The Detroit times., 1912-05-31
in t6e.e
BROWN DERBY
L,
WELLS HASTINGS
soo Author Of cs5o
The Professors Mystery
tOwtshDll5 Bobbd'e"al "a
CHAPTER y
(contInued.)

that | carried In my hand lay undls.
turbed, and in each empty drawer Vi
the two enameled bureaus fouhu
fitted sheets, each, alas, intact. FOR
moment | stood puzzled, looking
rather hopelessly about the room
This paper must have come from
somewhere, thought, and yet-Then
/ | noticed a small table by each Ded'
| little square stands that people use
believe. for 4 night light or drink
| ing water. each with a shallow draw.
Ter for pear-at-nand necessities. Ana
as Mrs. Lathrop stood interesteuIy
watching me, pulled open the draw
= r OF one. and found II aosoluteN
bare.
Were not these lined too?" ask
ed.
FOR answer she pulled open the
drawer of the other, and held up
small obiong OF the white paper
But this one Is empty" / said.
"Then t is empty since last night,
Mrs. Lathrop answered; for ! went
over the room carefully yesterday
morning"
Hero, then, was where Nancy had
found paper for her note. That, at
least, vas pretty sire; but neverthe-
less iny heart sank with a great dis
appointment. The letters OF the note
In my hand were written stragglingly,
and once one line actually rose and
Tapped over the line above IL, as IL II
mad been written bv some blind per-
son. Evidently Nancy had been
watched very closely indeed, so that
hei only opportunity for writing this
note to me had been some time dur
Ing the terrors of her long night, and
she mad written In the dark. In the
dark, too, imagined, she must have
torn away the written portion OF the
sheet, taking her chance as she could,
perhaps trembling with the slight
tearing sound of the still paper, and
in her nervous haste leaving portion
OF her note still In the drawer. No,
after all, she would not quite have
done that; II she had been careful
enough to write to me, II did not seem
probable that she would have left a
sheet with a torn corner behind, as
a certain indication OF what she had
done, should her guarding dragon
look through the room in the morn
Ing.
sal down for a moment on the
edge Of the bed, trying to imagine
what she would have done. Then
glanced over at the fireplace; 1t was
clean and empty.
Mrs. Lathrop was watching me
with interest mo-" she said, shak-
ing her head; mo burnt paper"
Perhaps, thought, the dragon did
End the rest OF the sheet; but II she
had done that, SHE would have sus-
pscted the note itself, and would
either have got it away from Nancy
or questioned Mrs. Lathrop about IT..
It 3cemed more probable then. as l
thought II over, that Nancy had soft
iy cid the sheet from the drawer.
and lad drawn II under the bed
clothes, where she might crumple II
tc ball in silence. / got up and
leaned out OF the window; there was
not scrap OF paper upon the little
lawn
e,That are you looking for nowT'
asked Mrs. Lathrop.
81 thought" said I, that she might
Lave crumpled up the rest OF the
sheet and thrown 1t out of the win
Cow"
Mrs. Lathroa had been standing,
new she sat down with gasp. Now,
for certain, you'll think I'm the big
gcst idiot in the world" she said.
There was little ball OF paper on
the lawn this morning. I suppose /
am tidy soul. Mr.. Mason, for
didI't think anything about that pa
psr ut gil, except that II was on my
lawn, and | put it-dear knows, am
afraid TO tell ypu-lnto the stove"
The little bird-like face was. pink
with self-indignation, and think her
disappointment was only less than my
own.
Well, II can't be helped" l said.
AT least We know now how the note
was written. and | can tell you l am
glad of any news at all What Is the
first train | get get from here to New
York or Philadelphia?
There isn't one in either direction
for an hour and a half" said Mrs.
Eathrop, "and. good sakes, We have
both OF Us forgotten about dinner"