Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1905-10-14

grocer's and returned in company with |
| a dirty.looking boy and truck. He
piled the trunks. portmanteaus and car
pet bag on the truck, and departed with
his load. which was to be kept until the
| next morning, when Sigismund was to
take the luggage away In a cab. When
this business had all been arranged. Mr..
Smith and his friend went out into the
garden and talked of the surprise that
had fallen upon them.
| Il always knew they were thinking
| OF leaving Sigsmund said, "but ]
never thought they'd go away like this.
| feel quite cut up about it, George.
I'd got to like them, you know. old boy,
and to feel as IL I was one of the fam.
| ily."
| George seemed to take the matter
quite as seriously as his friend. though
| his acquaintance with the Slcafords was
| little more than four-and-twenty hours
old.
"'They must have known before to-
day that they were going" he said
people don't go to California at a few
hours notice."
Sigismund summoned the maid and the
two young men subjected her to a very
rigorous cross examination. hut she could
tell them very little more than she had
told them In the first instance.
"Mr. Sleaford 'ad is breakfast at
nigh upon 1 o'clock, and then he went
out, and he come tearin' 'ome agen In
one Of these 'ansom cabs 3 o'clock In
the afternoon; and he told missus to
send a four.wheeler from the first stand
he passed at q o'clock precise; and the
best part Of the luggage was sent round
to the green grocer's on a truck, and the
rest was took on the roof of the cab,
and Mr.. Sleaford he didn't 20 In the
cab. but walked of as cool rs possible.
swinging his stick and 'olding his cad
as Ugh a. hever."
Sigismund asked the girl II she had
heard the address given to the cabman
who took the family away.
NO." the girl said; "Mr. Sleaford had
J given no address,"
Mr.. Smiths establishment knew no
bounds. lie walked about the deserted
house, and up and down the wcedy path.
ways, until long after summer moon was
bright upon the lawn, and every trail
J ing branch and tender leahet threw Its
sharp separate shadow on the shining
ground.
, II never heard Of such a thing In all
my life," the young author cried: it's
. like my stories. With exception Of their
going away In four wheeler cab In.
stead Of through a sliding panel and
: subterranenn passage, it's for all the
, world like them"
"But you'll be able to find out where
, they's gone, and why they went away 50
suddenly" suggested George Gilbert;
"some Of their friends will be able to
tell you."
"Friendsw exclaimed Sigismund;
"they never had any friends-at least
t not friends that they visited, or anything
Of that kind"
. They went into the house, and wan.
dered from room to room. looking blank.
y IL at the chairs and tables, the open
I drawers, the disordered furniture. as II
4 from those inanimate objects they might
{ obtain some clew to the little domestic
mystery that bewildered them. Every
= where there were traces Of disorder and
1 hurry. except In Mr.. Sleaford's room
' That sanctuary was wide open now. and
] Mr.. Smith and his friend went into II
= and examined it. To Sigismund new
4 " excavated chamber In a long.bured
l. city could scarcely have been more inter.
;, esting. Here there was no evidence OF
o | reckless haste. There was not single
h fragment of waste paper In any one OF
0 the half dozen open drawers on either
side of the desk. There was not 80
I: much rs an old envelope upon the floor
v A great heap of gray ashes upon the
d | cold hearthstone revealed the fact that
q Mr.. Seaford had employed himself In
n destroying papers before his hasty de-
K parture.
d CHAPTER v.
h Before leaving the city George oh
{ tanned q promise from his friend. Sigis