Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-07-25
lYD. FLETCHER ROBINSON
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Discover suitable place from
which can keep an eye on the sum-
mer house. Goodnight to you.'
When reached my room, l took on
my coat, placed a chair some six feet
back from the open window, SO that
the rising moon should not show my
face to any watchers In the laurels,
and SO waited events.
1t was soft summer night, such as
only temperate England knows There
was not breath Of wind; perfume
of flowers crept in from the garden;
every leaf stood black and still in the
silvery light. heard the clock chime
three-quarters of an hour In some
| room beneath me. The last stroke had
barely shivered into silence when
saw Coran appear upon the lawn,
walking towards the summer house,
the outlines OF which / could distin-
| guish amongst the heavier shadows OF
the trees by which 1t was surrounded.
remembered my orders, and crept
softly to the door. which l had left
ajar. The minutes slipped by without
sound, and presently began to won
der why Coran had not returned. His
room was not far from mine. / must
nave heard his foot upon the stairs.
he had disobeyed his orders, that was
evident. However, 1t was not my af-
iair, and | crept back to my point OF
observation.
Twelve! l heard the clock tap out
the news from the room below. l was
noodlng In my chair, barely awake.
AFTER all, 1t was a trivial matter, this
trumpery blackmail Half an hour
more. thought l, pulling out my watch,
and l will get to bed.
Inc affair was becoming extremely
monotonous. l dared not light Gig
arctic, for felt certain that Peace
would notice the glow from outside,
and that l should hear of it in the
morning. Ten minutes, quarter OF
an hour-what was that moving under
the trees by the edge of the drive? 1t
was man-two men. crouched for
ward with every nerve In me suddenly
awakened
Ihey were a good thirty yards
apart, the one following the other with
stealthy strides-not the sort of walk
with which honest men go about hon.
est business.
When the leader came to the path
which led towards the summer house
ne turned down it, leaving the drive to
MS right. He avoided the gravel.
Keeping to the silent turf which
fringed 1t. His companion followed
him step by step.
1t was curious spectacle, these
slow-moving shadows that drifted for
ward through the night, now almost
obscured beneath the branches. now
showing In black silhouette against a
patch of moonlight.
AS the first man melted amongst
the trees about the summer house. the
other moved forward swiftly for a
score OF steps and then halted for a
moment, crouching behind a clump OF
laurel. Suddenly he sprang up again
and ran straight forward, cutting a
corner across the lower edge OF the
lawn.
house. But Peace had never expected
two men; l was sure of that. | crept
down the stairs, out through the
French windows of the drawing room,
and so across the lawn to the trees
about the summer house.
There was no shouting, but | could
hear the faint tramping of a scuffle
and the thud of falling bodies. Then
all was still again.
AS I passed through them l saw a
little group standing in whispered con.
versation. They turned sharply upon
me. One was stranger, but his com.
panions were Peace and, to my vast
surprise, old Coran himself.
well, Mr.. Phillips" said the detec-
tive. "and what do you want?"
II thought" began.
"Oh, you've been thinking, too, have
you," he snapped. Here is a young
man who was thinking he would like
to look at this extremely commonplace
summer house; here is Mr.. Coran who
was thinking he might help me by
lurking about his garden instead OF
going to bed; and here are you with
heaven knows what ideas in your
head. Perhaps you and Mr.. Coran will |
do what you are told another time"
Il saw two men," l explained hum.
bly,. Il was afraid they might get the
better Of you. How was l to know
that 1t was Mr.. Coran who had disc.
beyed orders?"
"You are both pleased to be humor-
ous," said our host, and could see he |
was trembling with rage. But the
fact remains that caught this young
man entering the summer house for
a purpose we can well imagine. In
spector Addington Peace. charge