Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-06-17
CHAPTER TX.

Franz, Of Franz, Doubleday & Co..
Bankers, San Francisco, California, ar
rived, the Wayne murder mystery and
the unaccountable disappearance Of
Betty Lansey were still in chaotic
and unsolveable state. Likewise the
-Aperilla. His going was like his
coming-unseen by man, unknown and
all untraceable. Hamley Hackleye, too,
the strange lessee OF "a Briarsweet
place, was not to be found. The milk
man, who claimed he had been paid for
months wares in advance continued
to leave daily allowance of milk and
cream on the back stoop. and the accu-
mutation OF bottles on the Flanders
doorstep was waxing large. Gables
from London brought word that Hack
leye was younger son of the late Sir
Walter Hackleye; that for four years
past he had been conducting tropical
explorations, and that he was possess
ed or an immense private fortune. The
immediate family, an aged mother and
widowed sister. and two brothers, both
unmarried, lived in England for wears.
and had heard nothing Of HamIey that
bore upon his life with any degree of
denniteness. He was a bookish sort of
fellow; imaginative and fond of origi-
nal research, quiet and of no bad hab-
Its so far as they knew, agreed all re-
ports. No photographs Of him since
he was plump little codger of six
were to be had. A copy of one of these
so ran the message, was being made In
London, and would be forwarded i'm
mediately upon completion.
Johnny johnson felt that he had
drawn blank in his sleuthlng expedi-
ton through the house at "a Briar-
sweet Place, where the death chamber
visitor had vanished. The rooms SMELL
ed musty and the house bore the stamp
of the unoccupied save for several
suits Of clothes, wearing the imprint
OF Picadilly tailor, hanging in the
closet Of one of the bedrooms. These
must have fitted a man of medium
height and build. There were no per-
sonal memoranda around. and to all
intents the house was the same as
when Attorney Flanders had let II
nearly week previous. The garter
Johnny had found on the threshold
was woeful aggravation
IF the owner had only lost one of
them" soliloquized Johnny, 81 might
have traced him by matching the pair.
AS 1t is now. there's no chance at ALL"
Mr.. Franz, who was a plump little
German, shade too we'll tailored. a
whit too urbane, had fetched with him
a picture Of Cerisse Wayne that tailed
exactly with the portrait that had
blown from Harcourt's window. That
the same negative had permitted both
prints was manifest.
Then they led him into the presence
of Mrs. Harcourt. She was sitting in
the shadow of the window wrapped in
a wadded gown Of poppy red silk. She
was very listless and had not spoken a
word for hours. Harcourt declared that
this had been her wont at intervals
since the death of the baby.
They sent Franz into the room a lit
tie ahead of his escort. Mrs. Wayne"
calculated the banker, letting fall his
little black valise. why, they told
me you were dead!"
He advanced few steps, and reach
ed forth his hand, but the moment he
glimpsed Mrs. Harcourt's eyes he drop
ped his outstretched arm and stepped
back
Tt-ls-it-is-not-t he
murmured, studying closely the face
and figure before him. Mrs. Harcourt
dropped her eyes in terrified fash
ion and raised them again to find the
soft, calm gaze Of Philip Hartley fixed
steadily upon her. For full moment
she looked sharply, composedly at
Hartley, then from him to her hus-
band, and then again to Franz. Spring
ing from her chair, with the terror of a
child, she flung aside her wrappings.
and throwing herself upon Hartley.
clung to him, screaming:
"Oh, can't you save me from them:
save me. take me away; they kill me
with those awful drugs!"
Franz paled and turned his horri-
fed gaze out of the window.