The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-12-28

ne returned and reported. I'VE have a
mystery on hand. Luck has thrown II
in our way that we may make few
goldpieces. Let rs work 1t out togeth-
er and share the reward"
None of us In the ward had seen q
newspaper for week. They were not
interdicted, but none of the patients
seemed to care for outside news. Next
morning the soldier went out and pur-
chased the journals for the previous
Eve or six days, and as we looked them
over we struck O sensation. A boy 10
years old, the son of q rich iron found
er, had been kidnapped and spirited
away, and 1t was stated that the whole
police force of Paris was on the .Qui
vive. The kidnapping had taken place
three days before I saw the face at
the window, and was arguing that
our mystery could have nothing to do
with 1t when the soldier said:
ut Is at least II miles from here
where the lad was picked up. He was
probably hidden somewhere else for a
dav or two, but the scent got SO hot
that he was moved. Don't you fear
that he is not in tho old house opposite
at this very moment"
"Then we should inform the police"
"Pooh! We must wait for q reward
to be announced. Never slap luck in
the face"
On the fourth night and fifth night
the face appeared ut the window at
the usual hour, and the same man
made the usual signals. As the police
were yet at farlt, those signals must
have meant that things were all right
for the kidnapers. 1t was now eight
days since the boy was taken, and as
no trace could be had of him It was be-
lleved that he had been killed or taken
out Of the country. The papers gave
II to the police pretty hot, and 1t was
intimated that the father was ready to
nay almost any sum to have his child
restored.
Now we are coming nearer to IT,"
said the old veteran. "What the kid
napers have been waiting for Is the re-
ward, but we must be ahead Of them.
none. You must give me enough to
take me across Paris to the father"
1t had come to be understood in our
corridor that we had some scheme,
but we refused to answer any ques-
tions. The soldier started Off one
morning, and before noon he was hold
ing an interview with the father of the
abducted boy. The distracted man
was willing to give his last franc, but
the soldier stopned at 10000. He got
a promise In writing that he should be
Maid that sum when the boy wss deliv-
cred up. and then he went to the police
to find II there was reward for
any particularly desperate character.
There was. II was believed IN police
circles that the kidnapers were two es-
caped convicts, and there was q re-
ward Of 10000 francs on the head Of
either. When 1t had been agreed to
give him half the reward, the veteran
gave our mystery away. The police
waited until evening and then caught
the confederate Oh the street after he
had signaled hIs "AH right" Half an
hour later they surrounded the old
house, broke their way IN and not only
found tho other convict, but found the
kidnapped boy prisoner In one of the
rooms. The lad had been fairly well
treated, hut had been closely guarded
every hour since he had come into the
mans hands. He had seen only that
one man and had heen told that he
would bn set at liberty when his father
had paid 250.000 francs az reward.
The old soldier divided fairly with
me, and we were not only enriched by
the double reward, but were the means
of returning to custody two as desner-
ate criminals as ever broke bars. 1t
was considered an incomprehensihle
thing around the hospital, and doctor.
nurse and fellow patients were never
tired of saying:
How strange! You lie In your bed
and look at the windows of an old
house across the way, and, 10. there
c0ne $4,000 francs rolling in to your
copyright. 1900. by Q. D. LswiGl