard her as an active
clement in so serious an affair. My dis
like for her had been based upon her
mental vacuity, upon her absurd in
feriority to her husband. She had
seemed to Ire incapable of good or evil
except as others might influence her.
Grandfather Graves was a shrewd old
rat, with an eve like an X-ray TO explore
the inside of another's pocket. With
the other members Of the household I
was almost unacquainted, but did not
detect any ieading spirit among them.
On the whole regarded Mrs. Dyer as
the best of the lot, and the easiest to
deal with in such efforts as | might
make 10 solve the mystery. resolved
to have a word with her before leaving
the house, and. therefore, | chung to the
veranda more tightly than the vines
that encircled its ancient pillars while
Mrs. Graves strove to lop me off with the
+. cold edge of inhospitality.
Mrs. Dyer and 1.-THE doctor" seemed
surprised that / had shown so much
tenacity. when they at'last descended
from the western chamber where they
had presumably been busy with the
sick man. | ventured to inquire about
my friends health, and was assured.
by the young man that favorable ter
mination ol the case might be looked
for sin few weeks;" whereupon Mrs.
Graves nodded her head at me as much
as to say: "I'll get rid of you long be-
fore that, my boy"
Apparent acquiescence seemed to be
my best course, and made my adieux
with SO great n semblance of SINGER
ity that the hatchet-faced old woman
was deceived. She took "the doctor"
into the house again, ostensibly to
offer him some refreshment, and thus
was left alone with Mrs. Dyer, which
was what had wished for. Imnedi-
ately began to speak of her husband
as If had no hope of ever seeing him
alive again. / dilated upon his many
aminble qualities and upon the bril-
liancy of his genius, judging that If
che had really been led into any plot
against him, her affection for him
the sincerity of which / had never
doubted--would be stirred TO such
degree that she would bctray signs
of remorse. To my great satisfaction,
she began to cry; and thus knew that,
though Bertram's case might be des-
perate, there was one, at least, of his
prosecutors who had not entered into
The plot with her whole heart. My
mouth was open to begin plea that
she should trust me as friend and tell
me all, when Mrs. Graves suddenly ap-
Pcnrcd in the doorway. The glance
which she leveled at me was like one
Of the tomahawk that flashed In Ber-
trans first great story, and fled for
my life.
OF course, I had not abandoned the
adventure. 1t was n retreat in the ma
ture of feint, designed to raise false
hopes in the heart of the enemy. No
sooner had passed out of Dyer's Farm,
by the Greenville gate, than wheeled
TO the westward. following a road that
passed close 10 the base of n steep,
wooded hill that had noticed from the I
verandn. It's top was less than half
mile from the house, and believed that
II would afford me an excellent point
Of observation.
Concealing my bicycle among the
trees, j climbed the hill. and speedily
iound a SPOT from which could look
sut upon my friends abode without
danger of being seen. AS / turned my
eyes upon II, the blinds outside the
windows of the western chamber were
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