Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-12-12
not dare harm the girl himself, for


fear of his employers wrath.
These thoughts went through my
head very rapidly. 1 made resolve,
and fastened to act upon it.
I gave the girl dose OF chloral and
said to the Chinaman:
"Your wife will be all right in the
morning. You must not wake her.
Let her sleep till she wakes herself.
Then she will be WE'LL"
"Thlank! doctor glood man.
Heap like Chinaman's Joss. Velly
smart. Much pay"
He fumbled under his peculiar,
shirtlike garment, and from some CO.
pacious pocket produced fat pocket
book. He counted out five ten-dollar
bills and handed them to me. I put
them in my pocket as if that sort OF
thing were all everyday sort of occur.
renee.
When walked down the stairs to
the door, ran the gantlet of the same
curious eyes that had when I came
in. One brought my hat, neatly
brushed. Another brought my mack
intosh-or, rather, Phister's-care.
fully feeling of It's ample folds to as
sure himself that it was dry.
The storm had abated. / stood O
moment on the threshold, and then
passed out. The Chinaman whis-
pered behind me:
.'Dloctor not say anything bout
this. Savee, dloctor?"
No sooner were the words uttered
than 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 aud
dragged her from the house. 1t was
now fearfully apparent that the gill;
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.
My heart beat furiously with rage az
I realized how T 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 som ething by which
I could identify the house. So far as
I could tell in the black darkness that
surrounded me, there was nothing
about the exterior of that house to
distinguish it from dozen others
around it. The same somber fronts,
the same heavy outlines doomed up
before me on both sides of the streets.
After q 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
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 go with piece of tape. This tape
had forgotten; but now, to my great
10y, discovered it in my coat-pocket.
drew it forth, and breathed blesa-
ing upon it. With the piece OF
tape in my hand, I 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, hurried off in the
direction of what 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 I 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 or chain Of land
marks that would guide me back to
that house. On one side of the street
I saw a bent tree of great dimensions.
That was a good mark. Then I saw
house of holder 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. I
did not find many signs. But found
enough to establish the fact that the
house I had just left was on Sand
street, just north of Bank street. l
knew I was just on the outskirts OF
Chinatown. = Turning down Bank
street, I felt my way along for block
or two. On a corner, well-lighted, I
found policeman standing. He
seemed to take great interest i'll my
movements. When approached him
he took a few steps toward me as
though he was going to accost me. /
stopped abruptly.
"'Say, officer" began. before he
had chance to say anything. II
want some assistance from you"
"What's the matter? Are you
lost?" he asked.
"No, I am not lost. I am a physi.
cian-Doctor Crickmore, of the Col.
den Gate Club. I was called to a
house up here on Sand street to see q
woman. A Chinaman came after me.
The woman has been drugged, and ID
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
He eyed me curiously. I
wondered if he wasn't going to make
me any reply.
tsVouno mon pho cold Uvou hava