Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-04-27

to him meant other things than mo-
tors. Automobile" l supplemented.
His face cleared.
None but private affairs. / can
give you a good buggy with a rubber
apron. Mike, is the doctors horse
in?"
l am still uncertain as to whether
the rawboned roam we took out that
night over the mountains was the doc
tors horse or not If it was, the doc
tor may be a good doctor, but he
doesn't know anything about horse.
And furthermore, l hope he didn't
need the beast that miserable evening.
While they harnessed the horse
Hotchkiss told me what he had
learned.
"Six Curtises in the town and vi.
cinity,'' he said. "Sort of family name
around here One of them is telegraph
operator at the station. Person we
are looking for is--was-a wealthy
widow with a brother-named Sulli-
van! Both supposed to have been
killed on the Filler"
"Her brother" 1 repeated, stupidity.
"You see," Hotchkiss went on,
three people, in one party, took the
train here that night, Miss West, Mrs.
Curtis and Sullivan. The two women
had the drawing room, Sullivan had
lower seven. What we want to find
out is just who these people were,
where they came from, if Bronson
knew them, and how Miss West be-
came entangled with them. She may
have married Sullivan, for one thing"
l fell into gloom after that. The
roam was led unwillingly into the
weather, Hotchkiss and / eclipsed be-
hind the blanket. The liveryman stood
in the doorway and called directions
to us. 'You can't miss it, he finished
Got the name over the gate anyhow,
THE Laurels.' The servants are still
there: leastways, we didn't bring them
down" He even took a step into the
rain as Hotchkiss picked up the lines
eff you're going to settle the estate,
he bawled, don't forget us, Peck &
Peck. A half-bushel of name and a
bushel of service"
Hotchkiss could not drive. Born a
clerk, he guided the roam much as
he would drive a bad pen. And the
roam spattered through puddles and
splashed ink-mud, that is-until /
was in a frenzy of irritation.
"What are we going to say when we
get there?" l asked after l had finally
taken the reins in my one useful hand.
Get out there at midnight and tell the
servants we have come to ask q few
questions about the family? It's an
idiotic trip anyhow; | wish had
stayed at home"
The roam fell just then and we had
to crawl out and help him up. By the
time we had partly Embarrassed him
our matches were gone and the small
bicycle lamp on the buggy was wa
vering only too certainly. We were
covered with mud, painting with exer-
ton and even Hotchkiss showed dis
position to be surly The rain, which
had lessened for a time, came on
again, the lightning flashes doing
more than anything else to reveal our
isolated position.
Another mile saw us, If possible,
more Respondent The water in our
clothes had had time to penetrate; the
roam had sprained his shoulder, and
drew US along in a series of convulsive
Jerks. And then through the rain
spattered window of the blanket, !
saw a light. 1t was a small light,
rather yellow, and it lasted perhaps
80 seconds. Hotchkiss missed it, and
was inclined to doubt me. But in a
couple of minutes the roam hObbled to
the side of the road and stopped, and
! made out a break in the pines and
an arched gate.
1t was a small gate, too narrow for
the buggy. / pulled the horse into as
much shelter as possible under the
trees, and we got out. Hotchkiss tied
the beast and we left him there, head
down against the driving rain, droop-
ing and detected. Then we went
toward the house.
1t was a long walk. The path bent
and twisted, and now and then we lost
it, We were climbing as we went.
Oddly there were no lights ahead, al
though it was only ten o'clock-not
later. Hotchkiss kept a little ahead
of me, knocking into trees now and
then, but finding the path in half the
time I should have taken. Once, as
I felt my way around a tree in the
blackness, put my hand unexpected-
ly on his shoulder and felt shudder
go down my back.
what do you expect me to do?" he
protested, when demonstrated. Hang
out a red lantern? What was that?
listen"
We both stood peering into the
gloom. The sharp patter of the rain
on leaves had ceased and from just
ahead there came back to us the
stealthy padding OF feet in wet soil.
My hand closed on HotchkisS' Shout
der and we listened together, warily.
The steps were close by, unmistak-
able. The next fash OF lightning
Il.