Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-18
The Daily Story
An Effective Weapon-By Dwight Norwood
Copyrighted. Literary yareaY

I
hospital Here he caught an infectious
disease that left him much reduced.
A year passed. and. since he had not
! improved. be concluded to take sea
! voyage. SO he sailed for Naples.
| Whether It was the effect of the eli
mate of Italy or the beautiful sur
roundings of Naples. the doctor began
to improve as soon rs he reached that
city
Dorrance was charmed by the bay
of Naples. Its beauty has been long
renowned, and justly. The longer one
lives on its shores the more delightful
It becomes to him. A central figure is
Vesuvius, whose cone is seldom. If
ever, without light smoke. From the
sea the ground rises to n height chat
may be called billy or mountainous.
Rising out of the sea some ten or hf-
teen miles from shore are the volcanic
islands of Ischia and Capri. usually
softened by light mist. while the
crowning beauty is the ever changing
color of the water through every hue
from bright silver to the darkest
blue.
Quite likely it was these attractions
appealing to an artistic element In the
young doctors makeup that led him to
settle at Sorrento and practice medi-
cine there. A constant flow OF tourists
passes through the town, and many Of
these are Americans. A few make 1t
their homes Among both tourists and
residents Dr. Dorrance found patients.
There is one detraction from the
pleasure of a sojourn in southern Italy.
One cannot feel safe in wandering I'M
protected about the country. There is
a town in the Alban hills, a dozen
miles from Rome, of some 500 persons.
all of whom are criminals. When the
mounted police see strangers in this
vicinity. they keep a protecting watch
over them.
One morning Miss Alice Townsend,
an American girl staying at one of
the hotels Mt Sorrento. situated on the
high cliff overlooking the bay of Ma /
pies. asked the proprietor If 1t was
safe for her to walk on a certain road
leading out of the town. His reply
was, That road is perfectly safe"
This indicated that the other roads
were not safe. Miss Townsend had a
fancy for going about alone and chafed
at not being able to do So She soon
got tired of walking on the road men, !
toned and Ionged for new route.
One afternoon she struck out, resolv- |,
ing to go to a height from which she |
might look down on the bay At any |
rate, that is what she told compan- |
ion she intended to do. who declined to |
her beyond the outskirts
of the town. When night came Miss
Townsend had not returned Her ia
Their gathered Il posse to go out to look
for her. but returned in the morning
without her or any news of her.
1t was apparent that the girl had
been kidnapped for ransom. at least
this was the hope, for no one could say
that she had not been nun dered. The
police advised Mr.. Townsend to wait
for n message demanding money for
his daughters release. when they
hoped to be able to make an attempt to
capture the kidnapers. The unhappy
father could do nothing but wait, but
ne resolved that if the demand was
made he would pay the amount with
out endangering his daughters life.
Several days passed, and no word
vas heard from the missing girl. The
police were urged to take action in the
natter; but, whether they were ineffi-
lent or knew the enemy they had to
leal with. they made no move.
One afternoon a boy called at DR.
)orrance's office and handed him bit
# paper on which was scra wled, in
land denoting an illiterate writer.
equest to call and see sick man liv-
ng on the heights directly back of the
own. The doctor. who made it a
oint to answer all calls at once. took
p a satchel in which he carried a
took of drugs and instruments and.
citing into a calash standing at the
DOR. took in the boy and started on
is quest.
He had assembled part way to the
ummit when he was met by a man
rmed with a carbine and told to halt
he boy got out of the vehicle and the ,
ian got in. Then he said: ,
Doctor. know all about you. and ;
on may be sure that you are in no :
anger so long as You do what is re-
uired of you in attending a sick per- =
On. Drive on T
Dorrance. in going about the coun- =
Y. relied entirely on his profession S
'r protection. Realizing that to arm t
inself for the purpose of defense1 Il
ould avail nothing and believing that g
riminals would not modest one they &
light have occasion to call upon TO |;
eal them or save their lives. he made q
Is visits without any protection what
yer p
The sun went down, night came and I
le two men had not reached their e
estimation. Ii was long past dark e
hen the doctors guide directed him n
turn of the road and. shortly after Il
'ing so. stop ut what had once been
villa. but what was now half ruin n
I'd half habitable. Before alighting D
: companion Snid TO him:
"The young lady who was captured
few days ago is here. She has be
me so frightened that we can do |