The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-12-08
CHAPTER II-(continued.)

Laughing together we chatted or the
old days in Greece and Turkey, OF our
voyages TO South America, and Of sun
ny days in Spain. had never seen
he kissed me twice and then said such
an extraordinary thing, that / could
not help but remember It.
"Okyada and / will be working late
I'm the observatory" he said; there
may be one or two men about assisting
| us. l.)n't be afraid IL your hear 9
noise, Harriet. You will know it's all
right and that am aware OF It."
L did not press him at the moment,
but In my own room j thought much
upon 1t all and was quite unable to
sleep.
Deepdene, as many know. is an old
Tudor mansion. My own rooms ere
In the right-hand wing, and beyond is
the open park which runs right down
what my feelings must have been,
when. CHANGING to look over the gar
den at i o'clock that morning, ] saw
as plainly as my eyes have ever seen.
the figures or three men crouching be-
meath the wall.
AS IL TO magnify my fears, there
was the light OF our observatory shin
me plainly that my brother was still
at work and that the invaluable Oky-
ada must be with him.
Judge, then, In what a dilemma
found myself. My brother away at the
observatory. half mile at least from
the manor! two old servants for my
bodyguard! lonely house and strange
men seeking to enter it. Driven this
way and that by my thoughts, at first
said that 1 would take Fan at his
word and hide away from 1t all like
true coward in my bed. This would
have done IL the doing Of 1t had not
been unsupportable. could not lie.
My heart was beating sd. every sound
SO distressed me that I arose 10. des-
peration and, putting on my dressing
gown with trembling fingers, determ-
ined to wake up my maid. Shall ever
forget 1t, II live a hundred years
The dark landing when opened my
bedroom door. These could not af-
fright me. 1t was the whisper OF voices
heard below; the soft tread OF feet
upon velvet pile. All, those sounds
shall ever remember!
The men had entered the house, they
were coming upstairs. If crossed the
dark landing to my maids room. as
suredly / should meet them. Step by
step heard the thieves creeping UP
stairs. Then 1 do believe ! half
swooned with terror.
They were coming up. step by step,
to visit and rob my brothers safe,
kept In the dressing room, where the
Japanese. Oyada. usually slept. This
much even my agitated mind inn
pressed upon me. And you may i'm
agine my feelings when say that the
rays Of the dark lanterns they carried
were turned upon the very door Of my
bedroom, which had just shut behind
me.
Had they been diverted hands
breadth to the right. they would have
discovered me. standing with my back
to the wall, helpless and, I do pro-
test, a pitiable figure. I heard them
shut the door and lock It behind them.
Dreading discovery no longer. I
crossed the landing silently and en-
tered my maids room. She heard me
with as little concern as IL I had been
ordering her to go shopping into Cam
bridge.
THE masters away in the park"
she said. 'Then we must fetch him.
mistress. TIL go myself Do you wait
here with me until am dressed.
1 dreaded being left alone.
why. that's all right" she ex-
claimed quite cheerily. .Tn 60 and
call Williams. They'll be off fast
enough, mistress. IL they get the d.
Almonds. Now, do you just sit here
quietly and think nothing at all about
u
ter's motor car.
When she had gone, I locked the
door and sat all alone in the dark
ness praying. I make sure now that
it was not truly more than five min
utes when terrible cry, something
80 inhuman, SO dreadful as to be be-
yond all my experience. rank out
through the house and was repeated
again and again until the very night
seemed to echo. Unlocking the door,
ran out to the landing calling, Fan!
Fan! for Gods sake. tell me what has
happened"
He answered me at once. my dear
brother, standing at the door OF his
dressing room. I peeped into the room
behind him, and then saw something
which he could not hide from me- A
man lay full length upon the floor, APP
parently dead. BY his side there knelt
the Japanese Okyada, who chafed the
limbs of the sufferer. Fan shut the
door and. leading me away, he tried
10 tell me what 1t was:
MY dear Harriet, you see what
zones Of touching scientific imple-
nents. Here's q man who wanted to
look inside my safe. He quite forgot
that the door of II Is connected up to
a very powerful electric current. Don't
be alarmed. but go back to your bed.
Did not tell you that there would be
strange men abont?"
"Ean," I said, "for PHYS sake, let
me know the truth. There were three
men altogether. saw them in the
garden: they passed me on the stairs.
They were robbers, Fan; you cannot
hide 1t from me-"
"You poor little Harriet" he said,
kissing me, "of course they were rob-
bers I have been expecting them for
q week or more. Did tell you should
be in the observatory? That was fool
fish OF me-
"But there was a lighe there, dear"
"Ah, yes, wished my guests to
think me star gazing. Two OF them are
now returning to London as Ease as
their motor car can carry them The
other will remain with us to recuper-
aEan." I said, you are hiding some
thing from me-"
my dear sister," he replied, does a
man in the dark hide anything from
anybody? When I know, you shall be
the first to hear. Believe me, this Is no
common burglary or would have act
ed very differently. These are deep
secrets. may have to leave you to
search for them"
His words astonished me very much.
My own agitation could not measure
his recollection or the unconcern which
the strange episodes Of the night had
left. to him. For my part, could but
pass long hours OF meditation, in
which I tried to gather up the tam
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