The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-01-18
CHAPTER VII.
Two Disappearance.


Two DIsappearanees.
! looked at my watch and saw that
It was nearly noon. I remembered that
I had not yet called up Louise as /
had intended to do the very first thing
that morning. What laggard lover
she must think me! How heartless 1t
must seem to her for me to leave her
alone so long in the mansion where
here rather and sister lay dying, per-
haps dead, with the black shadowy
mystery still hanging over her and
them! What must she think Of me?
Filled with self-reproach | sprang up
without a word of apology or explana-
tion to the others and FASTENED to the
telephone booth had observed In the
hall.
GIVE me O141 Madison" demand
ed of central
whats the matterT she repeated.
with surprise in her tone, which struck
me peculiarly until considered that
long-distance calls from Ardway must
be such Q rarity az to surprise even
the operator.
Il want long distance-New York. "
explained. enunciating distinctly.
"O141 Madison"
~Agiin." central replied, fippantly.
II appeared to me.
] repeated the number, more than
annoyed by her response. "Oh, I've
got yoar number all right by this
time"
1t waIa good thing for her that she
tried no more POPULARITY with me, or
the rules Of the company against pro
family would have been shattered
There WIS wait of several minutes,
filed Will the usual false alarms OF
) long-distanee telephoning, during
which stvod and fumed. At last
heard my dear Louise's voice and has
tened eagerly to ask after her wei
fare. Her voice seemed strong and
cheerful. though she admitted that she
had slept little the night before.
apologized for nc. having called up be
fore. She told me that while her ia
Tiers condition Was unchanged. the
doctor thought he Was in no immedi
ate danger. and that Katharine wal
much improved. The doctor believed
now that she could live She was con
scious. but very weak. asd Louise hat
been forbidden to speak 70 her ant
was allowed in the room only for {
minute at time. hastily sketche,
for her the events of the morning
"Oh, Mr.. Kent" said Louise's vote.
how l wished she would call me b,
my first name-"who do you ssppos.
called up?"
''Who?"
Hugh Crandall."
whats that?" exclaimed. harol
believing my ears.
"Hugh Crandall." she repeated Il,
tie louder and more distinctly III
asked for Katharine, and the mai
called me to the telephone told hir
my sister was III and could not com
to the telephone. He seemed great
agftated and insisted on knowing wha
the matter was. He was 30 agitate
and persistent ! finally told him sh
had met with an accident He wa
silent for so long l thought he ha
left the telephone, but all of a sudde
he asked. Did she shoot herself?' an
before thought l answered Yes
Then he cried out, oh, my God! {
something like that and asked II sh
was fatally injured. l told him tn;
she was alive but unconscious. an
then, Harding. he asked IL had see
anything of yellUw letter. though
had better tell him nothing abo,
that, so / answered No. and then /
rang on"
"That was right" i said "whel
did he call up from?"
Il have no idea"
when was 1t? How long ago?"
mot very long-within the hour.
Hastily explained to Louise that
man that I believed was Crandall vi
here in he hotel with me and that
would find him at once and make hi
explain the mystery. Before ! left Il
booth got the Ardway central aga
and from her learned what ! had
gun to suspect-that "O1f: Madison
had been called from the very boo
In which stood. not over an hour
fore. There was no longer any dou
abous II In my mind---Cook was era
AN. He evidently had gone straig
49, e~s>ohnS,o haofb after elippi,