The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-10
"Dloctor not say anything bout

'Dloctor not say anythlng 'pou5
this. Savee, dloctor?"
No sooner were the words uttered
than I began to regret my ill-consid-
cred resolve. I could have pounded
myself for fool because I had not
acted on my first impulse, and wrested
the girl from the brute by force and
dragged her from the house. 1t was
now fearfully apparant that the girl,
instead of being the wife of the China
man, was the victim, or the intended
victim, of the foulest system of or
ganized kidnapping ever in existence.
Ny heart beat furiously with rage as
T realized how I had been duped.
But the door was slammed in my face,
and I stood alone in the darkness.
Nothing was left then but to follow
the plan I had formed inside. This
was to reach the highest police au-
thorities to be found at that hour of
the night, and to plainly lay the case
before them.
To do this properly it became nee
essary to fix upon something by which
I could identify the house. So far as
T could tell in the black darkness that
surrounded me, there was nothing
about the exterior of that house to
distinguish it from a dozen others
around it. The same somber fronts,
the same heavy outlines loomed up
before me on both sides OF the streets.
After spell Of indecision,
another spark of genius seized
upon me. A thought struck me
that seemed to me to be partic-
ularly bright and happy. With
out moving from in front of the
house. fumbled in my pockets for a
string or something of that kind. I
had purchased a bookcase for my
library day or two before, and had
measured the corner into which it was
to 20 with piece of tape. This tape
I had forgotten; but now, to my great
Joy, discovered it in my coat-pocket.
T drew it forth, and breathed bless
ing upon it. With the piece of
tape in my. hand, fastened to the
curb and tied the measuring.string
around tree that stood directly in
front of the door.
Having fixed things thus satisfac-
torily to myself, I hurried off in the
direction of what I concluded to be
the Bay district. I knew that police
headquarters lay in that direction,
and my object now was TO reach there,
as soon as possible. I say hurried,
but in truth I made but slow progress.
As went along I closely scanned
everything I could see. I wanted to
establish a system OF chain of land
marks that would guide me back to
that house. On one side of the street
I saw bent tree of great dimensions.
That was q good mark. Then saw
house of bolder front than the others
standing farther out in the street.
This, too. mentally noted.
At every corner I studied the lamp
posts, for the names of the streets. 1
did not find many signs. But I found
enough to establish the fact that the
house I had just left was ON Sand
street, just north of Bank street. I
knew I was just on the outskirts OF
Chinatown. Turning down Bank
street, T felt my way along for block
or two. On a corner, well-lighted, 1
found a policeman standing. He
seemed to take great interest in my
movements. When approached him
he took q few steps toward me as
though he was going to accost me. I
stopped abruptly.
";Say, officer" I began, before he
had a chance to say asything. II
want some assistance from you"
whats the matter? Are you
lost?" he asked.
"No, am not lost. I am a physi-
cian-Doctor Crickmore, of the Col
den Gate Club. I was called to
house up here on Sand street to see a
woman. A Chinaman came after me.
The woman has been drugged, and is
now unconscious. I am on my way to
police headquarters to get help. What
do you advise me to do?"
The officer slowly whistled softly to
himself. He eyed me curiously. I
wondered if he wasn't going to make
me any reply.
Young man." he said, "you have
never got yours elf mixed up in one of
these Chinese scrapes or y'u'd be
steerin' clear of this one. But if
you're goin', y'u'd better go. Where's
the house?"
"On Sand street, just north of
Bsnk. Two houses from it there is
bent tree in the same side of the
street. I tied tape around the
small tree that is directly in front of
the house I mean. You can tell it by
that"
fro BE CONTINUED.