Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-07-19

cd the button. In less time than we
had expected We heard the bolts shoot
back. The door was flung open. cleo
trio lights sprang into a glare. and my
eyes fell on Mrs. Seattle.
Rather an odd hour for a social
call. DR.. Halifax" she said. coolly.
May l inquire why I am so hon
ored?"
Frost strobe forward and laid his
hand on her arm with an imperative
gesture.
Il am a police officer, madam he
said grimly, "and demand to know
where Mr.. Oscar Digby is. He enter
ed here at a quarter past ten tonlght.
From that moment the house has been
surrounded and closely watched. he
must therefore be here
/"Mr. Digby is not in the house" re-
sponded Mrs. Seattle de1antly.
An adjoining door opened. and
Senior Merello made his appearance.
She looked up at him and smiled. then
said carelessly:
Gentlemen, this is my brother,
Senior Merello."
The senior bowed but did not speak.
Once again, Mrs. Seattle" broke in
Frost, what have you done with Mr..
Digby?"
He is not here" she said. angriiy.
You car look for yourselves
Very WELL" said Frost, calmly.
Then you, madam, this gentleman,
and all your servants are under ar
rest until We find him."
Mrs. Seattle eyed the inspector vim
dictively, but made no reply. The op-
erations which followed were conduct
ed rapidly. The establishment. con
sisting of Mrs. Seattle, her brother,
two Spanish men-servants. two maids,
one OF Spanish extraction. and the
negro who had opened the door to us.
were summoned and placed IN the
charge of one of Frost's detectives.
Muriel Seattle was nowhere to be
seen. Then we began to search the
Louise. In the basement the large
cellar which had attracted Mrs.
Scaiffe's pleased surprise, had now
been fitted up as a laboratory. ex-
amined it closely. 1t was evidently
used for the manufacture Of chemi-
calls on a large scale. All the latest
chemical and electrical apparatus
were to be found there, as well as
several large machines, the purposes
of which were not evident. One in
particular specially noticed. 1t was
a big tank with a complicated equip
ment for the manufacture of liquid air
in large quantities. | fingered here
quite awhile. and suddenly a hideous
possibility presented itself to my mind.
Just then, however, | remembered MI
riel, and turned to join Frost in his
search, wondering If any harm had
come to the girl. Our search in the
upper regions was equally unsuccess-
full. We were just going downstairs
again when Eros drew my attention
to a door which we had not yet open
! ed. 1t was locked, but we burst 1t
open. Within, we found a girl
crouching beside the bed. She turned.
saw my face, and suddenly chung to
me. 1t was Muriel.
Have you found him; is he safer"
she asked.
81 do not know, my DEAR" l replied.
trying to soothe her. I'VE are look
ing for him"
did he come to the house? have
been locked in here all day and heav-
lily drugged."
He came In. We are searching for
him, and hope to find him"
THAT you will never do" she cried.
and fell fainting on the floor.
We placed her on the bed. Frost
produced brandy and gave her a few
drops. She came to in a couple of
minutes, and began to moan feebly.
After a little while she became calm
and finally fell into a deep slumber.
Then | left her and fastened back to
the laboratory, intent on trying an ex-
pertinent which had occurred to me on
my last visit there.
Meanwhile Frost and his men had
not been idle. Convinced that Digby
or Digby's dead body was concealed
somewhere around the premises, they
began a systematic search of the en-
tire house from oof to basement.
Pick and crowbar were ruthlessly APP
piled, fioorings were torn up and raft
ers cut through. Walls were pierced
and bored through, closets and cup
boards r~ansacked. The very backs Of
the old-fashioned fireplaces were torn
out. and the chimneys explored. At
last Frost called me upstairs. He was
leaning against the wall, looking be-
wildered.
This is beyond me altogether, doc
tor" he said. There is absolutely nc
trace Of Digby, alive OF dead"
Look here, Frost" said, this
thing has to be worked out logically.
If Digby left this house he went up,
down, or horizontally. Up is out of
the question. II he disappeared in a
balloon or was shot off the roof he
must have been seen by us, for the
house was surrounded. He certainly
did not pass through the Gordon Of
men. He did not go down, for every
cubic foot of basement and cellar has
been accounted for, as well as every
cubic foot of space in the house. So
We come to the chemical change of
matter. Dissipation into gas by heat.
There are no furnaces, no ashes, no
gas cylinders, nor dynamos, nor car
bon points. The time when we lost
sight of him to the time of entrance
was exactly two hours and three-quar-
ters. IF Won come with me think 7