Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-05-04
CHAPTER XIV.
His Wife's Father.

tongs. The cats wall had reused
Hotchkiss, who was wide-awake at
once He took in my offensive attitude,
the tongs, the direction of my gaze,
and needed nothing more AS he
picked up the candle and darted out
into the hall, / followed him. He made
directly for the staircase, and part
waN up he turned off to the right
through a small door. We were on
the gallery itself; below us the ire
cleaned cheerfully, the cat was not
in sight. There was no sign of my
ghOstly visitant, but as we stood there
the Bokhara rug, without warning,
slid over the railing and fell to the
floor below.
Man or woman?" Hotchkiss in
CURED in his most professional tone.
"Neither-that is, l don't know.
didn't notice anything but the eyes,
/ muttered. "They were looking
hole in me. If you'd seen that cat
you would realize my state of mind.
That was a traditional graveyard
yowl."
Il don't think you saw anything at
ALL" he lied cheerfully. "You dozed
off, and the rest is the natural result
of meal on a buffet car"
Nevertheless, he examined the Box
hara carefully when we went down,
and when 1 finally went to sleep he
was reading the only book in sight
"Elwen on Bridge" The first rays of
daylight were coming mistily into the
room when he reused me. He had
his finger on his lips, and he whis-
pered sibilantly while l tried to draw
on my distorted boots.
Il think we have him." he said tri-
umphantly. ''Tve been looking around
some, and 1 can tell you this much.
Just before we came in through the
window last night, another man came.
Only-he did not drop, as you did.
He swung over to the stair railing,
and then down. The rail is scratched
He was long enough ahead of us to
go into the dining room and get de-
canter out of the sideboard. He
poured out the liquor into a glass,
left the decanter there, and took the
whisky into the library across the hall
Then-he broke into desk, using a
paper knife for a Jimmy"
Good Lord, Hotchkisss" / exclaim-
ed; 'why, it may have been Sullivan
himself! Confound your theories
he's getting farther away every min
ute"
ct was Sullivan" Hotchkiss re-
turned imperturbably. "And he has
not gone His boots are by the IL
brary fire."
"He probably had a dozen pairs
where he could get them," scoffed.
"And while you and l sat and slept,
the very man we want to get our
hands on leered at us over that rail-
ing"
SOFTLY, softly, my friend" Hotch-
kiss said, as l stamped into my other
shoe 81 did not say he was gone.
Don't jump at conclusions. 1t is fatal
to reasoning. AS matter of fact, he
didn't relish a night on the mountains
any more than we did. After he had
Internationally frightened you almost
into paralysis, what would my gentle
storm again? Not if know the Alice
sit-by-the-fire type. He went upstairs,
we'll up near the roof, locked himself
in and went to bed"
"And he is there Row?"
"He is there now"
We had no weapons. l am aware
that the traditional hero is always
armed, and that Hotchkiss as the low
comedian should have had a revolver
that missed fire. AS a fact, we had
nothing of the sort Hotchkiss car
ried the fire tongs, but my sense of
humor was too strong for me; 1 de-
clined the poker.
"All we want is a little peaceable
conversation with him." / demurred.
1--WE can't brain him first and con-
verse with him afterward. And any
how. while l can't put my finger on
the place, l think your theory is weak.
If he wouldn't run 100 miles through
fire and water to get away from US,
then he is not the man we want"
Hotchkiss, however, was certain. He
had found the room and listened out
breathing, and so we climbed past lux
urious suites, revealed in the deepen
ing daylight, past long vistas of hall
and boudoir. And we were both badly
winded when we got there. 1t was
a tower room, reached by narrow
stairs, and we'll above the roof level.
Hotchkiss was glowing.
ut is partly good luck, but not all, :"
he painted in a whisper. eff we had
persisted in the search last night, he
would have taken alarm and fed.
Now-we have ht@. Are you ready?"
He gave a mighty rap at the door
with the fire tongs, and stood ex-
pectant. Certainly he was right; some
one moved within.
Hello! Hello there!" Hotchkiss
bawled you might as we'll come out.
We won't hurt you, If you'll come
peaceably."
"Tell him we represent the law" I