Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-11-09
CHAPTER x.

1SAiohu LOT an explanation.
Wait till Herr Graden returns" he
grunted sulkily.
nave the strongest objection to those
silly tricks of secrecy with which the
professional police endeavor to magnify
their most simple discoveries. was
speaking my mind strongly on the subject
when my cousin reappeared
Halo! what's the matterY' he asked
| explained the position, while the fat
German chuckled in an oily, irritating
manner.
is not the official always the same?"
SAID Graden, with grim smile. "Come
TO the light, Robert, and I'll explain"
1t was certainly an ingenious discovery
they had made. Upon the page upon
which the map should have rested were
several slight indentations, evidently the
result OF marks made upon the lost paper
by pencil with fine point. With great
care my cousin tore out the correspond
ing map from his guide book and fitted
1t into the vacant place. Then, turning
it slowly back, he drove a pin through
the thin paper at the spots Immediately
above the indentatons on the page be-
low.
Mossel. This doesn't help us, after all"
1t was true enough. The pin-pricks
showed, first Lemsdorf; then cross
road some ten miles to the east and
then Bromberg, to the north on the
Berlin-Thorn, and Gnesen, to the south,
on the Posen-Frankfurt railways. He
had evidently been measuring and calcu-
lating indecisively.
do not trouble yourself, Herr Ora
den," said Mossel, with wave of the
hand that had more than suggestion
of patronage. "There are still telegraphs.
will have him detained at whichever
place he reaches. | shall return in half
an hour-to a good supper, l trust, Mr..
Landlord"
We followed him to the outer door,
which opened to writing wilderness
of snowtakes, for the fall had recon-
menced. The policeman turned up his
collar with a grunt of disgust and melted
into the darkness. We turned to meet
the face of the landlord, white and drawn
with a terrible anxiety.
"My sonr' he gasped. 'What of my
sonf'
Heaven pardon mel" cried Graden,
Il had forgotten himr'
''This man he drove, that is about to
be arrested-is he a criminal? Do not
spare me, mein Herr"
"Your servant-our driver to-day-will
be telling the tale in your kitchen, of
the death of the Prof. Mechersky, of
Castle Oster. This man, whose name is
Marnac, killed him. That is why we
pursue. Yet, my friend, l see no dan
ger for your son, unless"
unless what, mein HerrW
"Unless he refused to assist in the
escape of a murderer"
He is an honest boy, a good boy, but
very stubborn. His horses were borrow
ed; he had promised to return them to-
night. He would never consent to drive
this man to Bromberg or Gnesen, which
is at least an eighteen hours journey.
Oh, mein Herr, mein Herr! what is hap
pening-out there in the snow?"
1--WE are in the hands of Providence,
my friend" said my cousin gravely, lay
ing his hand ON the landlords arm. "You
can do nothing but pray that it may be
well with the boy"
l was very sorry for Reski. As
made my toilet in my room upstairs, the
danger of his son grew upon me. Fate
accident, Providence-whatever you
choose to call it's a strange thing, for
indeed it chooses its victim with fine
impartiality. When l entered our supper
room, found my cousin equally disturb
ed.
"This is a bad business about the
landlords son." he said. 1--WE a good
mind to follow the sleigh, though it's
little good that would do"
cts an awful night" l grumbled, for
indeed the wind was shrieking in the roof
like a lost soul.
you're a queer chap, Robert, with
your COMPOUNDED mannerisms," he said.
Yet I'll wager you'd be the first to be
off into the storm in a matter of life
and DEATH"
1t was not exactly complimentary, but
l let it pass.
Mossel was delayed. 1t was close upon
twenty minutes more before he arrived,
a snow-swathed, stamping bear of
man, whose curses preceded him as he
rolled down the passage to our room.
"What's up, MosselY' Graden demand
ed sharply.
"The wires, mein Herr Graden, the
wiresl Potztausendl but this storm has
brought them down like clothes lines"
"a special train, then"
"They have not an engine in the she'd |
| have been to see; it was that which |
delayed me-"
Graden drew sheet of paper from
bis pocket and glanced at it swiftly.
"There is not train till ten in the
morning." he said. HE will be at Brom-
berg, which is the nearer town, by eleven |
at latest. This is q branch line and we |
could not get there under three hours.
II Is now seven. An old man as he il
could hardly travel through such a night
without stops for food. Again, this lad |
whe dove him may have refused to pro
coed. We must chance 1t my friends,
and follow" !