The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-06-23

| AA iSAoyo VI
every night. This bold suggestion
met with no second; few of those
present fancied spending several
hours OF a cool autumn night out Of
doors, instead Of snugly between
warm blankets.
Matters were at an apparent dead
LOCK, when an interruption came
from an unexpected source. Major
scarlet rose and begged leave to
say a few words. What he said was
right to the point and solved the diff
hculty in this wise:
Gentlemen" said the major, cigar
between thumb and forefnger, while
not resident among you, l am ia
mlliar with your troubles and have
listened attentively to all that has
been said here tonight Permit me
to remark that in my humble judg-
ment you've got pretty large con-
tract on your hands. There's a mys-
terry here, gentlemen-a series of hap
penings that cannot be explained by
attributing them to the usual run of
petty criminals. You've got to dig
deeper, gentlemen. Our friend Cor
RE has doubtless done his best, but
I'll go SO far as to say that the job
is too big for him even If he had 20
men under his command, instead of
two. What you want is an expert
criminologist-no mere policeman or
detective-but an expert investigator
In short, advise you to send for my
old friend, Finney Valentine"
So that was how the ex-inspcctor
came to handle and solve the AMMAN
dale mystesy-for solve it he did, as
you shall hear.
Valentine took up his abode as the
ostensible house-guest of the Birges.
He drove and rode, walked and play
ed golf, went to church and to card
parties for two or three weeks, just
as Major Scarlet had done before
him, only with this difference: The
| SiiSA iiuhoSSN W luSCl Guy Hcdlly
every inhabitant of Annandale, young
or old. Naturally his identity was
kept secret; some even of those who
had voted 10 employ him did not rec
ognize his identity under the pseu.
donym of mfr. Atterbury;" yet
strangely enough, those three weeks
turned out to be one of the periodic
zones of quiet. Nothing out of ne
way occurred to mar the idyllic quiet
:: of Annandale, and for the first time
in months villagers and commuters
slept peacefully in their beds.
Valentine himself was as usual in
scrutable. Half or two-thirds of each
night. wet or dry, cloudy or moon
lit, he spent afoot, literally ION the
prowl" Eut, beyond the mere ces-
sation of hostilities, the mystery re-
NAMED unriddled.
! 1t was through DR.. osbon that Val.
entine obtained many personal de.
tails about: the people of Annandale,
especially those natives" dwelling in
what was locally known as 1.-The
South End near the railroad track,
where were carried on such useful in
dustries as blacksmithing, cobbling,
whitewashing and laundrying. But all
Of the people pursuing these humble
callings we're above suspicion-indeed
some of them had been among the
earliest victims.
Doctor Csbon was man past the
prime of life, with a wide practice
for miles around-able, keen, and uni
versally liked. Indeed, Finney Val
entine was somewhat surprised to
meet a man of his medical caliber in
so rural a neighborhood, and one day
gave speech to his thought, ending by
saying:
"One would think, doctor, you'd find
a city practice more to your liking
There can't be many cases here to in
terest YOU"
mot many, perhaps" assented the
medico, land yet 1t isn't all family
trade. I've had some Very interest
ing surgical operations arising from
accidents with reaping machinery and
gunshot wounds, to say nothing of
broken legs and arms. But my prize
patient lives over yonder-she's one
of the most puzzling ever heard Of
Maid, wife or widow?" queried Val
entine.
THE latter. It's no breach of pro-
fessional etiquette to mention hel
symptoms, everybody knows all about
poor Mary Friller."
"lncurabse disease, suppose!'
That's more than l can tell you
She's woman past SO, well.pre.
served, but bedridden for the last Is
years-five years before my time. To
all appearances she's well and hearty
appetite normal, and all that, but
swears she can't move from the waist
down. Claims she's paralyzed, and
the usual tests confirm that. BIZ
sometimes I've thought 1t was case
of hysteria--nerves, you know. Al
one time really thought Mrs. Friller
was shamr,ing-that hers was just a
case of malingering. But don't
know-lateiy I've given over puzzling
about her. / drop in once or twice a
month, and always find her the
same"
"Could an imposture like that be
successfully carried out?" inquired
Finney Valentine.
Lord bless you, yes" answered Dr.
Osbon. THE books are full Of EN-. y
Here he laughed quietly to himself
whats the joker said the chief
"Oh, l just happened to think of a
stock medical story. Once upon a