Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-05-19

FISSAN' tAEb/TNE}A
| was at mat time newspaper re
porter. | had had a long spell of idle
ness that day, and was glad enough
when the chief sent for me.
Here, Gray" he said, Il want you to
run up to Hampton Pines and find out
if the Hon. Stanley Torrington is really
missing.
The police are posting his descrip,
ton. He's been gone for ten days
now, and was seen last in the I'M
perial hotel"
! turned away to get my oyercoat
from the pegs by the telephone boxes,
recalling what l had read about the
disappearance. This was little, so I
stopped a moment at the dead room, >
where the records of all kinds of peo-
pie are kept, and looked over the clip
pings in the Torrington envelope 1t
didn't take me long to find out that the
Hon. Stanley was a spectacular char
acter.
The last clipping was from weekly
society sheet, telling of his marriage
to the 10 year old daughter of a New
York millionaire.
There was a final paragraph of in
geniously worded gossip about the
hopeless attention paid the girl by an
other man. The paragraph went on to
say that the disappointed wooer had
gone abroad the day of the wedding
because he had lost her. From what
| could make out, the Torringtons hao
come back from their honeymoon jour.
ney three months previous, and had
gone to Hampton Pines.
Our paper had obtained a picture
of the girl. She was a slim, almost
frail creature. / could get fair idea
of what the Hon Mrs. Stanley Torring-
ton looked like She had a sort of
tropical beauty-almost Spanish.
Only thought her head was a bit too
large for the slender neck supporting
it, and the heavy masses of dark hair
added to the impression
At Hampton station, amid storm
of sleet and wind, secured a ram
Pines and back
Crunching upon gravel driveway
we came to full stop underneath a
pitch dark porte cochere. 1t was
black as pocket. could hardly
make out the bulk of the house. !
stumbled up the steps and felt my
way until my fingers touched the
round button of the electric bell on
the great door Its noise startled me
Then it was lost in the beat of the
sleet There wasn't the hint of a
light. AS | stood listening | heard
the quick rasp of wheels. It came
across me with jump that had paid
the cabman in advance.
The victoria was gone Then
went back into the doorway again tc
think 1t over 1t wasn't pretty.
pounded upon the door, barking my
knuckles against the wood Then
half mechanically. grasped tbs
heavy knob handle and ratified at the
lock. The catch turned easily at my
pressure, and almost unconsciously
stepped into the hall Of the big house
stood irresolute and uncertain Ny
heart beat high in my throat, and
felt NY muscles strained and sore as
crouched in the murk Of the hall The
air was close. as If the house had beer
shut for a day or two.
For few minutes hesitated, listen
ing. Then my first surprise at having
the door swing open gave way to ];
feeling Of relief that / was not outside
numbed by the wind which / coult
hear wrenching at the window fasten
ings | felt for my match box, and
struck light Az the blaze leaped III
! shielded It with my palm and looked
A glance in the flicker told me the
place was uninhabited The hall had