The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-07-29

lay, as he was leaving his brothe
banker after dining with him.
You'll be lucky If you get one, oil
man. You've had no less than q doze
tough things to work out in the pas
four months" answered Burns, IAN
most of them came when you were tr,
ing to get away for vacation"
"Oh, I'll fool them this time. II
going to get away to New Orleans thi
week, and if I can't get rest ther
I'm going abroad"
Il hope you succeed" smiled Burn'
You've certainly earned day off. Blu
1on't get too far from New York. w
might need YOU"
That evening Poe superintendent tn
packing of his white flannels and ligh
est clothes. But, in spite of his inter
ion, the following in the morning p;
per compelled him to instantly chang
lis plans:
Between one and two o'clock
this morning, as near as can be as
certained, Geordie MacGregor was
stolen from his ivory inlaid bed
which stood next to the one his
mother was occupying at the time.
Mrs. MacGregor herself missed
the boy, and telephoned the po-
lice at two o'clock this morning.
Mrs. MacGregor, suffering with
ho eli h1lf
since retiring with her son at nine
o'clock last evening. At one o'clock
she noted her son was sleeping
sweetly and sound.
At two o'clock her asthmatic
trouble again awakened her. She
arose from bed to get fresh
handkerchief from her bureau. In
doing so she passed Geordie's bed,
and found it empty.
AS her four-year-old son was not
in the habit of rising during the
night, she flew into great alarm,
and hurried into the small room
adjoining, where Rose McDermott,
Geordie's old nurse, slept. The
nurse was on her feet almost the
moment her mistress passed
through the open doorway be-
tween their rooms.
Its Geordiei" she cried.
YES. Where is he?" Mrs. Mac
Gregor turned on light above the
faithful old nurses head, and
scanned her face with calm in
tensity.
81 thought / heard something"
cried the nurse.
Tell me, Rose, what?'
81 was just uneasy. | thought l
heard Geordie whisper for his
horse, Ponto; I'm sure / heard the
word" cried Rose.
She rushed at once to the but
ler's quarters.
Since Brian MacGregor, the Mad
Millionaire, finished his life as a
raving maniac in the padded cell
he had built as classroom in the
top turret of the house, the serv-
ants have been given all the rooms
on the third floor. Andrew was
awakened from a sound sleep, and
hurried back with Rose at once.
All lights were turned on, the four
other servants called from their
quarters in the basement, and a
general search was instituted.
The strangest part of the case is
that nothing was found out of or
der. Not a window was Unmatched.
Not door had been tempered
with. The police came, and I'M
hesitatingly called it an inside
job. The servants are now all un-
der suspicion, though old Rose is
thought to be innocent.
Of course, particular significance
should be attached to the fact that
Geordie MacGregor is the richest
boy in the world, and 1t would be
quite worth the while of any man
to prepare an elaborate scheme
and steal the boy. 1t is hardly
thought, however, that if the usual
method of kidnapping is employed
the criminals will be able to con-
ceal their victim, for with the
mass of money Mrs. MacGregor
has at her command she will be
able to put every detective in
New York city on the case.
A slight shiver ran through Chris
opher Poe as he looked at the accom-
anying Illustrations of the MacGree
r mansion; that grim, mysterious oil
tone pie, SPRAYING amply on Fiftl
venue, across from the park, in tn
sixties" He shuddered on seeing
icture of little Geordie in gold bro
ade walking-suit, and another o
ieordie in his inlaid ivory crib. Their
we're photographs, too, of the beauti
ul Mrs. MacGregor and Geordie's ma'
,ncestors, who Poe had known init
nately. Even the stern face of thu
Id family butler appeared in uncom
print.
Sending out his man for later pa
'ers, the banker dressed, called up
abroad Office to countermand a reseT
alton for New Orleans, and, when thu
'apers arrived, eagerly read the lates
eport, spread across the top half o
hsw1, Ina Iirnc.