Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-02-19
CHAPTER v-tcontInuse)

CHAPTER N.-(ContiHueo),
had not looked at II In that light,
~ ! felt that he was right There
uoald not be a moment Of happiness
~ the girl I loved until the black
shadOw that menaced her home and
nose she loved had been dispeiled
Kes, Davis was right would go to
Ardway that evening. ! stopped only
lOng enough to telephone Louise Of
ny intention and to go to my rooms
enS q bag.
IF you have . revolver you'd better
h.ke II With you" said Davis.
= never owned one in my hfe,- ]
spilled.
He drew out his own and handed
q 70 me. Il was OF the hammerlesa
saTfety. flst and almost square.
BE careful how you use IT," he
aaTned me. "It'sa magazine gun and
SDos OF with . very light touch
"What do you aspect me to find In
Ar4way1" asksdAhlm as 3 taIicAb
Aurried US to the Hudson tunnel.
~There are two things First: nnd
ed II Hugh Crandall is there, when
As arrived and what he has been do
ting. Probably IL he is at the hotel
be will be registered under an as
xumed name. Second: find out who
has Lock BOX II. There is q list Of
bcx-owners kept In every office. with
the names Of the two references. Find
nut all yon can without arousing sus-
picaon. I'll be out and join you there
tomorrow evening. I'll come out on
his same train. I'll leave Il to you
b find a plausible pretext for ques-
eAoBing the postmaster"
Tedious a. the trip to Ardway would
ordinarily have been, so absorbed was
I IN puSzSing over the mystery hard
b noted the passage Of time and was
startled TO hear the brakeman calling
my station. had learned from the
conductor that It was village Of less
than two thousand Inhabitants and
AAat there was only one hotel, about
q block from the station. It proved
10 be a country hotel Of the better
sort, doing thriving business in feed
ing motOr-car folk who passed through
and in taking care Of traveling-men
aAd farmers supply agents who Wis
ated the neigbborhOod.
As signed the register scanned
the names. hoping to see that Of
CrandaIl. but 1t did not appear. Yet
Registered the night before was a
name Henry Cook" that caught my
AYE. Something about the writing
made II as distinctively that Of city
man as his clothes would have distin-
guished him from the country boy be.
mind the desk
where will find the postoffice7" !
asked the clerk. Il want to get a spe-
,cial delivery letter of tonight"
''It's a cou5te Of blocks up Main
street" he ibid me, but you'd better
9O IN and get supper. The dining,
room closes Ut hali-past seven and the
Post-office Says open until eight"
took his advice and, after an ex.
AceIIent meal lighted my cigar and
walked In the direction he had indi,
bcated. The streets were lighted after
n manner by oil lamps at the corners
There was NO moon and the villagers
Tor the most part seemed to live in the
rear part Of their homes. Few Of the
Struggling stores had their windows
alghted. 90 Il vas with difficulty read
the signs on The buildings / passed,
bet had IttES trouble finding the
post-o6ice. II was q One-story build.
ing that stood on a vacant lot in the
middle Of the block. 1t evidently had
been built By some local politician for
HE purpose, ~ It was not quartered
sn the corner Of a cigar or grocery
@tOre, as most country Offices are
PeeEing into the darkness read the
sign "Post-Otice." and noted with
sone surprise that the windows were
without lights ] drew out my watch
and striking . match looked at the
time. 1t WsR half-past seven. For
lack Of something better to do
walked round che building. To my
hmazement when I reached the end
AWay from the street found the rear
door standing vide open. Thinking
perhaps that The postmaster might
merely have gone TO supper, relying
on the honesty OF his neighbOrs to
leRve things uVdisturbed, ! loitered in
the vicinity for a full half-hOur. Al
aaHt. growing impatient. entered the
xesr door and striking another match
hooked about me. AS far as the uncer
tain light perTnltted me to see, the
phase looked as II the postmaster bad
been Unexpectedly called away In the
midst OF his work.
I recalled that in my bag at the ho
Eel was one OF those storage battery
Rights, which happened to be there be
u cause often found II useful in the
~fafAln where went 10 shoot ducks
decided TO get this and investigate
kurther Il had begun to rain and
there were few people on the street
h returned with my light in a very few
minutes and began to explore. did
mot greatly fear interruption. for the
nail.boxes on the street side served
as q screen 10 shut OF the shaft Of
light BY which / worked
Ny second inspection convinced me
4Nzt ths postmaster had left N con,