The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-18
PART II.
A FRIENDLY BURGLARY.

PART II.
A FRIENDLY BURGLARY.
considered it highly important to
ascertain whether the young man who
personated the Greenville doctor really
had any knowledge of medicine. If
he had, IL would seem probable that he
was a resident physician attending up
on Bertram in an illness that was by
no means the sudden and unexpected
attack described to me by Mrs. Graves,
Accepting that view, two theories
would naturally suggest themselves to
account for the duplicity and conceal
ment that were being praeticed by the
household. Bertram's Illness might
be of such nature that 1t would bet
ter be kept secret; he might be period
ically insane. Second, he might be a
the point of death, and his wife and her
relations might fear that would in
fluence him against them in the dis
position 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 absorbed by the Graves con-
tingent. 1 prepared to suspect Mrs
Graves Of anything, AS for Mrs. Dyer
L could not regard her as an active ele-
ment in so serious affair. My dislike
for her had been based upon her mental
Vacuity upon her absurd inferiority to
her husband. She had seemed to me
incapable of good or evil except as 9TH
ers might influence her. Grandfather
Graves was a shreWd old rat, with an
eye like an X-ray to explore the inside
or another's pocket. With the other
members of the household L was al
most unacquainted. but 1 did not de-
tect any leading spirit among them.
On the whole l regarded Mrs Dyer
as the best of the lot, and the easiest
TO zeal with in such efforts as 1 might
make to solve the mystery l resolved
TO have word with her before leay-
ing the house, and, therefore, I clung
to the Veranda more tightly than the
vines that encircled its ancient pill,
lars while Mrs. Graves StroVe to lop
me off with the cold edge of inhos-
pitality.
Mrs. Dyer and "the doctor" seemed
surprised that 1 had shown so much
tenacity, when they at last descended
from the western chamber where they
had presumably been busy with the
sick man. 1 ventured to inquire about
my friends health, and was assured
by the young man that a favorab BILE
termination of the case might be looked
for "in a few weeks" whereupon Mrs.
Graves nodded her head at me as much
as to say "Ill 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 a semblance of SINGER
ity that the hatchet- faced old woman
was deceived. She took "the doctor
into the house again, ostensibly to Of
fer him some refreshment, and thus
was left alone with Mrs. Dyer, which
was what 1 had wished for. Immedi-
ately I began to speak of her husband
as II I had no hope of ever seeing him
alive again. dilated upon his many
amiable qualities and upon the bril-
liancy of his genius, judging that If
she had really been led into any plot
against him, her affection for him
the sincerity of which 1 had never
doubted-would be stirred TO such a
of remorse. To my great satisfaction,
she began to cry; and thus l knew
that, though Betram's case might be
desperate, there was one, at least, os
his prosecutors who had not entered
into the plot with her whole heart.
My mouth was open to begin a plea
that she should trust me as a friend
and tell me all, when Mrs. Graves sud
In hn fTrl,o
glance which she leveled at me was
like one of the tomahawks that flashed
in Betram's first great story, and /
ned for my life.
OF course, 1 had not abandoned the
adventure. 1t was a retreat in the ma
ture of felnt, 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 I wheeled
to the westward. following a road that
passed close to the base of a steep,
wooded hill that 1 had noticed from
the veranda. Its top was less than
half a mile from the house, and 1 be-
lieved that 1t would afford me an ex-
cellent point Of observation.
Conceallng my bicycle among the
trees, l climbed the hill. and speedily
found spot from which I could look
out upon my friends abode, without
danger OF being seen. AS turned my
eyes upon 1t, the blinds outside the
windows of the western chamber were
opened, and, with the aid of my field
glasses, easily recognized Mrs, Dyer
as the person who had opened them.
She passed to the window in the south
ern wall, and Immediately a flood of
light streamed into the chamber, 1t
was not sick room, certainly. The
bed was neatly made up. Beside II
was a stand on which were several
books and magazines, but no phials or
other detestable appurtenances of dis
ease.
There was no one else In the room
but Mrs, Dyer, so far as could see.
Certainly no invalid would have been
exposed 10 such a draft OF erisp eu-
tumn air as must have been surglng
through the apartment,
This discovery strengthened a sus-